Dating before Tinder

Let’s dive into how people got to know each other, made friends, and even dated back in the day!

💕 Despite a common belief that the youth, especially girls, had a secluded lifestyle dictated by the prohibitions of Islam, in Tatar villages, they led a very active social life, and youth gatherings known as yəşlər uyını or just uyın were an integral part of traditional festivities. These gatherings included various forms of entertainment, such as dancing and playing games, and offered young men and women space and opportunity to get acquainted and form relationships.

Different variants of youth gatherings that took place:

🌙 Kiçke uyın among Tatars was organized in the evenings, providing a space for local youth, both girls and boys, to socialize and engage in various activities, predominantly after the sowing season until haymaking.

🌊 Cəyü bagu (in Mişәr Tatar) or Taşu qaraw (in Kerəşen villages) stood out as gatherings during the spring flood where youth from multiple villages participated, showcasing a unique form of collective entertainment tied to the seasonal natural event, especially in areas with significant rivers such as the Kama, Vyatka, Oka, Moksha, and others.

🎵 Weekly Friday gatherings were regular events for the youth in many villages. These gatherings included both day and evening, öylədən soñ, sessions, with morning sessions typically being girls-only, featuring female musicians. Despite the significance of the Friday gatherings in almost all of Tatar villages, they were discreetly held in secluded areas to avoid religious objections.

Joint celebrations involving youth from neighboring villages, known as qarşı uyın, were organized after the completion of spring sowing. The hosting responsibility alternated between villages, and these events often included wrestling competitions for young men. The gatherings were named based on specific locations, emphasizing mutual hospitality and camaraderie between communities. In some villages, young women visited each other, exchanging gifts if they felt mutual interest and forming friendships in this way, calling each other dustım.

The joint celebrations among young women from neighboring Kerəşen villages called uyın, involved exclusive participation by girls in choreographed dances and playful songs, sung by Chuvash girls in Chuvash and by Tatar girls in Tatar to the same melody, while boys, dressed in their best clothes, served as spectators. 

More on uyın as a part of Cıyın celebrations here.

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Based on R. Urazmanova “Rites and holidays of Tatars of the Volga Region and Ural” 2001