Etiquette

Tea serving: When visiting a herdsman's home or at a tourist spot, the host or the waitress will first serve the guest a bowl of milk tea. Guests should stand up slightly and use both hands or right hands to pick up the dishes. Never use your left hand to pick up the dishes, otherwise they will be considered as not understanding etiquette. When the host or waitress is pouring tea, if the guest does not want tea, please gently touch the spoon or spout with the edge of the bowl, and the host will immediately understand the guest's intention. Offering tea to guests is a noble traditional Mongolian etiquette. In the history of Mongolia, tea was always used as a social treat, whether in a wealthy family or a poor family, in the upper class or among the common people, socially or at home, on a journey, or on all other occasions. When guests come to your home, tea is an essential treat. Therefore, when herdsmen entertain guests, they usually offer a bowl of milk tea to the distinguished guests first, and then the host brings fried rice and large bowls of butter, milk tofu, naipizi and other dairy products.

Toast: Pour wine to toast guests, which is the traditional way of Mongolian hospitality. They believe that fine wine is the essence of food and the crystallization of grains. They offer the most precious food to express the respect and love of the grassland shepherds to their guests. Usually the host pours the wine into a silver bowl, gold cup or horn cup, puts it on a long hada, and sings a touching Mongolian traditional toast song. If the guest refuses to drink, he will be considered to be disrespectful to the host. Look down on him and don't want to treat him sincerely. Guests should immediately catch the wine, dip their ring fingers in the wine and tap it in the direction of heaven, earth and the stove to show their respect to the gods of heaven, earth and fire. Don't force yourself if you don't know how to drink, but you can touch your lips as a sign of acceptance of the host's pure friendship. Then the housewives in ethnic costumes served fragrant milk wine to entertain the guests, which is also a traditional Mongolian etiquette. The host will use poetic language to persuade you to drink: "Guests from afar, please drink a glass of prairie wine. This is the essence of our nation's traditional food and the deep affection of our prairie people."

Respecting gods: Mongolian people have the custom of worshiping gods at their banquets. According to the "Mongolian Customs", the chef cuts the sheep into nine equal pieces of meat, "The first piece is offered to heaven, the second piece is offered to earth, the third piece is offered to Buddha, the fourth piece is offered to ghosts, and the fifth piece is offered to humans. The sixth piece is dedicated to the mountain, the seventh piece is dedicated to the tomb, the eighth piece is dedicated to the land and water gods, and the ninth piece is dedicated to the emperor." To offer sacrifices to the sky, throw the meat on top of the yurt; to offer sacrifices to the ground, throw the meat into the fire; to offer sacrifices to Buddha, place it in front of the shrine; to offer sacrifices to ghosts, place it outside the bag; to offer sacrifices to mountains, hang it on the sacred tree branch, and to offer sacrifices to the tomb. Ancestors of this nation. Place it outside the bag, sacrifice it to the water god and throw it into the river. Finally, sacrifice it to Genghis Khan and place it in front of the shrine. This custom can be traced back to ancient shamanism, which worshiped a variety of gods. Later, Lamaism, believed by the Mongolian people, absorbed their ancient folk beliefs and incorporated many gods into the trajectory of Lamaism.

Hospitality: Mongolians have been known for their straightforward temperament and hospitality since ancient times. He is full of enthusiasm for those who come to his home, whether he is a regular or a stranger. First, the fragrant milk tea was presented, and plates of white milk rind and cheese were brought out. After drinking milk tea, the host will serve mellow milk wine, and in midsummer, guests will also be treated to kumiss. In some areas, there are certain rules for serving guests with hand-grilled meat. For example, a pipa bone is served with four long ribs; for beef, one spine is served with half a rib and a section of sausage. Before a girl gets married or when she returns to her parents' home after getting married, she is treated with lamb breast meat. The lamb's calf bones, chin, and neck meat are all given to the younger generations and children. When receiving distinguished guests or on festive days, a whole sheep feast is served.

Respect the old and love the young: Mongolians have an orderly approach, respecting the old and loving the young. When visiting a herdsman's house in a ger, greet the elderly when you see them. Do not pass in front of the elderly, do not sit on top of them, and do not sit side by side with the elderly without permission. When addressing the elderly, you should address them as "you". Do not address them with "you" or call them by their first names. When you see herdsmen's children, don't scold them loudly, let alone hit them. Do not talk about your child's physical defects in front of family members. Being kind and affectionate to children is considered a sign of respect for parents.

