thomo the lost posted this in 
April 6th, 2007I forgot – over a week ago it was New Year for the Kazakh folks that live in the west of Mongolia (and, I guess, in Uigur A.R. in China and in Kazakhstan). The New Year holiday in the west of Mongolia is known as Nauriz Kozhe (I think) and it occurs in March each year. It is, according to some, an Islamic Holiday (how come I missed it sitting here in Saudi Arabia?) and it marks the changing of the year. Nauriz is, however, the Persian word for New Year so maybe that is why I have not run across it in the Middle East.
So, Happy New Year guys … and the next one coming up is the Thai New Year, Songkran, which occurs around 14 to 17 April in Thailand. More about that later.
Now, if Asel or Ascar is reading this, please, drop me a line and let me know what happens in Kazakhstan around this time. I was in Kazakhstan in March 2005 but I do not recall this holiday. Maybe I left just before it happens.
Kazakhstan has apparently been celebrating Nauryz Holiday falling on 22 March since gaining its independence. The holiday is a celebration of the return of Spring.
Now I wonder if anyone managed to lift the Ox this year?
Tags: 
HI,
WE ARE DOING A PROJECT ON THE NEW YEAR IN KAZAKHSTAN. DO POSSIBLY THINK THAT YOU COULD SEND ME A COUPLE PICTURES OF IT, AND THEN MAYBE SOME FAMOUS RECIPES THAT I COULD COOK.
Thank you.
Hi Erik,
I haven’t any pictures of New Year in Kazakhstan. As for recipes, they eat a lot of Russian style food – Solyanka (not sure how to spell that) and the like. Of a more traditional nature, drink would be fermented horse’s milk (similar to the Mongolian Airag) called Kumys in Kazakhstan. They also drink fermented cow’s milk called Airan.
With regards to recipes and such, I can recommend the website http://www.foodbycountry.com/Kazakhstan-to-South-Africa/Kazakhstan.html for some traditional recipes, although given Kazakhstan’s nomadic past, some of these traditional recipes may not be so palatable for western tastes