My favourite festival is Sabantuy.

Hello! My names is Ksenia. I am twelve years old. I study at school №89 in the fifth form. I’m lucky, because Tatarstan is my native land. The capital of Tatarstan is Kazan. I think it is one of the oldest and most beautiful cities in the Volga region.

There are a lot of different holidays and festivals in my city. The most popular festival is Sabantuy. As it is impossible to imagine the Greeks without the Olympic Games, the Spaniards without their bullfights, it is also impossible to speak about a way of life of Tatars without the Sabantuy. Sabantuy is the most ancient and traditional festival of Tatar people.  It is “a celebration of the plough” This holiday takes place at the end of June when the villagers finish their spring work in the fields.

There are more than 20 national and common types of sport competitions and games in the Sabantuy program. The major competitions are the Tatar national wrestling- “Kuresh” and the horse races. There are also a lot of funny competitions and sport games, for example, egg-races, “running-in-sacks” races. Climbing up a high pole is rather difficult, but very funny. The prize is a big cock, sitting on the top!  All competitions of the Sabantuy are accompanied by concerts of national ensembles, dances and songs, fair of crafts, products of decorative art. Everyone tries to show his or her skills and talent.

Nowadays, I think, the Sabantuy festival  is very popular with people of all nationalities. We have a lot of guests from all over the world. Every year my family and I have a nice time. We have a picnic, take part at the different competitions, sing and dance.  I like this festival very much.