At the 19th session of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, held in Asunción, Paraguay, the traditional Kazakh wedding ritual Betashar is included in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, El.kz cites MFA.
During this session, the Committee reviewed 58 nominations that received UNESCO recognition, including Betashar.
The nomination was developed by experts from the National Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage under the National Commission of the Republic of Kazakhstan for UNESCO.
“Betashar is one of the most vivid and widespread rituals in the living heritage of the Kazakh people. Its recognition as an integral part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity will strengthen our collective efforts to systematically study, preserve, and promote the invaluable traditions passed from generation to generation”, emphasized Askar Abdrakhmanov, Permanent Ambassador of Kazakhstan to UNESCO.
The Kazakh delegation at the 19th session of the Committee for Intangible Cultural Heritage included Zhanar Shaimenova, Secretary-General of the National Commission for UNESCO and ICESCO, Rustam Muzafarov, Deputy Chairman of the National Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, and the expert responsible for the nomination, Professor Zhanerke Shaigozova of Abai Kazakh National Pedagogical University.
The Betashar Wedding Ritual nomination was submitted to UNESCO by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Information of Kazakhstan.
The ritual of Betashar (translated literally as "opening of the face") is the ceremony of revealing the bride’s face during a wedding ceremony. It originated in medieval times, when the groom rarely saw his future bride before the wedding. At the beginning of the ceremony, the bride’s mother dresses her in the traditional Kazakh headdress and a veil. She is escorted into the hall, where the guests await her appearance. The "akyn" (the singer and master of ceremony) starts his improvised song, praising the groom’s family and ancestors. As a sign of respect and greeting, the bride and her sisters-in-law bow to each person or group as they are mentioned. The "akyn" then lifts the bride’s veil to reveal her face to the guests. The groom’s mother welcomes the bride as a new family member, and the groom takes her by the hand. Relatives then shower the newlyweds with sweets and coins (shashu). The social norms and knowledge related to betashar are transmitted from elders to the younger generation.
Additionally, during the session, Mongolia joined the multinational nomination for Nauryz, becoming the 13thcountry to celebrate this holiday within the UNESCO framework.