According to the commonly accepted calendar, spring begins on March 1, but in the Kyrgyz folk calendar, this moment comes a bit later. There are proverbs that say: "Tokson ketpей, ton ketpейт," meaning that until tokson passes, the frosts will not retreat.
Turmush previously reported that "tokson" is divided into three parts:
- the first — from December 13 to January 8;
- the second — from January 8 to February 18;
- the third stage — from February 18 to March 13.
The period from February 1 to March 1 is called "Müyüz ayaz," which translates to "not very strong frost," while from March 1 to March 13 it is referred to as "Kiyiz ayaz," meaning "weak frost." According to folk beliefs, it is on March 13 that the strong frosts end, the ground begins to thaw, and the trees come to life.
In the southern part of the country, this time period is called "amal ayi." After the frosts end, locals observe the fall of "sary kar," or yellow snow. Some sources claim that the period when "toksondogu chal" leaves lasts from February 26 to March 11. According to folk signs, after March 11-13, winter completely departs.
March and April in Kyrgyzstan are referred to as "Uzun sary" — early spring. During this time, the days become longer and the nights shorter. In the past, Kyrgyz people prepared supplies, leaving dried meat, "sary jürmö" (thick cow intestines turned inside out with fat), chuchuk, and fattier meat. It was believed that during this period, a person does not eat well, loses strength, and livestock weakens as feed supplies dwindle. If it snows during this time and the grass has not yet turned green, livestock begins to eat their own wool, which can lead to mass deaths of animals.
The elders of the Kochkor district tell a story about how a local resident asked his wife to keep "sary jürmö" in a bag of flour for the duration of "Uzun sary." When he was not home, a traveler knocked on their door. The woman noticed that he was tall and had a yellow face. Remembering her husband's words, she decided to feed him. Later, when spring arrived, the man reminded her about the supplies, to which she replied that she had already prepared them for the traveler. He explained that this period requires special nutrition, as people lose strength.
During the nomadic times, Kyrgyz people prepared meat for winter, as before spring, livestock weakened and became unsuitable for slaughter. Better-fed horses were sent for slaughter, and then the meat was divided into parts, with chuchuk and karta being prepared. This helped maintain strength during the "Uzun sary" period. They also slaughtered well-fed cows, and "sary jürmö" was processed and stored. Sheep meat was preserved by burying it in the snow.
With the arrival of spring, when the snow begins to melt, frozen meat was used for cooking. Delicacies such as chuchuk and karta, which were prepared after the slaughter of well-fed horses, were stored in a bag of flour until summer. This meat was called "uzun saryga saktağan" by the Kyrgyz people and was fed to respected individuals.
Thus, as the elders claim, on March 13, the first "tokson" ends, and the second begins, lasting from March 13 (according to some sources, from March 18) to June 13 (or June 18). This period is called "baar" or "jaz childesi" — early spring. During this time, they even sang: "Abal (mezgil) baar jaz ele, jalama ayran az ele" — "This was early spring, there was very little ayran."
March 22 is considered the day of the spring equinox. From March 23, the days begin to lengthen, and this period is called Nooruz.
The Kyrgyz people celebrate Nooruz on March 21, and after 40 days, on April 23, the period of "chil baar" ends, and the 10-day "gulbaar" begins. Early spring ends on May 2. During this time, grain crops begin to be planted, and from May 8, the period of "saamal" begins — the time when mares are milked to prepare kumys, often with the addition of fresh mare's milk — "saamal."
