Elders’ Day

Mongolia is a country that’s bordered by both China and Russia and is known for its nomadic culture and its rugged terrain. This country covers an area of approximately 603,000+ square miles and has a population of just over 3.3 million people. This makes it one of the most sparsely populated sovereign nations in the entire world.

It’s also a country that encourages strong ties between its younger generations and the older generations. This is evidenced by an October 1st holiday known as Elders’ Day. Although this isn’t a public holiday, it is a holiday that’s widely observed across the country with special events and celebrations.

Interesting Facts About Mongolia

Mongolia is one of those countries that seem mysterious to many people, so we thought that we’d take a few moments and talk about some of the things we learned about this country while researching Elders’ Day. We feel the following facts will not only be entertaining to just about anyone reading this holiday article, but we feel that they will also be enlightening.

In 1961, the first hotel opened in Mongolia. It was called the Ulaanbaatar Hotel.

Ulaanbaatar is Mongolia’s capital city.

The Gobi Desert in Mongolia is the largest desert in Asia.

One-third of the world’s snow leopard population lives in Mongolia.

Fermented horse milk is a drink that many Mongolians offer to guests. It’s called “airag.”

Observing Elders’ Day In Mongolia

This holiday is observed by Mongolians by setting aside a portion of the day for special events just for older people. However, this day isn’t a public holiday. That means that businesses, government offices, and schools remain open.

Even so, there are a considerable amount of people who take time to show their elders the respect they deserve. It’s also a good day to enjoy ice cream, throat singing, and special meat pies known as Huushuur.

Where is it celebrated?
Mongolia (Observance)
When is it?
This year (2023)
October 1 Sunday
Next year (2024)
October 1 Tuesday
Last year (2022)
October 1 Saturday