Sabantuy Tatar-Bashkir Folk Festival Celebrated in London

Avrupa Ajansi (AVA) LONDON- Tatars and Bashkirs living in UK came together in London and celebrated the summer festival named 'Sabantuy'. The festival, which was expected to be held in Hyde Park, organized by UK Tatar Bashkir Society for 9 years, was moved to indoor due to rainy weather. This year's Sabantuy was more cheerful and festive as it coincided with Qurbani Eid. Both the enthusiasm of the holiday and the joy of Sabantuy doubled the fun.

Tatar-Bashkir folk songs were sung and danced during the Sabantuy celebration held in the hall of Corus Hotel near Hyde Park, London. Everyone who came to celebrate from cities and counties such as France,Spain, Ireland, Wales, Bristol, Liverpool, Newcastle, London, Oxford, were served with many national dishes including national desserts like chak-chak, gubadia, kystyby, uzbek rice. Children played sack race, egg carrying with spoon and tug of war games.

It is celebrated as the national holiday of Tatars and Bashkirs. Tatar Bashkir Turks celebrate the Sabantuy festival from the days when the snow melts and until the spring sowing is planted. Sabantuy festival is celebrated in June on a date determined by prominent people of society due to its relationship with the arrival of spring, the awakening of nature and the crop.

The day to celebrate this feast has been chosen for the next new year, depending on the condition of melting the snow and the soil's preparation for sowing, and it still continues today.

Sabantuy festival is a big festival. The preparations for this feast take place in two phases: the preparations made before the feast and the activities during the feast.

Sabantuy Festival is celebrated not only in Tataristan but also in various Turkic Republics and everywhere Tatar Bashkir Turks live abroad. Tatar Bashkir Turks celebrate this holiday every year in June in Istanbul, Eskishehir and Kutahya, where they live intensively in Turkey in order to pass on their national identities and cultural values to future generations.

Sabantoy's origins go back to ancient times. Farmers' fields are celebrated in the pre-planting season. The history of Sabantoy festival dates back to the pre-Islamic period.

UK Tatar Bashkir society story dates back to 2016 when a group of volunteers organised the first Sabantuy in London. They grew to become a Tatar-Bashkir society “Zaman” in November 2017.

Now it counts over 600 members and organises over 40 events each year.

United Kingdom Tatar Bashkurt Society: https://www.uktatars.org/news

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