Ulaanbaatar, MongoliaSaturday, February 13, 2010
Today is Tsagaan Sar Eve--or the day before the Mongolian New Year holiday begins. Normally the visiting and feasting begins on New Year's Day (i.e. tomorrow), but an American colleague invited us to her house today for a "practice run" so that we could learn some of the New Year's greetings and traditions. Our colleague is married to a Mongolian and has lived in Mongolia for more than a decade.
Here are some of the things we learned:
- whom to greet first
- what to say as a greeting
- that we should keep our hats on while greeting folks
- that we should touch the bottom of plate of bread donuts (see photo) before taking a sweet
- the higher the stack of bread donuts, the longer people have been married
- there is always an odd number of layers to the bread stack--the first layer represents happiness, the second layer represents sorrow, the third layer represents happiness, etc.--thus there must always be an odd number of layers--so that one "ends" with happiness...
- salty milk tea is served first
- next up: sweetened rice
- followed by: potato salad and pickles
- don't be surprised if you see a cooked sheep back on the Tsagaan Sar table (not in this photo)
- the length of a visit is just about 20 minutes--which is the time it takes to heat up a some buuz--or dumplings
- you may refuse to drink your vodka, but then you must put put your finger in it and touch your forehead
- Once the dumplings are eaten, the hosts will bring you your gift, and it's time to go--there are probably more guests on the way...
Thanks, S, for a lovely and instructive morning!
