So I’m sure you’ve heard by now that Kyrgyzstan is officially recognized as home to Santa’s Workshop because it has been scientifically determined to be the geographic center of everything. Well, travelers of the Silk Road probably could have told us as much even without all the satellite imaging and GPS tracking. But Santa keeps a low profile in Kyrgyzstan. It’s Father Frost, taking the form of a snowman, who brings gifts, and it’s New Year’s that’s celebrated, not Christmas. It’s easy to understand the confusion though: there are New Year’s trees, tinsel garlands, greeting cards, even a Kyrgyz version of Jingle Bells on the radio. The big night is December 31st though. It’s a family centered holiday with lots of guesting, food, television specials (including “Home Alone” in Kyrgyz!) and fireworks in the streets at midnight. So it was a little different feeling and generally fruitless to try to explain the American practice of dividing the holidays (let alone explaining Hanukkah and Kwanzaa).
In the end I think Volunteers decided it was better not to compare. It all seemed familiar, but it really wasn’t “quite right” at the same time. My mom has adeptly concluded that this might be the reason behind a lot of our frustrations with cross-cultural differences here. You start to wonder why this nice two-story house with satellite TV doesn’t have an indoor bathroom. Or why the school has a computer lab, but no heating. Formal dress is important on a daily basis, but hygiene takes a backseat with banyas once a week, if that. Better just to accept Kyrgyzstan as it is I guess and not get hung up questioning priorities and traditions. “Jangi Jil” (New Year’s) was a fun holiday in its own right and it was really neat to feel like part of the family here. If you want to wish someone a Happy Jangi Jil—which you can still do!—just raise a shot a vodka and toast with “Jangi Jilingizdar Menen!”
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