Manas Epic Day in the Kyrgyz Republic
December 4 · Level 8 · #548 of 2238
A day devoted to the great Kyrgyz epic, which preserves the nation's history, wisdom and ideas of honour. The story of the hero Manas and his descendants is one of the central symbols of Kyrgyz culture.
How it is celebrated: concerts, readings and academic conferences are held, and manaschi, the epic's traditional performers, recite passages from memory. Pupils and students take part in competitions and folklore programmes.
The epic was passed down orally for centuries. In its fullest recorded versions it runs to hundreds of thousands of lines, and in 2013 the trilogy of Manas, Semetei and Seitek was inscribed on UNESCO's list of intangible cultural heritage.