Singing: The Mongolian people’s persuasion to drink is often expressed through sincere singing. Singing and persuasion to drink are performed at the same time. Often one person sings the lead, then everyone raises their glasses and sings a chorus, and then everyone toasts together, and so on several times. The wine is in full swing. There are ceremonial singing, impromptu singing, singing by one or several people, and chorus singing. The singing is often full of joy and lasts all night long. Hospitality: The Mongolian nation has the traditional virtue of hospitality, which has been passed down from ancient times to the present. The development of Mongolian traditional music is closely connected with the development of the history and literature of the nation. Poems are accompanied by music, songs contain poems, and poems coexist.

Mongolian folk songs are rich in content, have a wide range of themes, and are vast in number. They can be divided into Eastern Mongolian folk songs and Mongolian folk songs according to region. "Bo", the song and dance "Andai", "Haodu Geqin", etc.

Choose hunting dogs: The Mongolian people have the custom of hunting with hunting dogs. Therefore, they attach great importance to choosing and keeping a good hunting dog - "Tiger", which is a castrated short-haired dog. When selecting hunting dogs, we should pay attention to good breeds, that is, select puppies from well-bred puppies with long waists, long and well-proportioned tails, sensitive hearing, sharp vision, agile movements, and fast running dogs as hunting dogs.

Greetings: The Mongolian people are a warm and hospitable nation. When you meet, you should greet each other, even strangers; when you meet your peers or acquaintances, you usually ask: "Sebainu". If you meet an elder or someone you meet for the first time, you have to ask: "Tai Saibainu". Hospitality to passers-by is a traditional virtue of the Mongolian people, but when visiting a Mongolian home, one must respect the host. After entering the yurt, you have to sit cross-legged on the carpet around the stove. However, the owner's residence is to the west of the stove. You are not allowed to sit casually when the owner is not sitting. The guests usually want to drink the milk tea offered by the host, and it would be rude not to drink it. If the host invites you to eat dairy products, the guests should not refuse, otherwise it will hurt the host's heart. If it is inconvenient to eat more, just eat a little.

Mongolian naming customs

The characteristics of men’s naming are:

1. Naming according to national psychological habits, such as: Timur, Geser, Battelle, etc.;

2. Name according to the expectations of the elders, such as: Jiya Saiyin (good luck), Bayar (joy), Baiyin (rich), Jirigele (happiness), etc.;

3. Name the baby according to the age of the elders when the baby was born, such as: Binta (fifty), Jirentai (60), Daleng (70), etc.; 4. Name the brave beasts. Name, such as: Shaobu (bird), Bala (tiger), China (wolf), Abersilang (lion), Bu Rigude (eagle), etc.;

5. Press Naming of all things in nature, such as Chaolu (stone), Agula (mountain), Muren (river), Tara (field), etc.;

The characteristics of naming women are:

< p>1. Named after bright stars, such as: Naren (sun), Saren (moon), Aoden (stars), Narengaowa (beautiful as the sun), Sarengaowa (beautiful as the moon) etc.;

2. Named after beautiful flowers, plants and trees, such as: Sarilanghua (Mountain Flower), Qiqige (Flowers), Nabuqi (Leaves), Begonia, etc.; 3. Named after jewelry and jades, such as: Haas (jade), Tana (pearl), Alatangaowa (beautiful as gold), etc.;

Four. Named after ideals, such as: Siqin ( Intelligent), Wuyun (wisdom), Gaowa (beautiful), Siqin Gaowa (beautiful and intelligent), etc.

According to this method, Mongolian women’s names can be divided into many kinds. The biggest feature of modern Mongolian names is that they do not have a name prefix, so it is just a name and should not be understood as a name. There are very few names with a surname prefix, and that is just an isolated phenomenon.

