The Naadam Festival in Mongolia is the standout event of the year, where everyone gathers to showcase their skills in wrestling, horse racing, archery, and ankle-bone shooting. To Mongolians, this festival is as significant as Christmas, and it’s eagerly anticipated by everyone. Each village and town hosts their own Naadam, with people dressing up in traditional outfits, preparing plenty of food and arak (fermented mare’s milk), and spending time outdoors with friends and family.
Although we missed the major festival in Ulan Bator, we were lucky enough to catch one in the smaller village of Tsetserleg. We’ve heard these smaller festivals are often more authentic and enjoyable. The event resembled a small fair, attracting locals from all over the province. They came to either participate in the events, sell food and toys, or run carnival games for children.
At the local stadium, we watched the ankle-bone shooting contest, where two men aimed a cowhide ball at a target made of ankle bones. It’s probably one of the most unusual sports we’ve ever seen!
However, what we were most excited about was the wrestling. It’s somewhat similar to sumo wrestling in Japan. The wrestlers wore small underwear-style bottoms, boots, traditional hats, and open, over-the-shoulder tops. These open shirts became part of the attire years ago to prevent women from competing in disguise, ensuring the gender of the wrestler is visible.
The wrestlers entered the field performing a dance, circling with their arms outstretched as if flying. They then paired up, and multiple matches began concurrently. Intriguingly, there are no weight divisions, and the Mongolian wrestlers are quite formidable!
Watching the wrestling from the sidelines was a blast, especially with enthusiastic Mongolian spectators cheering on their favorites. We felt very welcomed as locals offered us snuff, handshakes, and greetings.
Unfortunately, there was no archery at this Naadam Festival, and we couldn’t witness the horse racing either because it was happening 45 minutes away. Nonetheless, seeing the wrestling was our main goal, and it certainly lived up to our expectations.
Experiencing local festivals in different countries is always remarkable. Being in Mongolia during their favorite time of the year allowed us to see the locals in high spirits and deeply connect with the local culture.