Autumn
Autumn in Mongolia can be named golden beauty of nature. Weather of mongolian autumn is very nice and warm during day time, but bit chilly in the evenings. Temperature of the autumn days can range between +15C and +25C. This time of the year, mongolians prepare for the winter starting to cut the hay right after Naadam festival for their animals to pass safely the harsh winter and spring. As the men prepare the hay and fuel for winter, women also make a lot of the dairy products everyday for the cold weather coming. The Autums is also a time really for celebrations, with vibrant festivals that reflect the joy and bounty of the beautiful season. From the Golden Eagle Festival in Western Mongolia to local harvest celebrations, autumn is a time of festivity and cultural immersion. In addition to the major festivals, we also celebrate wedding ceremonies of couples and hair cutting ceremonies for babies.
Golden Eagle Festival
The Golden Eagle Festival, or simply Eagle Festival is an annual neo-traditional festival held in Bayan-Olgii aimag, Mongolia. In the eagle festival, Kazakh eagle hunters celebrate their heritage and compete in lure-based and timed eagle handling events with specially trained golden eagles, showing off the skills both of the birds and their trainers. Prizes are awarded for speed, agility and accuracy, as well as for the best traditional Kazakh dress and more.The Eagle Festival is organised during the first weekend in October, run by the Mongolian Eagle Hunter's Association. Dark, rocky mountainous terrain forms the backdrop to the festivities, which incorporate an opening ceremony, parade, cultural exhibitions, demonstrations and handcrafts in the centre of the town of Ölgii, followed by sporting activities and competitions 4 kilometres outside of town towards the mountains. Dressed in full eagle hunting regalia and mounted on groomed decorated horses, the entrants compete for the awards of Best Turned Out Eagle and Owner; Best Eagle at Hunting Prey and Best Eagle at Locating Its Owner from a Distance. Other sporting activities include horse racing, archery and the highly entertaining Bushkashi - goatskin tug of war on horseback.
