View source for Sabantuy

{{short description|Summer festival of certain Turkic people}}
{{inline|date=June 2024}}
'''Sabantuy''' is a [[Tatars|Tatar]], [[Idel-Ural]]ian, [[Bashkirs|Bashkir]] and [[Kazakhs|Kazakh]] ('Sabantoy') summer [[festival]], that dates back to the [[Volga Bulgaria]]n epoch. At first Sabantuy was a festival of [[farmer]]s in rural areas, but it later became a [[Public holiday|national holiday]] and now is widely celebrated in the [[city|cities]]. In 2012, [[Kazan]] Sabantuy was celebrated on June 23.<ref name="auto">{{cite web|last=Drayton|first=James|title=Sabantuy|url=http://hometoroam.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/sabantuy.html|work=home to roam|date=4 July 2012 |accessdate=11 July 2012}}</ref>
== Nomenclature ==
[[Tatar language|Tatar]]-speakers call the holiday ''Sabantuy'' (Сабантуй, {{IPA-tt|sʌbɑnˈtuɪ|}}), or, more correctly, '''Saban tuyı''' (Сабан туе, {{IPA|[sʌˈbɑn tuˈjɯ]}}) - plural form: ''Sabantuylar'' {{IPA|[sʌbɑntuɪˈlɑr]}}.
Other [[Turkic peoples]] living along the [[Volga]] also celebrate the holiday. [[Bashkir language|Bashkir]]-speakers call it '''Habantuy''' (Һабантуй), [[Chuvash language|Chuvash]]-speakers — '''Akatuy''' (Акатуй).
The [[holiday]]'s name means "[[plough]]'s [[Festival|feast]]" in [[Turkic languages]]. The synonym "plough's holiday", or '''Saban bäyräme''' (Сабан бәйрәме {{IPA|[sʌˈbɑn bæɪræˈme]}}) also occurs.
==History==
Sabantuy traces its origins to the pre-[[Islam]]ic epoch, when it was celebrated before the [[sowing]] season. The presence of Sabantuy was noticed by [[ibn Fadlan]] as early as in 921. Traditional [[song]]s and other customs of the Sabantuy probably had a religious connotation at that time.
Later, with the spread of [[Islam]] among [[Tatars]] and [[Bashkirs]] and [[Christianity]] among [[Chuvash people|Chuvashs]], it became a [[secular holiday]]. In each region, [[village]]s took turns to celebrate the holiday.
In the beginning of the 20th century Sabantuy gained recognition as the national festival of the Tatars. The [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] authorities approved of this festival probably due to its humble rural origin. However, they moved Sabantuy to the after-sowing season, thus merging it with the ancient summer festival ''[[Cıyın]]'' (Cyrillic: Җыен, {{IPA|[ʑɯɪˈɯn]}}).
Recently, Moscow announced plans to nominate Sabantuy for the inclusion into the [[Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity]] list in 2007.
==Traditions==
The main distinctive elements of Sabantuy include the traditional sporting competitions such as ''[[köräş]]'' (Tatar wrestling), horse racing, race-in-sack, pillar-climbing, egg-in-spoon-in-mouth-racing, sacks-battle on the crossbar, pot smashing [http://www.ogoniok.com/common/archive/1996/4459/28-10-11/28-11-1b.gif], finding a coin in a ''qatıq'' (a beverage made from sour milk), and other contests. Such activities take place on the ''[[:wikt:mäydan|mäydan]]'',<ref>Мәйдан; {{IPA|[mæɪˈdɑn]}}; also ''maydan'', майдан, {{IPA|[mʌɪˈdɑn]}} in spoken language</ref> which would usually be located at the edge of a forest.
A tradition, called ''sörän'',<ref>Сөрән; {{IPA|[sœˈræn]}}</ref> was held to collect a fare for guests of the festival and prizes for the winners of the contests. ''Qarğa botqası'' (Rook's porridge),<ref>Карга боткасы, {{IPA|[qʌrˈɣɑ bɔtqɑˈsɯ]}}</ref> a ritual porridge, was cooked before the Sabantuy to treat children in the village. Another tradition was praying at the cemetery.
