Naadam Festival
July 11-13

Nauryz Holiday
March 22

Tsagaan Sar Holiday
Lunar New Year (January/February)

Eagle Festival
First weekend in October

Bayan Olgii Eagle Festival

The Eagle Festival will take place from October 4 - 6, a few kilometers outside of Olgii. Tickets do not need to be purchased ahead of time, but the availability of plane tickets and hotel rooms may be limited.

For more information about this year's Eagle Festival, contact Canat at (976)99110303.

Naadam Festival

The Naadam Festival is Mongolia's largest and most unique celebration. The event honors the three 'manly sports' - wrestling, horseback riding, and archery. The origins of Naadam (Mongolian for holiday) are thought to date back to Gengis Khan's time when soldiers honed their riding and archery skills to levels unchallenged in the world.

Today's Mongolians are particularly proud of this tradition and enjoy Naadam as a time to honor the most skilled athletes in the country (Mongolia has produced an Olympic medal winning wrestler and champion Sumo wrestler!). The largest celebration is held in Ulaanbaatar but virtually every town and village hold their own competition. Tourists attending the Ulaanbaatar Naadam will enjoy a spectacular opening ceremony featuring modern and ancient Mongolian dress, dancing, and singing.

For more information about the Naadam Festival, please see the Mongolian Tourism Department website.

Tsagaan Sar

Mongolians celebrate the lunar new year with a three day holiday during which families visit one another, exchanging gifts and eating traditional foods. Visits are highly formal with traditional dress and special greetings honoring the family elders.

As a Buddhist holiday, Tsagaan Sar, meaning 'white month', was banned under communist rule and renamed the Herder's Holiday. Today the celebration of the lunar new year is still closely tied to the Buddhist tradition. The Gandan Monastery in Ulaanbaatar marks the new year with a 15 day prayer series to celebrate the 15 miracles performed by Sakyamuni. Outside the capital, most towns mark the beginning of Tsagaan Sar at sunrise with a bonfire and blessing by a local lama.

Nauryz Holiday

Nauryz is the celebration of the Kazakh New Year. Mongolia's Kazakhs celebrate this holiday by playing traditional games and visiting their family and friends over the course of several days. Like the Mongolian celebration of Tsagaan Sar, Nauryz is a very traditional holiday and a great time to observe the warmth of the Kazakh people.

Eagle Festival

The Bayan Olgii Eagle Festival celebrates this centuries old Kazakh tradition with a two day competition that draws Eagle Hunters from around the province and spectators from around the world. Several events are organized including the Eagle call and a live hunt. Awards are also given to the best examples of traditional dress.

Coming Soon - Pictures from the 2003 Eagle Hunting Festival!