Nauryz Meiramy was warmly celebrated in the Netherlands

With the arrival of spring, things are finally starting to change. Thus, the Embassy of Kazakhstan in the Netherlands, together with the Embassies of Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Uzbekistan, with the support of ERG, for the first time during the pandemic, organized a spring holiday in The Hague - Nauryz Meiramy. Hundreds of Kazakhstanis living in different parts of the Netherlands and neighboring Belgium, Dutch friends, partners, and guests from the CIS countries gathered in the open air in Westbroekpark.

The celebration opened with a welcome address by the Ambassador of Kazakhstan to the Netherlands Askar Zhumagaliyev.

“I am delighted to share this day with you. Nauryz is a special holiday for us. Nauryz is a holiday of new beginnings. The beginning of a New Year, new hopes, and New Kazakhstan. From the Bottom of My Heart, I wish you good health, well-being, happiness, and success! May Nauryz bring joy, peace, and prosperity to every home!” the Ambassador said.

Ambassador of Turkey in the Netherlands Saban Disli, Minister Counselor of the Embassy of Uzbekistan Ravshan Mamatov and First Secretary of the Embassy of Azerbaijan Sabina Sadigli congratulated the guests as well.

The event was also attended by the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Kairat Abdrakhmanov as a guest of honor.

Our compatriots who have specially arrived from different European countries presented their creative performances. Among them - Opera singer, winner of the World Championships of Performing Arts in Hollywood Aigul Shamshidenova, laureate of international competitions, dombra player Yesengali Kumarov, violinist, student of the Royal Conservatory of Liège Nazikgul Zhanazarova.

The performance of the young Kazakhstani children received especially loud applause. They performed the song “Koshakanym” and the dance “Kara Zhorga.” In addition, the Embassy of Kazakhstan organized for the guests a tournament in national games - asyk atu, togyz kumalak and arkan tartu. For those wishing to capture the holiday, a photo zone was organized in the national style: a yurt with household items of the Kazakh people. The guests were able to try on a camisole and a chapan, drink tea from a kese, get acquainted with the words of edification of the great Abai.

As a treat, the guests were offered: nauryz-kozhe, plov, baursak, samsa, chak-chak, dried fruits, qumys, ayran, zhent and much more.

The Dutch who came to the event for the first time tried and highly appreciated the national cuisine, expressing a desire to get to know the Kazakh culture better by visiting Kazakhstan.

Commenting on the success of the event, OSCE High Commissioner K. Abdrakhmanov noted: “As an international employee, I am very pleased that my country is celebrating a common holiday at such a high level. Nauryz is symbolized with cohesion, unity, peaceful coexistence. And today, in my role as the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities, it is very important for me to show the international community, and in this case the society of the Netherlands, through these vivid examples, how important it is to ensure the peaceful coexistence of our multinational, multi-confessional communities. And I think that the goal of this holiday has been achieved.

It is essential through demonstrating the richness of our culture, the depth of the customs and traditions of the Kazakh people, to show that today we are on the path of reforms associated with profound transformations in our social life. Therefore, with great pleasure, in my welcoming speech, I called on the people of Kazakhstan to work together for New Kazakhstan.”