January 7, 2023 – Naadam Benelux Festival 2023

Do you know what Naadam is?

We were fortunate to be invited by HE Bold Luvsanvandan , Ambassador of Mongolia 🇲🇳 to Belgium 🇧🇪 to attend the Naadam festival, which took place in Antwerp.

Mongolian Naadam is a traditional festival celebrated in Mongolia. It is the most popular national holiday. Mongolians celebrate national independence and historical anniversaries and pass on nomadic traditions and culture to future generations. The Naadam festival symbolizes national integrity.

The festival is also locally called "eriin gurvan naadam" (эрийн гурван надам), "the three games of men".

The three games of wrestling, horse racing, and archery are described in the 13th-century book The Secret History of the Mongols and take place throughout the country in midsummer.

In 2010, Naadam was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

The opportunity to share a glass of aïrag, a fermented dairy product traditionally made from mare's milk, with HE Margulan Baimukhan, Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan 🇰🇿 to Belgium, Nabilla Ait Daoud , Alderman for Culture of the City of Antwerp, who represented Mayor Bart De Wever , Magali Dugardin , President of the Consular Corps of the Province of Namur ASBL , Sonintogos Erdenetsogt, President of the Mongolian State University for #art and #culture , as well as Joseph Faymonville, CEO of THG, and his wife, who lent one of their splendid horses for the occasion.

Many thanks to the organizers and all the staff of the Mongolian Embassy for this wonderful event.