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Just Me Travel

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Category: Mongolia

MONGOLIAN CULTURAL NORMS AND TRADITIONS – HOW TO PREVENT CULTURAL ERRORS (2023 Updated)

Unlocking the Secrets: Successfully Navigating Mongolian Beliefs, Customs, and Values.   A journey to Mongolia is about more than crossing vast landscapes and nomadic lands. It is also a deep…

Unlocking the Secrets: Successfully Navigating Mongolian Beliefs, Customs, and Values.

 

A journey to Mongolia is about more than crossing vast landscapes and nomadic lands. It is also a deep dive into diverse cultural norms and traditions shaped by Buddhism, Shamanism, and Animism. 

Navigating foreign customs can be challenging, especially in a country like Mongolia. In this travel blog post, I’ll guide you through the challenges, providing invaluable tips and practical advice on navigating Mongolia’s cultural environment without stumbling into unintentional faux pas. 

Please read the post to make sure your journey to Mongolia is filled with breathtaking landscapes and enriched by a profound understanding of the cultural norms and traditions that make Mongolia uniquely remarkable.

 

Cultural insensitivity is a sign of profound disrespect. I learned this the hard way in Varanasi (India) when I took a photo of the cremation pyres on the banks of the Ganges River. It took my guide a lot of talking, much apologising, and payment of money to appease the men who supplied wood for the pyres. In my defence (but no excuse), I had not been informed not to take photos of the cremations.

My wrongdoing mortified me. Even though this occurred many years ago, I still beat myself up about it. I have travelled extensively and would describe myself as culturally sensitive. To this day, I cannot explain what made me think it was okay to take such a photo.

So, when our guide in Mongolia advised us about local customs before our two-night stay with a nomadic family, I felt a deep appreciation and relief that I would not commit any social or cultural faux pas through ignorance. I firmly believe that knowledge is power, and I was about to meet this family in a “powerful” (culturally knowledgeable) position.

So, what lessons did I learn from my Mongolian guide?

First, our guide requested we wait to take photos of the family but get to know them a little first. This was a more than reasonable request and one I knew I would have no trouble complying with because I often feel uncomfortable photographing people. However, given this was a photography tour I was on, the family expected photos to be taken of them as they knew this was a part of our learning.

We were advised to ask whatever questions we wanted, with the guide translating for us as the family doesn’t speak English. I suspect this also allowed the guide to ‘censor’ inappropriate questions – a sound filtering system.

Our guide continued her invaluable insights on Mongolian cultural norms and traditions:

  • When you enter a ger, you must always go to the left. Don’t circle the interior of the ger. If you need to go to the right once inside the ger, return to the door and then to the right.
  • Don’t step on the threshold of the ger. You must always step over it.
  • In a group setting, always say hello to the oldest or most important person first.
  • Do not touch a person’s head or shoulder; doing so is taking that person’s luck away.
  • Touching a person’s feet (with your feet) signifies you want to challenge that person to a fight. If you unintentionally touch a person’s feet, shake hands with that person or touch their arm. By doing this, you are saying, “I didn’t mean that” (to challenge to a fight); it removes the challenge.
  • Do not throw tissues in the fire. The fire is a holy thing, and throwing tissues into the fire is contaminating the fire. It was essential to know this custom as, one by one, we were coming down with colds.
  • When Mongolians offer you food and drinks, you must accept it with your right hand, and you must taste whatever is offered or, at least, pretend to taste it by putting the food or drink to your lips. There is another alternative if offered a glass of vodka. You can dip your ring finger in the vodka, remove your finger from the vodka and flick your ring finger into the air, thereby flicking drops of vodka in the air.
  • When offered something, touch it with your right hand before taking it while supporting the elbow with the left hand. This custom is also followed when giving something. The exception to this is when offered a meal or providing a meal.
  • When exiting religious buildings, e.g. temples, step out backwards so that you do not show your back to the interior. To show your back is to show disrespect to the gods.
A brass bowl in a person's hands is presented.

Accept and taste all food and drinks that are offered.

 

Children in Mongolia don’t get their hair cut until they are between 2 and 5 years of age. For girls, this is usually between 2 and 4 years old. Conversely, boys will have their first haircut at 3 to 5 years of age. The reason for leaving the first cutting of children’s hair until this age is because Mongolians believe children are born with their mother’s hair. The cutting (more like shaving) of the hair signifies the child becoming their own person and is celebrated with a hair-cutting ceremony.

