Kyrgyz funeral traditions
Funeral Traditions in Kyrgyzstan
While driving around Kyrgyzstan you will surely notice cemeteries on the outskirts of almost every town or village. Kyrgyz funeral traditions include both Muslim as well as pre-Islamic era beliefs and rituals. Funerals are traditionally large, costly affairs and the graves are often decorated with marble or patterned brick tiles and topped with the Muslim crescent moon. In more rural parts and places where the islamic influence has been lesser the crescent is often replaced by some animal characters or for example the horns or antlers of an animal.
The funeral in Kyrgyzstan consists of a series of rituals: warning, ablution, mourning and burial. There are always relatives who come for help to handle issues during the mourning time meaning death is always an issue of the whole large family (In Kyrgyzstan it means usually all the people at least to the cousin level and further).
Everyone should wear a traditional hat on the days of funeral events. Women wear jooluk (scarf) and men wear kalpak or tebetei (traditional male hats). Two yurts are usually erected at the home of the dead person; one for the women mourners and the other for the body of the dead person. Relatives and close friends gather to mourn.
Koshok ritual as an grief expression
By tradition, people express their grief openly and guests will begin crying long before they reach the home of the deceased. One of the significant rituals during the funeral is called “koshok” (lamentations in the form of verses).
Women in the yurt cry loudly and sing “koshok”, while men mourn outside. The tradition of mourning cry originates from Tengrism and is preserved among the Kyrgyz to this day. Koshok is performed mainly by women and are even professional women who can be hired for it. After three days of public mourning, the dead person is buried, wrapped in white cloth according to Islamic beliefs. If the close relatives do not cry loudly, guests might judge one.
Burying the body to the cemetery
According to the custom, women are not allowed at the burial so only men go the graveyard. Every day for the following seven days the men go to the cemetery to read the Koran. The funeral itself lasts about ten days, however the period of ritual mourning goes on for a year. The remembrance takes place on the third, seventh and fortieth day and after one year an “ash” is held (annual commemoration, when the mourning ends). Another ritual that is still still often practiced is the sacrifice of a cow and a horse.
Table for the guests
Fastorkon, a table is always prepared from the beginning of the funeral. The family should let the dead go with respect, therefore following the funeral traditions requires generous sums of money, with the cow and horse being the largest expenses. In addition the family is also expected to give “jyrtysh”, meaning pieces of cloth cut in the shape of handkerchiefs in memory of the departed.
Nowadays this tradition is gradually changing and sometimes commemorations are arranged not at home but in a restaurant. Some families cannot hold annual commemorations because of financial difficulties.
Ash (Memorial Feast)
Ash is a ceremony that Kyrgyz families hold to remember and pray for a loved one who has passed away. It typically takes place on important anniversaries of the death, such as the 7th day, 40th day, 100th day, and 1st year after the person’s passing. This ritual is an essential part of Kyrgyz mourning and remembrance practices, combining elements of both spirituality and community bonding. During the ash maybe also practiced the visiting of the tombs to seek blessings and pay respects. The feast is centered around prayers, for the soul of the deceased. Mullahs (Islamic clerics) or elders often lead the prayers. These prayers are meant to bless the soul of the deceased and ask for peace in the afterlife.
The important part of the Ash is gathering of family and friends. The Ash feast brings together relatives, neighbors, and friends of the deceased to remember and honor them. It is a time of solidarity and support for the grieving family. Serving food is an another essential component of the Ash ceremony. Traditional dishes are served such as like beshbarmak (boiled meat with noodles), plov (rice pilaf), samsa (savory pastries), and sometimes special dishes like boorsok (fried dough) the guests. This act of feeding people is considered a charitable deed, as giving food to others is believed to bring blessings to the soul of the deceased.
There are several milestones of commemoration. The first is a 7th Day Ash, this is the first significant memorial event after the funeral. It is often a smaller, family-focused gathering. The next is 40th Day Ash (Kyrkynchy Kunu). The 40th day after death is a major occasion for remembering the deceased, following a Kyrgyz and Islamic belief that the soul fully transitions to the afterlife by this time. This Ash is usually larger, with many guests. Followed by the 100th Day Ash,this is another key point of memorialization, although slightly less formal than the 40th day. And the last but not least is 1-Year Anniversary from the death. Families often hold a larger memorial feast one year after the death, reflecting on the life and memory of their loved one.
The Ash ceremony strengthens ties within the community. It provides emotional support for the grieving family and encourages a collective remembrance, which is an important aspect of Kyrgyz social and cultural life. The Ash ceremony is a deeply meaningful way for Kyrgyz families to honor their deceased loved ones, combining food, prayer, and community into a profound expression of remembrance. Through these gatherings, the deceased are kept in the hearts and prayers of those they left behind, reinforcing the connection between the living and the dead.
Learn more about Kyrgyz Culture
Kyrgyz wedding customs
Kyrgyz Crafts
Kyrgyz national games
Page updated 17.10.2024
