Bishkek celebrates iconic natonal hat

Every year a festival is dedicated to the kalpak, the typical white double-pointed headdress of the Kyrgyz people. Its shape is reminiscent of the snow-capped peaks of the country's mountain ranges. A symbol of dignity, wisdom and honour, according to tradition it cannot be thrown away or even donated or sold to others: it can only be passed on to one's descendants.

Bishkek (AsiaNews) - On 5 March, the Ak Kalpak kunu festival was held in Kyrgyzstan, the ‘Day of the Hat’ and national dress, officially established in 2016 to ‘preserve the meaning’ of the typical white double-pointed hat, ‘pride of the national traditions and culture of the Kyrgyz people’.

The Secretary of State, Sujunbek Kasmabetov, sent a message of congratulations to all Kyrgyz people, reminding them that ‘the national dress of every people is an amazing sight, reflecting their history and their character’.

The message emphasises that ‘every aspect of these clothes, their fabric, the cut or the decorations, has a deep meaning, which makes it possible to connect the generations’.

In the era of globalisation it is easier to forget and lose one's history, especially against the backdrop of increasingly rapidly developing technologies, and therefore it is even more important ‘the task of passing on to our children the traditions, language and the entire legacy of our fathers’.

According to Kasmabetov, these symbols ‘arouse wonder in people all over the world, emphasising the unique particularity of Kyrgyz culture’.

This year, it has been proposed that the Ak Eleček women's headdress, the conical white turban that also wraps around the neck, be included in the UNESCO list of the cultural heritage of humanity, to also enhance the female version of the historical Kyrgyz heritage.

The hat festival began to be celebrated in the years prior to its approval by the Žogorku Keneš, when in 2011 the director Rysbek Žabirov launched the initiative at the beginning of March, the month of spring, to associate the national hat with the flowering of snowdrops, and the celebration immediately became very popular.

The shape and decorations of the Kalpak are intended to convey the principles of Kyrgyz philosophy, as they can be used to determine the age and social status of the owners.

It is still used today not only on solemn occasions, but also when going to work or visiting friends, and certainly at all local and national festivals.

Donating a kalpak is also part of the etiquette of relations at a state level, and it is offered to foreign guests or assigned together with a new public office. In sporting events, Kyrgyz champions display it on the parade uniforms of international competitions.

The Kalpak is considered to be ‘the symbol of the mountains and of purity’, with its shape reminiscent of the snow-capped peaks of the Kyrgyz mountain ranges.

In the epic tale Manas, named after the legendary hero who unites the Kyrgyz people, we read that ‘the Kyrgyz are the people who wear the white Kalpak, whose top is always as white as the peaks of the Tjan-Šan mountains, while the base is as dark as the ground beneath them’.

The kalpak must be kept in absolutely clean conditions, it can't be thrown or shaken, it must always be removed with both hands and placed in its dedicated place, or next to the wearer. It can't be donated or sold to others, and can only be passed on to one's descendants.

The Kyrgyz believe that if the hat is lost or given to strangers, the person loses their dignity, wisdom and honour. Although Kyrgyz kalpaks have a variety of cuts, they are mainly sewn from four wedges that widen at the bottom, and the gores are not sewn on the sides, thus allowing the brim to be raised or lowered.

The designs are traditionally embroidered with silk threads, the brim is often lined with black velvet and the top is decorated with a tassel that hangs down from the front.

Behind the outward simplicity of this hat, comfort and practicality are confirmed, as they have been for centuries. It is also considered the most ‘democratic’ headgear, worn by men from all social classes, from Khan to pauper, from young to old, even if the shape and colour reveal the personality of the wearer: senior officials and artists wear a taller Kalpak than normal people.

On 5 March, the police give it as a gift to those who break the rules of the road instead of giving them a fine, to remind them of the ‘right path’ of the Kyrgyz people.