Editing Naadam (section)

==Overview==
{{more citations needed|section|date=July 2017}}

=== Origins ===
Naadam is the most widely watched festival among Mongols and is believed to have existed for centuries in one fashion or another. It has its origin in the activities, such as military parades and sporting competitions such as archery, horse riding and wrestling, that followed the celebration of various occasions, including weddings or spiritual gatherings. It later served as a way to train soldiers for battle and was also connected to Mongols' nomadic lifestyle. Mongolians practice their unwritten holiday rules that include a long song to start the holiday, then a ''[[Biyelgee]]'' dance. Traditional cuisine, or ''[[Khuushuur]]'', is served around the Sports Stadium along with a special drink made of fermented horse milk (''[[Kumis|airag]]''). The three games of wrestling, horse racing, and archery are recorded in the 13th-century book ''[[The Secret History of the Mongols]]''. During the [[Mongolia under Qing rule|Qing dynasty's rule]], Naadam became a festival officially held by [[Sum (administrative division)|sums]].

It began to be held annually in 1639 with a dance festival dedicated to the High Saint Zanabazar. In this festival of Shireet White Lake, Bokh Lama won in wrestling, and Bonkhor Donir's horse won the championship.

In 1772, a great festival was held to worship Khentii mountain. It is called the Festival of Ten Governments. In 1912, the Ten Government Games, which used to be played with losing points, became an annual state game. Until the death of Bogd Khan in 1925, the Ten Government Festival became a state festival. Ten Government Games have been held 125 times.

=== Communist era ===
Naadam during the period of the [[Mongolian People's Republic]] was associated with the [[Mongolian Revolution of 1921]]. The first official military parade in Communist Mongolia took place in 1921 in honor of the victories of [[Damdin Sükhbaatar]] in the revolution. It was celebrated as a Buddhist/shaman holiday until secularization in the 1930s under the Communist influence of the Soviet Union.

The anniversary parades of the [[Mongolian People's Army]] on [[Sükhbaatar Square]] were generally held on jubilee years (specifically in 1946, 1951, 1956, 1961, 1966, 1971, 1976, 1981, 1986 and 1991<ref>{{cite book|last=Sanders|first=Alan J K|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5JN83EDDLl4C&pg=PR62|title=Historical Dictionary of Mongolia|publisher=Scarecrow Press|year=2010|isbn=978-0-8108-7452-7|edition=3rd|page=62|oclc=939933261}}</ref>), alongside the [[International Workers' Day]] and [[October Revolution Day]] parades.<ref>{{cite web |title=Rare Images of the People's Revolution |url=https://www.tolgoilogch.mn/_c863obv6vd/mt |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230321165602/https://www.tolgoilogch.mn/_c863obv6vd/mt |archive-date=March 21, 2023 |access-date=2019-08-10 |website=tolgoilogch.mn |language=mn}}</ref> General T. Galsan was the longtime commander these parades.<ref>{{Cite web|last=n24.mn|title=Г.Махбариад: Цол өгөөд л байсан, би ч аваад л байсан. Цэргийнхний 16 жилд авдаг цолыг би таван жилд зүүсэн|url=https://www.n24.mn/a/3334|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210607213214/https://www.n24.mn/a/3334|url-status=dead|archive-date=7 June 2021|access-date=2021-06-07|website=www.n24.mn}}</ref> During these events, party and government leaders viewed the events from the top of [[Sükhbaatar's Mausoleum]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=История Улан-Батора: Мавзолей Сухэ-Батора и центральная площадь |url=https://asiarussia.ru/articles/16662/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230225021123/https://asiarussia.ru/articles/16662/ |archive-date=Feb 25, 2023}}</ref> After 1991, the communist practice was abandoned with the exception of 1996 when a parade in the [[National Sports Stadium (Mongolia)|National Sports Stadium]] commemorated the 790th anniversary of the founding of Mongolia and the 75th anniversary of the revolution.

Many of the celebrations were celebrated with the participation of foreign communists who visited the country, including [[Mikhail Suslov]], [[Józef Cyrankiewicz]], and [[Władysław Gomułka]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Фильм Праздник в народной Монголии.. (1961) |url=https://www.net-film.ru/film-5557/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240201165143/https://www.net-film.ru/film-5557/ |archive-date=Feb 1, 2024 |access-date=2021-06-07 |website=www.net-film.ru}}</ref>

=== Modern celebrations and traditions ===
The two largest Naadams held in Mongolia today are the Danshig Naadam and the National Naadam. The former was only instituted as an annual event in 2015, having previously been held irregularly and commemorates Mongolia's [[Mongolian Revolution of 1911|independence]] from the Qing dynasty, and also coincides with [[Mongolian State Flag Day]]. The latter formally commemorates the [[Mongolian Revolution of 1921|1921 Revolution]] a decade later, when communist invaded and deposed Bogd Khan, spillover from the [[Russian Civil War]]. Naadam also celebrates the achievements of the new state.<ref name="ReferenceA">Atwood Christopher Pratt, 1964–''Encyclopedia of Mongolia and the Mongol Empire,'' Facts On File, Ink</ref>[[File:The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi trying his hand on archery at Mini Naadam Festival, in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia on May 17, 2015.jpg|thumb|Indian Prime Minister [[Narendra Modi]] at Naadam in Ulaanbaatar]]
Naadam is also celebrated in different regions of Mongolia and [[Inner Mongolia]] in July and August. In the [[Tuva Republic]], Naadam is on 15 August.

The three sports are called Danshig games. They became the great celebration of the new nation, where the nobility got together to dedicate to the [[Bogd Khan]] (Jabzundamba Khutugtu), the new head of state.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>

[[Genghis Khan]]'s nine horse tails, representing the nine tribes of the Mongols, are still ceremonially transported from Sukhbaatar Square to the Stadium to open the Naadam festivities. At the opening and closing ceremonies, there are impressive parades of mounted cavalry, athletes and monks, alongside elements of uniformed organizations.

Another popular Naadam activity is the playing of games using ''[[shagai]],'' which are [[knucklebones]] that serve as game pieces and tokens of both [[divination]] and friendship. In the larger Naadam festivals, tournaments may take place in a separate venue.

Recently, concerns have been raised about the perceived corruption of the festival and its ambiguous symbolism.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bayarlkhagva |first=Munkhnaran |date=21 October 2021 |title=What's Wrong With Mongolia's Naadam Festival? |url=https://thediplomat.com/2021/10/whats-wrong-with-mongolias-naadam-festival/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231229022656/https://thediplomat.com/2021/10/whats-wrong-with-mongolias-naadam-festival/ |archive-date=Dec 29, 2023 |access-date=2021-10-31 |website=The Diplomat |language=en-US}}</ref> 
[[File:Naadam 2023, Ulan Bator 01.jpg|thumb|Opening ceremony of Naadam festival in [[Ulaanbaatar]]]]

==== National Naadam Festival ====
Alongside the Danshig Naadam, the biggest festival is the National Naadam Festival, which is held in the Mongolian capital, [[Ulaanbaatar]], during the National Holiday from 11 to 13 July, in the [[National Sports Stadium (Mongolia)|National Sports Stadium]]. It begins with an elaborate introduction ceremony featuring dancers, athletes, horse riders, and musicians. After the ceremony, the competitions begin. The competitions are mainly horseback riding.