Kalmyk Tea Day

Every year on the third Saturday of May, Kalmyks celebrate an unofficial holiday - Kalmyk Tea Day This date was introduced by members of the people's parliament of the republic in 2011 The main task of the institution was to preserve and revive national cultural customs The holiday was celebrated for the first time on May 19, 2012 It is noteworthy that Kalmyk tea is not like the usual invigorating drink It looks more like soup or stew Proper brewing and serving tea is a real art Usually, salt, milk and nutmeg, crushed in butter, are added to a strongly brewed drink All ingredients are mixed thoroughly using a ladle The national tea ceremony also has certain characteristics For example, it is not allowed to serve guests a stale drink This is considered a sign of disrespect It is for this reason that tea is brewed in the direct presence of guests In addition, each action is performed in the direction from left to right - according to the movement of the sun The first portion is offered to the idol (Buddha): it is poured into a special sacrificial bowl and placed on the altar, and at the end of the ceremony it is given to the children The bowl is held with both hands at chest level - a sign of respect for guests When offering a drink, the principles of hierarchy must be observed: first of all, the bowl is served to the oldest person It does not matter whether he is a guest or a family member Meanwhile, the recipient takes the glass with both hands, saying parting words to the drink itself, the owner of the house and all his relatives At the end of tea drinking, an empty bowl should not be turned upside down - this is perceived as a bad sign (a curse) A lucky sign is to get into the house for the morning ceremony of drinking a drink It is regarded as the successful completion of the work begun There are many versions about the appearance of Kalmyk tea According to one of them, the famous religious figure Tsonghava once fell ill and was forced to seek help from a doctor The doctor advised him to consume the “divine drink” on an empty stomach every day for a whole week The philosopher listened to the doctor’s recommendations and, as a result, was cured After that, he instructed all believers to install a burkhanam lamp and brew a miraculous drink, later called “halmg tse” by local residents This was today's Kalmyk tea According to the second version, the tradition of drinking tea was instilled in the Kalmyks by a lama, who decided to find food of plant origin, the calorie content of which could compete with a meat product For a month he prayed, hoping that the desired crop would sprout, and his expectations were crowned with success Since that time, the inhabitants of Kalmykia began the custom of organizing a tea ceremony as a divine ritual, and tea is the most revered traditional drink: it is sung every morning, without it not a single holiday is possible