In the recent years Sabantuy is also often combined with the [[Music of Tatarstan|folk and pop music festivals]], as well as accordion music festivals, named ''Play, accordion!'' (''Uyna, ğarmun!'').
===[[Kurash]]===
[[File:Көрәш.JPG|thumb|Köräş ([[Tatar language|Tatar:]]Көрәш) on a Sabantuy in [[Ulyanovsk]]]]
The [[wrestling]] [[Kurash]], is the main competition of Sabantuy. Wrestlers use [[towel]]s and the aim is to knock down the opponent.
Usually young boys start the competition. At the end of Sabantuy, the main event of the festival is the final of köräş. The winner becomes the ''[[batır]],''<ref>{{IPA|[bʌˈtɯr]}}, also батыр ''batyr,'' паттӑр ''pattăr''</ref> the hero of the Sabantuy. The prize varies from a [[Sheep|ram]] in small villages to a [[car]] at big cities' celebrations.<ref name="auto"/>
===Calendar of the festival===
Sabantuylar do not have a set date. The festivities take place approximately from June 15 to July 1, and usually fall on a Sunday. Initially, Sabantuylar are arranged in villages, followed by Sabantuylar in rural districts, and the final ones taking place in major cities. The last Sabantuy is held in [[Kazan]], the capital of [[Tatarstan]]. A similar schedule is applied for Akatuy in [[Chuvashia Republic|Chuvashia]] and Habantuy in [[Bashkortostan]].
In the last few years the Russian government arranged [[Russian Federation|federal]] Sabantuylar in Moscow.  Many cities in [[Europe]] and [[Asia]] that have major Tatar diasporas, such as [[Moscow]], [[Saint Petersburg]], [[Tallinn]], [[Prague]], [[Istanbul]], [[Kyiv]] and [[Tashkent]], also hold Sabantuylar.
Today Sabantuy can be characterized as an international festival attracting many people of various ethnicities who participate in Sabantuylar, both in Tatarstan, and all over the world.
==Political traditions==
Sabantuy is a symbol of [[Tatarstan]]. This is why every Russian president visiting the republic takes part in the Sabantuy held in Kazan. During his visit to Kazan in the mid-1990s [[Boris Yeltsin]] became the center of attention at a Sabantuy when he took part in a traditional competition in which the participants try to crash a clay pot while being blindfolded. [[Vladimir Putin]] took part in a humorous competition during which he tried to dip his face into a jar full of [[Soured milk|sour milk]] in order to fish out a coin without using his hands.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://2001.novayagazeta.ru/nomer/2001/41n/n41n-s07.shtml|title=Новая газета - Novayagazeta.ru|website=Новая газета - Novayagazeta.ru}}</ref>
== Notes ==
<references/>
== References ==
*{{TES|Saban tuyı/Сабан туе}}
*{{in lang|en}} [http://hometoroam.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/sabantuy.html 2012 Sabantuy celebrations in Kazan]
*{{in lang|en}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20070930043736/http://www.ogoniok.com/archive/2002/4758-2/91-04-09/ Traditions of Sabantuy, ''Ogonyok'',  photos]
*{{in lang|en}} [http://rinfom.com/pictures/92-wallpaper/232-sabantuj Photos of Sabantuy]
*{{in lang|en}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20070927235535/http://www.bashedu.ru/konkurs/sahabetdinov/sabantui_e/sabantui_photo/istory.htm History of Habantuy]
*{{in lang|en}} [http://gov.cap.ru/home/chuv_adm/album/2003/06_07/akatuy.htm Photos of Akatuy]
*{{in lang|ru}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20070930043812/http://www.ogoniok.com/archive/2002/4754-2/90-04-09/ Традиции Сабантуя, ''Огонёк'']
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SDamzGwKZw Video on YouTube: Sabantui in Prague]
[[Category:Bashkir culture]]
[[Category:Tatar culture]]
[[Category:Indigenous peoples days]]
[[Category:Summer festivals]]
[[Category:June observances]]
[[Category:Cultural festivals in Russia]]
[[Category:Summer holidays (Northern Hemisphere)]]
[[Category:Summer solstice]]