Reindeer Herder’s Day

Taimyr Dolgano-Nenets municipal district (Dudunka, Karaul, Khatanga)

13^th of April, 2025 

Reindeer Herder’s Day is a traditional holiday of tundra people of Taimyr, which is celebrated in the middle of calendar spring. For nomadic reindeer herders this day becomes not only the reason to meet with relatives and friends, but an opportunity to take part in the competitions and enjoy rest after daily routine.

People who stay true to their roots and keep on living in tundra in chums, moving from one pasture to another together with their families and reindeer herds, are honoured on this day.  Reindeer is not just an animal, this is a symbol of life for the people of tundra. They get everything necessary from it: food, clothes and means of transportation. The more reindeer a reindeer herder has, the richer he is considered to be.

Reindeer Herder’s Day is a bright and joyful holiday, which brings really spring mood. In the framework of the event, ethnic farmsteads and traditional national chums are installed. The guests are treated with the dishes of national cuisine, and arts and crafts pieces are sold. Traditional games and sports competitions in national sports of the indigenous peoples of Taimyr are held.

For the indigenous people of the North this celebration is the main symbol of the beginning of spring and the birth of a new life.

Photo by Denis Kozhevnikov, web-site Severny Gorod