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Sabantuy-2025 celebrated in London

  • Writer: Landysh Yanborisova
    Landysh Yanborisova
  • Jul 1
  • 2 min read

Tatars and Bashkirs in UK celebrated the double holiday of Sabantuy and Qurbani Eid on June 7, 2025.


Tatars and Bashkirs living in the UK came together in London and celebrated the summer festival named 'Sabantuy'. The festival, which was expected to be held in Hyde Park, organised by UK Tatar Bashkir Society for 9 years, was moved to indoor due to rainy weather.


This year's Sabantuy was more cheerful and festive as it coincided with Qurbani Eid. Both the enthusiasm of the holiday and the joy of Sabantuy doubled the fun.

Tatar-Bashkir folk songs were sung and danced during the Sabantuy celebration held in the hall of Corus Hotel near Hyde Park, London. Everyone who came to celebrate from cities and countries such as France, Spain, Ireland, Wales, Bristol, Liverpool, Newcastle, London, Oxford, were served with many national dishes including national desserts like chak-chak, gubadia, kystyby, uzbek rice. Children played sack race, egg carrying with spoon and tug of war games.

It is celebrated as the national holiday of Tatars and Bashkirs. They celebrate the Sabantuy festival from the days when the snow melts and until the spring sowing is planted. Sabantuy festival is celebrated in June on a date determined by prominent people of society due to its relationship with the arrival of spring, the awakening of nature and the crop.

The day to celebrate this feast has been chosen for the next new year, depending on the condition of melting the snow and the soil's preparation for sowing, and it still continues today.

Sabantuy festival is a big festival. The preparations for this feast take place in two phases: the preparations made before the feast and the activities during the feast.

Sabantuy Festival is celebrated not only in Tatarstan but also in various Turkic Republics and everywhere Tatars and Bashkirs live abroad. They celebrate this holiday every year in June in Istanbul, Eskishehir and Kutahya in order to pass on their national identities and cultural values to future generations.

Sabantuy's origins go back to ancient times. Farmers' fields are celebrated in the pre-planting season. The history of Sabantuy festival dates back to the pre-Islamic period.

UK Tatar Bashkir Society story dates back to 2016 when a group of volunteers organised the first Sabantuy in London. They grew to become a Tatar-Bashkir Society “Zaman” in November 2017. Now it counts over 600 members and organises events throughout the year.


UK Tatar Bashkir Society website: https://www.uktatars.org/news










 
 
 

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