‘Ak terek – Kok terek’ (“white poplar — green poplar”) is a fun and exciting game for children. Two teams line up against each other at a distance of 20 meters in one line, holding hands. The team that starts the game asks another team: “White poplar- green poplar. Which of us do you want?” The other team, having consulted, answers to the question in the same way: “We want (name of the player) to join us”. The player who is called by the team runs up and tries to break the chain between any two members. If he succeeds, he takes one player from the opposing team to his own. In case of failure - he remains in this team himself. Then the teams switch the roles, and the game continues. The winning team is the one who took away more of the ‘opponent’ players. In the southern Kyrgyzstan, the game is called Chartek. In Alai region it is called El Chabar. `Kachma top` (means escaping/dodging the ball). It is a traditional Kyrgyz game for children and adolescents somewhat similar to baseball. The game participants are divided into two teams. On a field measuring 50x100m, a line (maaru) is marked at both ends. By drawing lots, an offensive team (team of hitters) is appointed, which positions itself on the court. The ball server (pitcher) is selected (the ball is rolled up from animal fur). Then the order of hitters is established. The hitter enters the line, picks up a meter-long stick and strikes the tossed ball. Hitting as hard as possible, he must run to the opposite line. Then the players change. ‘Tak teke’ is an old, traditional wooden dancing goat puppet, which is put to life by the movement of the player’s fingers. ‘Tak teke’ was performed during celebrations or in a free time. The vertical stick was installed by hinges on the surface of a small table. A small wooden figure of the goat was attached to the stick. This stick, under the table, acceded to the strings of komuz (musical instrument) by the streaks. During the performance on komuz, the goat figure moves with a melody. `Besh tash` also known as top tash a game of five stones or group of stones. It is one of the ancient games that is mentioned in the Manas epic. This game is played by young girls in small groups of 2-6 people. A game is played with 5 pebbles with smooth surface. Each player performs a series of throwing and catching exercises with those pebbles. Exercises get more and more challenging from level to level. There are usually 7 levels but players can improvise and add extra levels based on mutual agreement.

Jumping over feet of other participants. A kind of traditional children game.

Rope walking and under-rope performances are a genre of folk-spectacular art and have deep history. Some written sources testify that in the palace of Amir Temur magnificent performances were staged with participation of ropewalkers. There is also information that Uzbek ropewalkers demonstrated in the past (i.e. in XVIII- XIX centuries) their skills in China, India, Afghanistan, Iran, Russia and other countries. But with a lapse of time rope walking developed significantly, so that ropes began to be mounted on a much higher height. Later rope walking began to be performed in circus arenas and became an integral part of circus art. Notably, the performances of ropewalkers were always combined with those of polvons (strongmen), illusionists, dancers, qiziqchi and askiyachi (comedians and wisecrackers) as well as with traditional circus-related performances (such as walking on stilts, tricks, acrobatics, equilibristic, legerdemain; tamed bears, snakes, monkeys, horses, goats, etc.).

Generally, the people of Limbu. Rai and Sunware (commonly known as Kiratis) celebrate Ubhauli and Udhauli festival. It is believed that there are two phases in one year – that are a Ubauli (Going up) and Udhuali (Going down) While the Ubhauli puja is usually conducted during the month of March and April (belief of onset of summer); Udhauli puja is a celebration of descending of season and is conducted during the month of November indicating the onset of winter season. It is believed that from November the winter season starts where people, birds, and animals migrate from cold regions to warmer regions. Udhauli and Ubhauli festivals are conducted in two different seasons – one in summer and the other one in winter- of the year. Kiratis are believed to be the worshipers of nature and agriculture being the sustenance of this community, the Kirats celebrate the Udhauli festival to thank Mother Nature for providing them with bountiful harvest during the current season. During the Ubhuali festival, as it marks the time of the year for cultivation, they pray to Mother Nature for timely rain, healthy crops and protection from natural calamities. In short, Ubhauli marks the beginning of cultivation, and Udhauli marks the harvest period. Although, in the past, Udhuali and Ubhauli festivals were conducted separately, the community today has started conducting these two festivals at one go in the month of March and April, calling this festival as Udhauli Ubhauli Puja. This community festival is conducted at the Diana River. This festival brings together all the people in the limbu community to observe a ritual of praying for a timely rain, good harvest and asking for good harvest at the end of the year. When: In the past, their ancestors used to celebrate Udhauli and Ubhauli puja in two different seasons (summer and winter) of the year. While Udhauli puja used to be conducted in the months of November and December, Ubhauli Puja was conducted in the months of March and April. However, with modernization and globalization, it has become difficult for the community to gather twice a year, they have started conducting this Udhauli and Ubhauli puja at the same time between March and April Month on any of the suitable days – Fridays and Saturdays, thus called this festival as Udhauli Ubhauli Puja. This festival is performed for a day. Where: Today, Udhaulu Ubhauli Puja is performed annually by the bank of River Diana. The reason why they perform this puja at the river is they being the worshiper of nature, they believe that the river is clean and is occupied by tutelary deities. People of the community gather together every year to pay homage to their deities, and pray for timely rain, good cultivation and bountiful harvest. Number of Performers: A paw initiates the festival with the help of one helper. It is said that the helper should be someone who would be able to understand the language of the initiator in a state of trance. The community makes merry, praying simultaneously for a smooth and successful entire crop cycle period starting from sowing seeds to harvest of the crop and protection from natural calamities.

