Chapter II. Similarities and peculiarities of main Kazakh and British traditions and customs
2.1. Kazakh traditions and customs associated with birth and upbringing of the child
The birth of a child is the greatest joy in the life of Kazakhs. There is even a proverb according to which a house where there are children is considered happy, but without them "is like a grave". Therefore, as it should be, many traditions are associated with the birth of a child, which are carried out with special respect and trepidation, because we are talking about a new life. Immediately after birth, the baby was wrapped in a clean diaper, which was made from the clothes of an elderly person or from the diaper of a child from a large family. After the child was dressed in a special shirt "it koilek", and with all the rituals it was removed, replaced with ordinary clothes. The first forty days in a child's life were considered and continue to be considered a special time, because during this period babies are most vulnerable and exposed to dark forces. A light was always burning near the baby's cradle, scaring away all evil. During this time, an important role in the life of the newborn was assigned to his godmother "kyndyk sheshe". According to beliefs, her strengths and good qualities were passed on to the child. On each of the specially celebrated days – the first, third, fifth, seventh and fortieth – "kyndyk keshe" was the guest of honor and brought gifts to the woman in labor and the baby. She was also entrusted with the ritual of "besik salu" - putting the baby in the cradle. After laying the child down, the godmother covered him with seven things, and on top it was necessary to put a whip and a knife for the boy, and for the girl – a small mirror and a comb. On the fortieth day, the rite of "kolzha" was performed. A young sheep was sacrificed, from the meat of which a hearty broth was boiled, designed to restore the strength of the child's mother. The guests participating in the feast took turns biting off the meat from the cervical vertebra. The first one to do it was a woman in labor, and the last one was "kyndyk sheshe". The remaining bone was impaled on a stick and left on the female half of the yurt, and removed only when the child could already confidently hold his head. Also on the fortieth day, the child was bathed in a bowl with salt water, at the bottom of which coins and jewelry were placed. After bathing, the baby was watered with forty spoons of special ritual water, and the women who took part in the ritual took jewelry from the bowl as a gift. In addition, on this day, the child's nails and hair were cut for the first time. This was followed by the rite of "at koyu" or "azan shakiru", when the baby was given a name. To do this, the elders of the village gathered, and the eldest of the relatives called the child's name. After that, the mullah read out a prayer and spoke his name three times in the baby's ear. When the child started walking on his own, "tusau kesu" was performed. The legs were tied with a black and white woolen cord for the baby, and a respected woman with many children had to cut the bonds. The cord was burned and it was believed that after that the child entered a new stage of his life. Boys who reached 5-7 years old were carried out a "sundet" - a rite of circumcision of the foreskin. In honor of this event, a big holiday was arranged, a lot of gifts were presented to the child. In general, Kazakhs treat children very tenderly. For example, it is not customary to let a visiting child go without treats or a gift. It is believed that if the baby does not like visiting, luck will turn away from the hosts.