Vocabulary:

joint – общий, совместный

gratis – бесплатно, безвозмездно

sole – единственный

expenditure – расход, трата

abundance – изобилие

indecent – неприличный, непристойный

• Answer the questions:

1. What is “Asar”?

2. Do volunteers get money for their work?

3. Why is it considered indecent not to come to ‘Asar’?

• What have you learnt about Asar? Tell your friends.

Cutting the hobble

When a child just begins to walk, he undergoes another ancient ritual – cutting the hobble. A hobble is a rope tied around the child’s legs in a figure of 8. The child takes a few steps, and then the hobble is cut by the most respected guest.

The custom is of pagan origin. The ancient inhabitants of Kazakhstan practised tengrism: they worshipped the sky (Tengri) as their supreme deify. In the Tien-Shan there is a mountain nameв after it – Khan-Tengri, the highest peak in Kazakhstan.

The ancients saw the world divided into three parts: underground, earthly and heavenly. In the course of his/her life a person passes through all three stages in succession. The newborn baby is considered a new arrival from the underground world. His ties with that world are still strong, and the earth continually calls him/her. It is so how the ancient people explained the then high infant mortality rate. But when a child begins to walk alone, his ties to the underground world weaken. It is important to have the help of a person from the real, terrestrial world. That is why only people who were strong both, spiritually and physically, had the right to cut hobbles.

Vocabulary:

hobbles – путы

rope – веревка

wound – обвитая

pagan – языческий

worship – поклонение

deify – обоготворение

succession – последовательность

mortality – смертельность

terrestrial – земной

• Express the same in English:

1. путы

2. веревка, обвитая вокруг ног веревкой

3. они поклонялись небу

4. его связь с подземным миром ослабевает

• What do you know about cutting the hobble?

Nauryz

Kazakhstan has many different customs and traditions. The most important Kazakh holiday is “Nauryz”, the Kazakh New Year.

On March 22nd people from smaller villages come to bigger cities. Families get together to help one another in constructing a ‘kiyiz ui’, a traditional Kazakh home. Since the Kazakhs were originally nomadic people they had homes that could be easily set up and moved from one place to another. The yurt became such a home for the Kazakh people.

Yurts are made of long pieces of wood that are tied up together and make the skeleton for this round house. Large pieces of felt are placed over the wood and rugs are placed inside the ‘kiyiz ui’ on the floor to keep warmth and protect from cold and rain. If you enter a yurt on Nauryz you will see that it is decorated with beautiful Kazakh ornaments, rugs and blankets.

One of the major features of Nauryz is the traditional of costumes that men and women wear on the day.

As a guest you will be seated at a long table inside a yurt and treated with traditional Kazakh dishes “karta” (round pieces of dried horse meat) ‘plov’ (meat and rice), ‘baursak’ (fried rolls), and “besbarmak” (‘five fingers’) - a dish cooked of noodles, onions and mutton.

This meal is traditionally served with a sheep’s head, which is set at the “place of honour”– at the head of the table. An elder “ aksakal” (a wise old man) will usually have the task of cutting the sheep’s head and saying words of blessing while giving each part of the head to a different person. The parts are distributed in a special way, it is also a symbolic action.

At the end of the meal you will sit and have tea and listen to musicians playing dombyras and kobyz and singing songs. Then you may see many ancient Kazakh games.

• True (T) or False (F) sentences:

1. Kazakhstan has many different customs and traditions.

2. On March 22^nd people from smaller villages come to bigger cities.

3. The yurts are made of stones.

4. If you enter a yurt on Nauryz you will see that it is decorated with beautiful Russian ornaments, rugs and blankets.

5. The traditionally served dish is meat with a sheep’s head.

• Fill in the preposition:

1. Since the Kazakhs were originally nomadic people they had homes that could be easily set up and moved … one place … another.

2. Large pieces … felt are placed … the wood and rugs are placed inside the kiyiz ui … the floor to keep warmth and protect … cold and rain.

3. An elder “aksakal” will usually have the task … cutting the sheep’s head and saying words … blessing while giving each part … the head … a different person.

4. … the end … the meal you will sit and have tea and listen … musicians playing dombyras and kobyz and singing songs.

5. One … the major features … Nauryz is the traditional costumes that men and women wear.

• Answer the questions:

1. What is the most important Kazakh holiday of the year?

2. When is Nauryz celebrated?

3. What is the name of the traditional Kazakh home?

4. What are the ‘kiyiz ui’ made of?

5. What are the traditional dishes of Kazakh people?

6. How is the ‘kiyiz ui’ decorated?

7. What musical instruments do Kazakh people play?