The holidays that Mongolians celebrate are very different than what Kathy and I are familiar with in America. Every July 11 to 13 is the festival called Naadam, which means "Games," or "Three Manly Skills," and commemorates the independence day of 1921. The three sports are archery, horseback riding and wrestling. Women are allowed to compete in the archery and horse racing. It is an important family time, as families gather together to enjoy 3 or more days of holiday.
Kathy and I went to the opening celebration at the National Stadium on July 11th with our friend Munguu and her mother. The stadium is large, holding 20,000 people. Everything was so colorful. It as great to see! Many people wore their traditional clothing. After the opening ceremony, the wrestling competition began, which lasts several days. The clothing (or lack of!) is traditional.
The archery too place in a smaller stadium next to the National Stadium. Some of the archers are the best in the world, winning medals at the Olympics.
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| Here are 4 of the 999 musicians who played the morin khuur, which means horse-head fiddle |
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| ... a colorful view from the stadium seats of Mongolian archers waiting to enter the stadium ..... |
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| Munguu and Kathy |
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| Kathy and me... :) |
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| Munguu and her grandmother with me |
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| A young Mongolian boy with a confident look as he prepares for his part in the opening ceremony |
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| Soldiers wait to be called... |
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| The first wrestlers compete |
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| Two young wrestlers await their turn |
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| The women archers compete |
Hey! That's me in the mid-left side of the bird's-eye-view shot! (not just "Mongolians in traditional clothing"; they're the archers waiting to enter the stadium)
ReplyDeleteHi, Mongapore! Thanks for the comment. Which one are you in the photo? I couldn't get into your blog. Perhaps you could send me an email?
ReplyDeleterichard7000@gmail.com