Saban Festival
( 2005-09-13 )

The Tatars celebrate their Saban Festival, also called the Plowshare Festival, each year after they finished their plowing in the spring, to celebrate the accomplishment of spring plowing and pray for an abundant harvest in the autumn.

The Tatar people have a close relationship with the Uygur and Hazak people and also believe in Islam.

The Saban Festival is a grand ceremony every year, with activities such as dancing, wrestling,horse racing, and many other sports. Jumping and running competitions are especially very popular. In one such running competition, each competitor holds a spoon with an egg on it and races others, with the winner being the one who runs the fastest without dropping his or her egg.

Winners are awarded with handkerchiefs, scarves, and embroidered skirts woven by the women.