The khadag is a long piece of silk cloth (like a scarf). It comes in 5 different colours – blue, white, yellow, green and red – with each colour having its unique significance:

  • Blue is the most sacred colour in Mongolian culture, representing Mongolia’s eternal blue sky. The blue khadag is the most common and can be given to anyone, regardless of age, to show respect.
  • White represents milk and is the symbol of purity. It is often given to mothers.
  • Yellow represents the sun and is the symbol of wisdom. The yellow khadag is given when you greet monks.
  • Green represents the earth, being in tune with nature. It is the colour of inner peace and is only used in religious rituals.
  • Red represents fire and blood (as in circulation). It is the colour of life, of prosperity. As with the green khadag, it is not used to greet people but only in religious ceremonies.

To give or offer a khadag to someone or something is to show respect, the ultimate offering. To present a blue khadag to a person or animal is the highest form of respect. Driving through Mongolia, I often saw sheep and horses with blue khadags tied around their neck. Our guide explained that this shows respect for the animal, which can’t be killed/eaten.

A pile of rocks and stones with a pole in the middle of the mound covered in blue scarfs. Animal skulls are placed in front of the mound.

Mongolia’s cairns (shrines) are mounds of rocks and stones for offerings.

 

Mongolia’s cairns (stone shrines known as ovoos) are adorned with khadags, primarily blue ones. Most Mongolians are Buddhist, but Shamanism is integral to Mongolian life. Locals and travellers erect the cairns to provide offerings to the local spirits, thus showing their respect and honouring the spirits of the surrounding land. When you come across a cairn, you should always stop and show your respect by making an offering. The ritual entails walking around the cairn three times in a clockwise direction. As you do so, you make an offering while making a prayer or wish. This might be for a safe journey, good health, good fortune, or much-needed rain. The offering can be a khadag, food, money, vodka, or a small stone. If you are in a hurry and don’t have time to stop at a cairn, the driver will honk the horn three times. At one cairn, our driver offered a blue khadag. We settled for a small stone each time we stopped at a cairn – and there were many.

 

Unlocking the secrets of Mongolia’s rich cultural environment requires more than just travelling through its breathtaking landscapes. Understanding and respecting this remarkable country’s cultural norms and traditions is the key to a truly immersive and rewarding travel experience. Avoiding cultural errors is not just about being polite; it’s about creating authentic connections with Mongolia’s warm and hospitable people.

Start your Mongolian adventure with cultural sensitivity, and let the vibrant traditions of this enchanting land enrich your travel story.

And my final piece of practical advice – know before you go!

 

Editor’s Note: I originally published this blog post in February 2019 and have updated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

 

Disclaimer: This post contains no affiliate links. All views and opinions are my own and non-sponsored. All photos are my own and remain the copyright of Just Me Travel.

© Just Me Travel 2018-2023.

 

Have you travelled to Mongolia? What other cultural insights would you offer readers for Mongolia? I love hearing from you. Join the conversation and leave a comment below.

 

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A Mongolian nomadic man in tradition garb walks in front of a ger. There is a second ger behind the first and a mountain in the background.

A large pile of rocks and stones with animal skulls in front of the mound. a pole is in the middle of the mound with blue scarfs hanging from the pole.

 

Author’s Note: Please check the latest travel restrictions before planning any trip and follow government advice.

 

Sign up to receive the latest in travel destinations, topics, resources and guides.

 

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Attending a local horse festival in Mongolia is a must. Read my postcard to home to learn about the extraordinary horseback skills I saw.

 

A person is fossicking for dinosaur fossils along an escarpment of the Flaming Cliffs in Mongolia's Gobi Desert.DINOSAUR FOSSIL HUNTING IN MONGOLIA’S GOBI DESERT AT THE FLAMING CLIFFS (2023 Updated)

The Flaming Cliffs are famous for discovering dinosaur eggs in 1923 and is one of the world’s greatest dinosaur fossil sites. Go fossicking!

 

 

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DINOSAUR FOSSIL HUNTING IN MONGOLIA’S GOBI DESERT AT THE FLAMING CLIFFS (2023 Updated)

  Fossick for Dinosaur Bones at Mongolia’s Flaming Cliffs – One of the World’s Greatest Dinosaur Fossil Sites.     Dear Pip, Deep in the heart of Mongolia’s Gobi Desert…

 

Fossick for Dinosaur Bones at Mongolia’s Flaming Cliffs – One of the World’s Greatest Dinosaur Fossil Sites.

