Traditions and customs of Uzbek nation

The main feature of the Uzbek family is traditionally reverential respect for elders. Uzbeks usually lives in large families consisting of several generations, therefore, preference is given to a large houses on the land. Significant place in family life as element of the hospitality is tea ceremony. Moreover, tea making and pouring it to the guests is exclusive prerogative of the host. It is common to receive invitations to a lunch or dinner and be on time. When planning a visit it is advisable to take souvenirs or sweets for children of the owner of the house. Hand shaking is usually only for the menfolk. Women and people sitting in the background, greeted by putting right hand to your heart, and accompanying this gesture with slight tilt of the head. During hand shaking it is common to ask about health, family, and state of affairs at work and at home. In rural areas in case of the guests, women usually do not sit at same table with the men in order not to interfere their conversation. It is not polite to admire the beauty of the women and pay close attention to them. When entering the living quarters shoes are taken off. Must take place indicated by the host. Moreover, the farther it is form the entrance more honorable this place is.

Rites of Uzbek people have formed over the centuries as the result of a complex of merging cultural habits and traditions of all tribes and nations that participated in the in the ontogenesis of the Uzbeks. They are quite original, bright and varied, and go back to the tribal patriarch relations. A large number of ceremonies follows the family life and associated with the birth and upbringing of the child, weddings, and funerals. A special role is played by the rituals associated with the birth and upbringing of the children (beshik-Tuyi, khatna-kilish) wedding (fatiha-tui, wedding). Often they are combination of Islamic rituals with more ancient forms related to the mystical practices. With the adoption of Islam, many family and everyday customs have undergone its influence and Muslim religious ceremonies become usual in Uzbek life. Friday is a holiday that is celebrated in the cathedral mosque by public namaz (prayer). Patriarchal attitudes continue to exist in society, which is focused in the mosque, bazaar, tea house, and in which only man population participated.

Beshik-Tuyi (wooden cradle) a ritual celebration related to the first putting the baby in the cradle. This is one of the most ancient and widespread traditional ceremony in Uzbekistan. Typically such event is held on 7th, 9th and 11th day of the birth of the baby. In various regions ritual has its own differences and depends on the family’s income: the rich families usually celebrate this event extensively, and families with low income celebrate it modestly. Beshik (cradle) and necessary things for the baby are provided by the relatives of the baby. In dastarkhan (table-cloth) wrapped cakes, sweets and toys. Gifts are prepared for the baby’s parents and grandparents. Richly decorated beshik, dasturkhans and gifts are loaded into the viechle together with the guests to he sounds of carnay, surnay, and tambourine and drive to the baby’s parent house.

Traditionally delivered beshik takes on his right shoulder baby’s grandfather, and then passes on the right shoulder of his son, who then delivers it to the baby’s mother.

In past, in order that all intentions of the guests were clean and nice faced daubed with white flour. Guests are invited to the richly decorated dastarkhan (table) and while guests help themselves, listen to music and enjoy, in the next room in the presence of older woman is ceremony of swaddling and putting baby in beshik. At the end of ceremony, guests come to the baby to have a look on him, presents him gifts and roll in on beshik parvarda or sugar. At this point ceremony is over and guests go home...

The most important national holiday is Independence Day, celebrated on September 1st. Every year on December 8 Constitution Day is celebrated to commemorate the adoption of the new Constitution of independent Uzbekistan in 1992. As in many other countries, 9 May is celebrated Memorial Day. Widely celebrated Holidays that associated with the end of fasting – Ramazan Khayit and Kurban Khayit. Kurban Khayit is one of the most important Muslim holidays. On this day, after rituals believers pay visits or receive guests at home, helping the sick, lonely, and show mercy to others. Lovely holiday "Ramadan Khayit" is a holiday of spiritual and moral purification. It begins at the end of 30 days of fasting, which according to Islamic law falls on the 9th month of the Muslim Hijri year. On this day traditionally people commemorate the dead, visit the sick, the elderly, engage in charity and other good works.

Ancient popular holiday Nowruz ("Nowruz bayrami"), celebrated on March 21, the day of vernal equinox. It is a celebration of nature awakening and beginning of planting, preserved in its rituals features of Zoroastrianism. In the agricultural oasis of ancient Uzbekistan were held every spring the big festivals, holiday bazaars. According to tradition, even today people bake "baursak" and prepare the ritual meal - sumalyak. After the celebrations usually begin field work, which in the past were also accompanied by the implementation of various rites before going into the field and horns of oxen and bulls neck smeared with oil.  After the celebrations usually begins field work, which in the past were also accompanied by the implementation of various rites, for example before going into the field horns and neck of oxen and bulls smeared with oil. 

After the celebrations usually begins field work, which in the past were also accompanied by the implementation of various rites, for example before going into the field horns and neck of oxen and bulls smeared with oil. The first furrow performed by the most respected and oldest member of the community. During the years of independence celebration of Nowruz has acquired a new dimension and depth. It became a national holiday of friendship, unity, brotherhood of all peoples. The colorful, theatrical performances reveal the philosophical and poetic reflection of Nowruz, its place in people's stories.

The originality of clothing of indigenous peoples has always been determined by climatic, living conditions and tribal traditions. Back in the 19th century clothing (gowns, dresses, shirts) continued to keep the archaic features: a wide, long, it freely flows down, hiding the shape of the human body. Clothing different similarity: winter and summer, men, women and children, they were close in form and design. The traditional national men's costume consists of a warm quilted robe - chopon tied with scarf or scarves, head cap and boots made of fine leather. Men wore shirts straight cut, inner and outer robes. Robe might be light or warm, quilted padded. On the sides of the robe there were sections for the convenience of walking and sitting on the floor. Robe - chapan is usually tied by scarf or scarves. 

Holiday clothes differ from the everyday by its beauty and luxury fabrics, embroidery, etc. Women's costume consists of a robe, functional dress simple cut of khan-atlas, and trousers - wide thin pants narrow at the bottom. Women’s headdress women consisted of three main elements: the cap, scarf and turban. Holiday women's suit is different from the everyday clothes by its quality factor and the beauty of fabrics, from which it is run. Children's clothes repeated clothes of adults. In addition to the common features of each garment district or tribe had its own uniqueness expressed in fabric, shape, etc.