Beshik-tuyi

Beshik-tuyi (“wooden cradle”) is ritual festival, connected with the first putting infant to the cradle. This is most ancient and widespread rite in Uzbekistan. Usually such kind of event takes place on the 7th, 9th, 11th day after birthday of the infant. This ancient ceremony has been preserved in Uzbekistan culture from times immemorial and still is one of the most popular holidays in Uzbekistan.

For every family it is a great holiday. All relatives, neighbors and family friends are involved in the preparation to the beshik-tui. In different regions of Uzbekistan this ritual has its own peculiarities and depends on income level of the family: usually rich families celebrate this event with great pomp, and average-income families celebrate it modestly. Beshik (cradle) and all necessary things required for the infant are granted by the infant mother’s relatives. Flat cakes, sweeties and toys are wrapped up in dasturhan (tablecloth). They prepare gifts for parents of the infant, his grandmothers and grandfathers. Richly decorated beshik, dasturhans and gifts are got onto transport vehicle and accompanying by quests, handed over to the home of the infant’s parents to the music of surnay, karnay and doyra.

According to the tradition at first the grandfather of the infant puts brought beshik on his right-hand shoulder and then hands it over to son so that he will put in on his right-hand shoulder and give it to the infant’s mother. In the past, guests coated their faces with white flour in order that all their thoughts will be well-wishing and pure. After that the guests are invited to the sitting room and sit down at richly set dastarhan (table). While the guests threat themselves and listen to the music and have a good time, in old women presence the ceremony of swaddling and putting the infant to the beshik is carrying out in the next room. At the end of the ceremony the guests enter the room of the infant to give him a glance, make him presents and strew parvarda or lump sugar onto beshik. Hereon the ceremony is finished and guests leave the home.