10 July 2017, 00:11
More than 5000 people perform national dance in North Ossetia
Today, in North Ossetia, more than 5000 people have taken part in the performance of the national dance of simd around the grove of Khetag. In total, more than 20,000 people visited the grove during the day. This was reported by the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) for North Ossetia.
Every year, on the second Sunday of July, residents of North and South Ossetia celebrate the Khetag Day in the Vladikavkaz grove of Khetag. On July 9, residents of the republic came there with traditional three pies to pray in the holy place and ask for well-being and health, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports.
According to the legend, Khetag against the will of his family was one of the first in Ossetia who accepted Christianity. Pursued by his angry relatives, he asked heaven for help. A grove was separated from the forest to shelter the refugee. Since then, that place in the Alagir District of North Ossetia is considered a dzuar (sanctuary).
One of the most revered national holidays was attended by Vyacheslav Bitarov, the leader of North Ossetia, and Anatoly Bibilov, President of South Ossetia. They were also involved in dancing the "simd".
According to Rustem Kelekhsaev, the chief of the administration of the North Ossetian leader and the government, the dance of simd is a "continuation of prayer."
However, not all people in North Ossetia shared the above opinion. Aslanbek Kasaev, a special correspondent of the newspaper "Rastzinad", spoke out against the dance "around the holy place."
It should also be added that earlier, experts in folklore have called to preserve the continuity of Ossetian holidays.
Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.
Author: Emma Marzoeva Source: CK correspondent