 

A person stands on the top of a cliff that is part of red sandstone cliff formations known as the Flaming Cliffs. Flat plains surround the cliffs.

Mongolia’s Flaming Cliffs are in the heart of the Gobi Desert.

 

Dear Pip,

Deep in the heart of Mongolia’s Gobi Desert are the Flaming Cliffs. They are utterly remote at approximately 100 kms northwest of Dalanzadgad and nine hours from Mongolia’s capital, Ulaanbaatar, in the Gobi Gurvan Saikhan National Park.

I don’t know how our driver found his way through the desert because there were no signs or landmarks I could discern to guide the way. When I asked (as translated by our guide) how he knows the way, he shrugged his shoulders, saying (as translated) he just knows. Beats me! However, find the way he did.

The Flaming Cliffs, so named because of their ochre and red-coloured sandstone cliffs and canyons, are an ancient formation of 71 to 75 million years old. They are famous for the first discovery of dinosaur eggs by the American palaeontologist Roy Chapman Andrews in 1923. According to our guide, the eggs were discovered when one of Andrews’ crew fell down the cliff into a nest full of dinosaur eggs.

The Flaming Cliffs are known as one of the world’s greatest dinosaur fossil sites, with more and more bones exposed through erosion. The first dinosaur fossil, a Protoceratops, was discovered in 1922, and in the 1970s, a fossil was unearthed of two dinosaurs locked in a fight. Being a well-known site for dinosaur fossil hunters excited Meg, who scrambled over the cliffs (in thongs!), fossicking for dinosaur bones.

Nearing the end of our cliff walk and exploration, we came across an object sticking out of the cliff face that could be a large bone – possibly a dinosaur thigh bone. Our guide suggested licking the ‘bone’ to test if it is bone or stone. Because bones are more porous than stones, your tongue sticks to it when you lick bone, but it won’t stick to stone. Of course, Meg had to have a lick. Her tongue stuck to it – bone!

A bit of trivia for you:

Roy Chapman Andrews was a bit of a daredevil, a swashbuckler, and he was the inspiration behind the Indiana Jones film character.

Love,

Joanna

A woman licks a dinosaur bone sticking out of a cliff face.

Bone or stone? The lick test!

 

Editor’s Note: I originally published this blog post in February 2019 and have updated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

 

Disclaimer: This post contains no affiliate links. All views and opinions are my own and non-sponsored. All photos are my own and remain the copyright of Just Me Travel.

© Just Me Travel 2018-2023.

 

Would you seek out this type of experience when travelling? I love hearing from you. Leave a comment below.

 

Like this post? Save it for later!

A woman fossicks for dinosaur fossils on red sandstone cliffs. The cliffs are the Flaming Cliffs in Mongolia's Gobi Desert.

 

 

A woman stands on top of a cliff in Mongolia's Gobi Desert looking out to the flat plain in the distance.

 

Author’s Note: Please check the latest travel restrictions before planning any trip and follow government advice.

 

Sign up to receive the latest in travel destinations, topics, resources and guides.

 

You might also like

Men in colourful robes sit on a wooden pole fence, with saddled horses behind them.A UNIQUE MONGOLIA HORSE FESTIVAL SHOWCASES IMPRESSIVE HORSE-RIDING TALENT (2023 Updated)

Attending a local horse festival in Mongolia is a must. Learn about the extraordinary horseback skills I witnessed in my postcard to home.

 

Two gers set on the steeps with mountains in the background. A mongolian nomadic man walks in front of one of the gets.MONGOLIAN CULTURAL NORMS AND TRADITIONS – HOW TO PREVENT CULTURAL ERRORS

Cultural sensitivity when travelling is a sign of deep respect. Prevent social and cultural faux pas through ignorance. Know before you go!

 

 

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A UNIQUE MONGOLIA HORSE FESTIVAL SHOWCASES IMPRESSIVE HORSE-RIDING TALENT (2023 Updated)

  No Trip to Mongolia is Complete Without Having Attended a Local Horse Festival and Witnessed Extraordinary Horseback Skills.   Dear Pip, Our trip to Mongolia is turning out to…

 

No Trip to Mongolia is Complete Without Having Attended a Local Horse Festival and Witnessed Extraordinary Horseback Skills.

Several me in colourful robes line up on their horses for the start of competition. They are carrying long poles with lassos on the end.

Mongolian nomads ready for competition with their uurgas (lasso poles) at a horse festival.