Traditional Knowledge can also be referred to as indigenous or local knowledge, however for the sake of consistency, Traditional Knowledge will be used. Traditional Knowledge refers to the holistic total of an indigenous people’s understanding of the world. While the term is often used in relation to oral history, its bounds are much broader. ‘Traditional Knowledge can refer to knowledge of past events, but also encompasses peoples’ embodied practices, spirituality, morality, ideologies, modes of artistic (or abstract) expression, and the ways in which knowledge is acquired and passed on through generations. Traditional Knowledge systems extend into the present, and are alive and constantly adapted in order to remain relevant to contemporary indigenous life. The term is predominantly used to designate those knowledge systems that are markedly different from the dominant Western systems of knowledge. Traditional or Indigenous knowledge is a: body of information passed down through generations in a given locality and acquired through the accumulation of experiences, relationships with the surrounding environment, and traditional community rituals, practices and institutions. In light of that, the iTaukei people from Fiji, have traditional knowledge of identifying early signs of natural disasters.

“Hıdrellez” is a compound name derived from “Hıdır” and “İlyas”. They are believed to be sacred figures who meet each other once in a year on May 6th and are considered to be the protectors of earth and water as well as helpers of individuals, families and communities in need of them. May 6th is accepted and celebrated as Spring Day, awakening of nature. According to the beliefs of some communities a year is divided into two seasons in accordance with the visibility and invisibility of the star Pleiades that cannot be observed from May 6th until November. The element is maintained today, various ceremonies and rituals connected to the nature are performed providing well-being, fertility and prosperity of family and community, protecting livestock and crops for the upcoming year. On the evening of May 5th, young people gather in a house and prepare one storage pot made of clay in which there are some herbs and water, where each participant put different small personal object called “nishan” inside with some wish for the following year. Covered with red cloth the pot is left under a rose bush, and left during the night. Before sunrise on May 6th, the courtyard of a house is cleaned and in the middle a bonfire is lit. It is believed that as higher the fire goes, the more productive the upcoming year will be. Young people jump over the fire and go in the nearest green field or forest where they collect different herbs and green plants. They put swings up on a fertile tree and while swinging sing Hıdrellez songs. After that the young people go to the garden, where they have put the pot and proceed to the ritual called “Martufal”: A young girl, whose parents are alive, mixes the nishans inside the pot and picks them out one by one. The picked nishan is shown to the people around, while giving it to its owner they sing a quatrain called “Mani”. Each nishan is considered to be magical and each mani should bring luck and good health to its owner. After the Martufal the participants have family lunch, the celebration continues all day with wrestling games called “Pelivan” and dancing festivities organized by the local communities.

Macedonia,Turkey 2017

Fire dance ceremony (Fire bridge) or "Po Dinh họn a tờ" in Pa Then language takes place on the 16th day of the 10th lunar month, in My Bac village, Tan Bac commune, Quang Binh district, Ha Giang province, when the season comes. membrane has been harvested. Traditionally, Fire dance is associated with the "Poc Quo" ritual - the ceremony to transmit the profession of a sorcerer - which is held for shamans to receive students and pass on the profession. The ceremony is organized by the clans in the village. Offerings to the gods include roosters, rice, incense, wine, votive coins, etc. The main ritual master includes the shaman and his subordinates or students. When sitting in the ceremonial chair, the shaman holds and shakes a bracelet in his hand and at the same time pats the bamboo stick on the iron lute of the Pa Then people. He chanted while his body swaying in rhythm with jingle bells and claps of hands. His subordinates lit a fire as directed by him. The shaman would then chant to take his soul to heaven, calling the spirits of the gods to enter the bodies of young men waiting nearby. Gradually, the boys will enter a trance state. Their bodies will naturally sway, and they will begin to jump into the fire with their bare feet and hands. Some dancers are even able to play burning coals with their bare hands or chew them in their mouths without injury. The Fire Dance Festival of the Pa Then has a long history and has been preserved and maintained for generations. The festival not only reflects the role and status of shamans in the previous society, but also evidences the cultural elements, primitive beliefs, beliefs in the spirit world and supernatural forces.

Appeared around the 17th and 18th centuries and went through many stages of development, with periods of prosperity and also decline period. The script includes 4 types: Ancient Tuồng, Royal Tuồng, Folk Tuồng and Comedy Tuồng. The script structure is divided into many acts (normally 3 or 4 acts), and each act has many layers. The topics and ideological of Tuồng Opera are mainly about heroic heroism, human behavior between the common and the private, and between family and Fatherland. Characters include Peach, double, old man, flatterer, general, and goblin; divided into two factions: villains and righteous. Music in Tuồng is a combination of singing and orchestral music. Singing music has basic singing rhythms: talking, male singing, guest singing, rhythmless melodies, and rhythmic melodies. The orchestra includes drums, trumpets, two-stringed harps, and other musical instruments. Tuồng dancing has 10 basic dance movements: oval, corner, wrap, face up, roll; bridge, sign, swing, carry, jump; Dance less, move gently and gracefully. The art of makeup in Tuồng has 3 main colors (white, black, and red) and the "shaping" technique to express the character's image. Rich costumes, suitable for each character. Tuồng stage is conventional and symbolic. Every year, on August 11 - 12, Tuồng troupes organize the death anniversary ceremony, the first day is a vegetarian ceremony, and the next day is a salty ceremony. Craft ancestors are always revered and have many taboos. Previously, Đà Nẵng people also had the custom of Tuồng Fortune Telling. When watching a Tuồng performance, they speculate about their luck and bad luck for the year in any scene. Tuồng Fortune-telling at the beginning of the year is a unique feature of Quảng.

This ritual is hold in the last Wednesday of the year according to Iranian solar calendar. In the last Wednesday night before the Navruz some people light a bonfire in the cross-roads of the village and jump over it. During the jumping they spell like this: Hei fire, take my pale-face yellow color and instead give me yours healthy red one. Performing this ritual they believe that during the coming year they will be saved and healthy.

Traditional children game in which players jump over a rope.