Yılgayakh

Lore & Background

Yılgayakh was a spring festival of Tengrism, celebrated on or about March 22, which marked the first day of the Turkic month of Oshlaq-ay. The holiday was observed with feasting and probably with sacrificial rites. Its name appears in the medieval dictionary Divan-i Lughat-it-Turk by Mahmud Kashgari, written in the 1070s.

Reader's Guide

Yılgayakh, also called Ulugh-Kun, is significant as a documented spring festival of Tengrism, the traditional belief system of Turkic peoples. Its mention in Mahmud Kashgari's 11th-century dictionary provides a rare contemporary record of pre-Islamic Turkic religious practices. The holiday's timing around the spring equinox and its association with the month Oshlaq-ay indicate its role in marking the agricultural and seasonal cycle. The inclusion of sacrificial rites suggests a ritual dimension beyond mere celebration. As a reference point for Tengrist traditions, Yılgayakh offers insight into the cultural and religious life of Turkic societies before widespread conversion to Islam.

Did You Know?

• Yılgayakh means 'Year-Passing' in Turkish.
• It was also called Ulugh-Kun, meaning 'Great Day' in Old and Middle Turkic.
• The holiday is recorded in the medieval dictionary Divan-i Lughat-it-Turk by Mahmud Kashgari.
• It was celebrated on or about March 22, the first day of the Turkic month Oshlaq-ay.