Regional/Cultural Day
Usny Odrin Bayar
Mongolia is a landlocked country, and water is one of the most precious resources. The day is observed with ceremonies at the sacred springs (the Mongolians believe that springs are the eyes of the earth), and the reminder that the Gobi Desert is expanding and the glaciers of the Altai Mountains are retreating. The nomadic families depend on the rivers and springs for their livestock, and the herders perform the ovoo ceremony (tyying blue khadag scarves to sacred cairns) to honor the water spirits. The day is both celebration and warning, because Mongolia faces severe water scarcity in the coming decades.
