Five kinds of food

White - Diary products
Red - Meat products
Green - Plants and vegetables
Yellow - Butter and oil
Black - Water and distilled milk vodka

The red

For thousans of years Mongolians have used the meat of the five kinds of livestock and also of hunted anilmasl and developed abundant and particular methods of processing meat and preparing food. The historical recordings, petroglyphs and archaeological findings bear witness to the hunting tradition of thousans of years.

 
   The Huns hunted birds and wild animals and Syanbi people used to fish in the rivers. Mongolians used to have the state hunting of tens of thousands of warriors in the autumn. The Mongolian Secret History says "Bodonchar, ancestor of Chinggis Khan, trained hawk and hunted ducks", "We encircle steppe, antelopes and hunt" or "The family of Yeshukhei, fish at the Onon River".

The recording of Chan Chun Bumba reveals that Mongolians used to fish in winter from under the ice of Kherulen

Tsagaan sar - Lunar new year

During Tsagaan sar, the lunar New year's eve, the family host or the eldest person takes the essence of the main dish of honor, a saddle of mutton and sheep head, makes an oferring to the fire and then oferrs it to family members. On special occasions, this is carved into him slices and given to the guests as they come to  greet the hosts. The meal is 'Buuz', very similar to meat dumplings but cooked in steam, and 'khuushuur', meat pies in unleavened pastry, are very popular.

Mongol Sports - Naadam

'The three manly games'
Naadam is the country's traditional festival that is celebrated nationwide. Since the revolution in 1921 the festival has been organized in the honor of the victory of the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party, but Mongolians have been celebrating it for thousands of years. The three manly games - archery, wrestling, and horse racing - in ancient times were considered to be the essential skills. Every man was a warrior and he had to master these sjills to defeat  his enemies. Wrestling was originally a game to test the strenght and wit, but some sources say it was initially aimed at training young kids how to tame and domesticate wild animals. The horse is the main means of transport and man's best friend, serving as the symbol of power, strength and loyalty. Hence horse back riding is one of the most important abilities a man should possess. In ancient times, the ability to shoot with a bow and arrow was highly valued as it was the main weapon used in hunting and battles. Through history, the games developed into sports and higly skilled and specially trained men have made the events more competitive and interesting.

Naadam is celebrated annually on July 11-13 in the capital and in the local soums/provinces. Each year, over 35 thousand wrestlers, 40 thousand horse racers and 1500 archers compete in Naadams throughout the country. The main Naadam festival held in Ulaanbaatar is the biggest one attended by the state governors where the nine white banners of Chinggis Khaan are carried from the Parliament to the Central Stadium and the President officially opens the festival followed by folk songs, music and dance performance. The winners of the three manly games are given state tittle by the decree of the President of Mongolia.

The Horse Tale (Morin khuur - Ma Tou Qin )

Mongols, the legendary nomadic riders created their own unique instrument - the Morin Khuur (horse fiddle), the horse was a symbol of worship, and this custom was one of the main factors for the independence and power of the of the Mongols throughout history. The Mongols created and used over 400 kinds od music instruments, among which Morin khuur has remained the most popular and widespread through time.

     Mongolians have deep respect toward this music instrument, keeping the Morin Khuur at the most honored placeof the ger and playing the Morin Khuur to call the good fortune and keep away evil spirits. Morin Khuur is played at the start of all the rites, family feasts, shamanist rituals and state ceremonies; It also accompanies everyday  life occasions like story telling in the evening, singing, dancing and even live-stock herding. There are a number of legends about how the Morin Khuur was created, all based on a man's love and grief for his dead horse. These include 'Legend of Khukhuu namjil', 'Legend of Left Handed Khuur Player' and 'White Horse of a Boy named Sukh' in inner Mongolia and etc. So central was and still is the horse to Mongolian culture that it was registered to the Masterpieces of the Oral and intangible Heritage of Humanity identified by UNESCO.

      Much of the canon of Mongolian performance art(song, dace, poetry, drama, stories, even blessing) is inseparably entwined with the music of the Morin Khuur. It is not simply a traditional instrument; but considered to be an enchanting art and a precious treasurer and its special sound contributes much to the quality of modern music.