Mongolians should avoid riding fast when approaching yurts on horseback or driving, so as not to disturb the herds; if there is a fire or a red cloth hanging in front of the door, it means that there is a patient or a pregnant woman in the house. Outsiders are not allowed to enter; guests are not allowed to sit on the Western Kang, because the west is the direction where the Buddha is worshipped; meat from dead animals, donkey meat, dog meat, and white horse meat are taboo; red and white are taboo when doing funerals, and black and yellow are taboo when doing happy events; Bake feet, shoes, socks, pants, etc. on the brazier; it is prohibited to smoke, spit, touch ritual objects, classics, Buddha statues, and make loud noises when visiting temple sutra halls and altars. Hunting near the temple is also prohibited.

Fire taboo: The Mongolian people worship fire, fire god and kitchen god, and believe that fire, fire god or kitchen god are holy objects that can drive away evil spirits and avoid evil. Therefore, after entering the yurt, it is forbidden to bake your feet on the stove, let alone dry your boots and shoes next to the stove. You are not allowed to cross the stove or step on the stove. You are not allowed to knock tobacco bags, throw things or throw dirt on the stove. Do not use a knife to stir fire, insert a knife into the fire, or use a knife to take meat from the pot

Water taboo: Mongolians believe that water is a pure god. It is taboo to wash hands or bathe in the river, let alone wash women's dirty clothes, or throw unclean things into the river. The grassland is dry and lacks water, so grasses are grazing on water. Without water, they cannot survive. Therefore, herdsmen are accustomed to saving water, paying attention to keeping the water clean, and regard water as the source of life.

Wedding customs

Hata offerings

When Mongolian young men and women get married, they must choose an auspicious day, and the man must send betrothal gifts to the woman’s family. Betrothal gifts include cash, clothes, cloth, jewelry, rice, etc. The bride's family's dowry items include cabinets, bedding, clothes, jewelry, electrical appliances, bicycles, rice, melon seeds, etc. The key is given to a relative of the bride's family for safekeeping. When the bride arrives at the groom's house, the groom's mother uses money to redeem the key and then gives it to the bride. The day before the wedding, the man will send a sheep's back (shuus or uuch) with red paper and wine to the woman's house, both as a gift and for the woman's family to entertain guests. On the wedding day, the groom, accompanied by his groomsmen, comes to the bride's house to welcome her. At the same time, he has to pick some vegetables to send to the bride's house. According to custom, the groom cannot speak during the wedding ceremony, and the groomsmen socialize and deal with everything until the bride is brought home. After arriving at the bride's house, the groom was arranged to have a meal alone and could not do anything. The groom could only pick up vegetables and feed the groom to eat. When the men come and pick up the dowry and carry it out the door, the groom can welcome the bride and go out. The bride wore her hair in a young woman's style and wore brand-new clothes from top to bottom, inside and out. The clothing is green and black, and the lace patterns on the skirts and the high collars of the tops are similar to those of the Mongolian people in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. A small pendant worn by the bride is kept by a child in the bride-to-be team. The bride is carried into the sedan by her uncle and escorted to the groom's house by the bride's younger brother. The bride will cry after getting on the sedan chair, indicating that she cannot bear to leave home, and will cry all the way until she enters the bridal chamber. Before the bride enters the groom's house, she must burn a wedding paper. After entering the gate, she must persuade the bride to stop crying. After entering the bridal chamber, she must remove the bride's red scarf and offer it to the main room. During the meal, the bride is allowed to eat alone in the bridal chamber, and the groom feeds the bride. That night, the girl and the boy came to celebrate, and the house was full of laughter and singing. The next day, the newlyweds will return to the bride's house and worship heaven, earth and ancestors at the bride's house. The parents-in-law will also give the groom a silver bracelet. On the way back to the groom's house from the woman's house, the newlyweds must bow to anyone they meet. After returning to the groom's house, they also worship heaven, earth and ancestors. On the third day, I went to visit the ancestral graves. The newlyweds, accompanied by the girl and the boy, carry pig heads and other offerings and food to visit the ancestral graves of both men and women. After returning, the bride lights a fire and the groom carries water to boil the feet of the elders and companions. The wedding ends here. Within 7 days after the wedding, the bride cannot return to her natal home or stay elsewhere. Historically, the Mongolian people had a custom that a man could marry another man, but his original wife could not remarry. Now the situation has undergone fundamental changes. Marriage is voluntary and freedom of divorce has become a new trend. However, the divorce rate among Mongolians is very low.