Kazakhstan Holidays
Kazakhstan is the most culturally active country in Central Asia. Almaty and Nur-Sultan are among the most active cities in the region.
Religious Holidays
- Kurban Ait – also known as Al-Adha in Arabic world, on this Muslim holiday it is traditional to go to mosque, sacrifice and give meat to the poor.
- Russian Orthodox Easter – is a celebration of the resurrection of Jesus. Eggs are painted in advance to bake kulich, and the midnight mass has a special atmosphere.
National Holidays
- National Unity Day – 1 st of May. Parades and street festivals taking place to show different cultures co-existing peacefully in Kazakhstan.
- Victory Day – 9 th of May. A celebration of the Soviet victory in WW2 involving military parades in major cities.
- Constitution Day – 30 of August. The constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan was approved by a national referendum in August 1995. This holiday is celebrated across all Kazakhstan.
- Astana Day – 6 th of July. The day when Nur – Sultan became the capital of Kazakhstan.
- Almaty Alma Fest – 15 th of September. The festival offers an extensive entertainment program, trading Almaty apples like “aport“, contests and concerts aimed at different audience.
- Independence Day – 16 th of December. It marks the independence of Kazakhstan on December 16 th 1991 following the collapse of the Soviet Union.
- Day of the First President – 1 st of December. It marks the first presidential elections that were held on December 1 st 1991 in Kazakhstan after the break-up of the Soviet Union.
Folk and Music Festivals
- The Spirit of Tengri – 26 th of April. It is a prominent international festival of contemporary ethnic music, a multicultural project that joins ethnic musicians from all over the on the Kazakh soil.
Location : Almaty
- Toikazan – October. This is a festival of national cuisine and in kazakh means festive cauldron – it is a symbol of friendship.
Location : Almaty
- FourЭ – ethnic ecological festival held in the middle of August where “ Э “ means fours words ecology (Экология), ethnicity (Этника), emotions (Эмоции), and evolution (Эволюция). These four principles are very important for spiritual development of any human.
Location : Almaty