Victory Day (May 9) is a hugely significant holiday in Central Asia, commemorating the end of World War II. Many Central Asians were sent to the front lines to fight, and the losses the region suffered is still somberly remembered every year. My new apartment is located near Victory Square, and when I took a …
Tag Archives: holidays in Kyrgyzstan
Nouruz ’13
Another year in Bishkek, another Nouruz spent wandering around Ala-Too Square. A woman explains the process of making sumalak. I mean, I like to celebrate a Zoroastrian holiday by performing karaoke in a public square. There are at least a dozen portable entertainment centers set up, by which I mean an old, blocky, static-y TV …
How Bishkek celebrates Valentine’s Day
Like every other holiday, whether or not it originated in Kyrgyz culture, Bishkek doesn’t miss a chance to set up colorful photo backdrops in Ala Too Square and bring out various props to pose with. (A photographer pep-talk, holidays are big business on the square.) Sometimes that prop is a giant komuz. Sometimes it’s peacocks …
Chinese New Year
(Reminder, today is the last day to take the super short Reader Survey, please and thank you!) Gong xi fa cai! Happy Chinese New Year! I wouldn’t say that there are a ton of Chinese people in Bishkek, but enough that fireworks and Chinese New Year celebrations aren’t incredibly rare each year. Our excuse for …
Happy 5th New Year of the year
On March 21, Kyrgyzstan celebrated Nouruz (Navruz, Nooruz, Nowruz, etc). It was explained to me by several people that it’s a Muslim holiday to celebrate Spring. Wikipedia tells me that it is, in fact, Iranian New Year, with traditions dating back to Zoroastrianism. (Which, of course, we all know is a religion that pre-dated Islam. …
Celebrating the New Year in Bishkek
Happy New Year! For the second time, I celebrated in Bishkek, surrounded by friends, food, and my wonderful husband. Just like my Christmas trip to Chon-Kemin, I was really happy to spend this time of year with a smaller group of friends than the usual gigantic expat extravaganzas. (Although, it was probably because all the …
Christmas in Chon Kemin… again
Farrell and I spent Christmas weekend in Chon-Kemin again, this time in a different guesthouse located in a similarly quiet and small village next to the one we stayed in last year. The crowd was different and activities were (slightly) different. We still wandered around snow-covered mountains until sunset, I still gushed over all of …
Thankful in Bishkek
I’m thankful… …for many things. …for being done with that gigantic market research project that took over my life for 2+ months. …for the new and exciting projects I’m planning. …for the new friends I met during a proper Thursday Thanksgiving dinner. …for the leftover apple pie I ate for breakfast. …for how wonderful the …
Christmas
Merry Christmas, world! How did you spend your holiday weekend? I know my dad attempted to make cinnamon rolls, but apparently didn’t achieve quite as pretty results as I did. Oh well, I’ll make some for you when I visit. In the spirit of “doing something” on Christmas, the Belgians organized a trip to Chon …
Thanksgiving in Bishkek
2007: Kirstin hosts Thanksgiving in Amman for about 20 fellow study abroad students. Other than providing the space, I made cookies. The night was pretty hassle-free. 2009: Thanksgiving in Iraq, U.S. Embassy style. Think of the most elaborate selection of Thanksgiving food that is cooked to a perfectly mediocre level. Never trust a Bangladeshi to …