On March 14, Doctor of Philology, professor, well-known turkologist of the republic, honored worker of education of the Republic of Kazakhstan Sabyr Murat Bokenbayuly gave a lecture to the students of our university on the topic “The national holiday of Nauryz begins with a handshake”.

The main purpose of the event is to promote national customs, life and traditions of the Kazakh people.

In Western Kazakhstan, a holiday has come – a harbinger of Bright Nauryz, which is called “Korisu” (literal translation – “see each other”). On this day, people visit each other, at a meeting they certainly shake hands and say: “Happy past year!”.

The obligation of the celebration of “Korisu” is a handshake, when the younger ones go to the house of the elders, greeting them by the hand and asking for blessings from the elders at the beginning of the new year. This custom has been preserved only in Atyrau, Mangistau, West Kazakhstan and in some areas of the Aktobe region, as well as in Karakalpakstan, Turkmenistan, Saratov, Samara, Orenbur, Astrakhan regions of the Russian Federation.

Since ancient times, the beginning of March has been considered by the Kazakhs as the beginning of a new year and was called “Amal-Meiramy”. In ancient times, when the Kazakhs were engaged exclusively in nomadic cattle breeding, exactly one week before the day of the spring equinox, they counted their cattle and, rejoicing that the long winter was finally behind them, visited each other, discussed losses and offspring, and also prepared for Nauryz. Historically, the Kazakhs of the western region were the first to celebrate the holiday of spring and the renewal of nature earlier, and then with congratulations they went to their relatives from other regions.

During the lecture, the lecturer gave exhaustive answers to the questions asked by the students (What is Korisu Ait? Who celebrates it? What types of Korisu are there?).

Organizational and educational department