 

Dear Pip,

Our trip to Mongolia is turning out to be one unique cultural highlight after another. We spent the day sharing the excitement of a local horse festival in the Orkhon Valley, organised by Tsaidam Ger Camp, where we stayed for the night. The festival aims to preserve nomadic tradition and promote the talent and capabilities of Mongolia’s nomadic herders.

The Orkhon Valley is in Central Mongolia, about 360 kilometres southwest of Mongolia’s capital, Ulaanbaatar. The Orkhon Valley, a cultural landscape comprising 1,220 square kilometres, was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004.

Mongolia’s history, culture, and people are intimately linked with horses, with children learning to ride almost from the day they can walk. In a country with 13 times more horses than people, I can understand how Mongolia has become known as the land of horses. Throughout the day, I came to appreciate Mongolian nomads’ strong bond with their horses and to understand how Mongolians have long been considered some of the best horse riders in the world.

After Meg shared snuff with some local elders and our guide explained what the horse festival entailed, we found a spot amongst the locals to watch and photograph the men, dressed in traditional costume, compete in several events, including horse lassoing, grabbing a lasso pole from the ground, and riding a wild, bucking horse. These events are designed to show off the Mongolian nomads’ unique horsemanship skills and the strength of their horses.

I wasn’t sure how I felt about the lassoing of stampeding wild horses. However, I learned it is an essential skill as nomadic households have many horses ridden infrequently and need to be re-broken in because they have been left to roam at will, becoming semi-wild. I needed to remind myself that this is their way of life and culture.

Being able to ride a bucking horse is par for the course with breaking-in horses, and this competition elicited shouts of encouragement from the crowd and laughter when horse and rider parted ways. One man who managed to stay on his horse delighted the crowd as he and his horse disappeared into the distance.

I particularly enjoyed watching the men grabbing an uurga (long pole with a lasso on the end) off the ground from a galloping horse. I was left in awe as to how they stayed on their horse because they would be well down the side of the horse, around its fast-moving legs. Their core strength must be remarkable! With all the rider’s weight on one side, how did the horse not topple over?

Some of the younger men had a competition on the side, grabbing a cigarette lighter off the ground from their galloping horse – some more successful than others. The control these young men and all other competitors had over their horses was genuinely impressive.

It was a most enjoyable, exciting day; I will take home unforgettable memories.

Love,

Joanna

Riders on horses with lassos on long poles rope stampeding horses.

Lassoing wild, stampeding horses at the Mongolian Horse Festival.

 

People stand around in front of a tent while watching a man fall to the ground off a bucking horse.

I bet that hurt! A competitor falls off a bucking wild horse.

 

A man in a colourful robe hangs on the side of his galloping horse as he picks up a stick off the ground.

Picking up an uurga (lasso on a pole) off the ground from a galloping horse.

 

A young man hangs on the side of his galloping horse as he picks up a cigarette lighter off the ground.

A young man picks up a cigarette lighter off the ground from a galloping horse.

 

Editor’s Note: I originally published this blog post in February 2019 and have updated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

 

Disclaimer: This post contains no affiliate links. All views and opinions are my own and non-sponsored. All photos are my own and remain the copyright of Just Me Travel.

© Just Me Travel 2018-2023.

 

Would you seek out this type of experience when travelling? I love hearing from you. Leave a comment below.

 

Like this post? Save it for later!

Men in colourful robes sit on a fence railing with their saddled horses behind them.

 

A man dressed in a colourful robe hangs on the side of his galloping horse as he picks up a pole off the ground.

 

Author’s Note: Please check the latest travel restrictions before planning any trip and follow government advice.

 

Sign up to receive the latest in travel destinations, topics, resources and guides.

 

You might also like

 

A person is fossicking for dinosaur fossils along an escarpment of the Flaming Cliffs in Mongolia's Gobi Desert.DINOSAUR FOSSIL HUNTING IN MONGOLIA’S GOBI DESERT AT THE FLAMING CLIFFS (2023 Updated)

The Flaming Cliffs are famous for the discovery of dinosaur eggs in 1923 and is one of the world’s greatest dinosaur fossil sites. Go fossicking!

 

A nomad and his ger

MONGOLIAN CULTURAL NORMS AND TRADITIONS – HOW TO PREVENT CULTURAL ERRORS

Cultural sensitivity when travelling is a sign of deep respect. Prevent social and cultural faux pas through ignorance. Know before you go!

 

 

8 Comments on A UNIQUE MONGOLIA HORSE FESTIVAL SHOWCASES IMPRESSIVE HORSE-RIDING TALENT (2023 Updated)

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