The Pressures of Alcohol in Mongolian Culture and How to Properly Accept a Vodka Offering

The subject of alcohol pressure and alcohol consumption in Mongolia had thoroughly been discussed prior to our arrival into our host communities. Warnings were given and demonstration of alcohol refusal was shown but wouldn’t you know it, it did no good. It is not easy to convince a Mongolian that you do not want to drink alcohol. Rather than make excuses and getting called ‘muu’ (‘bad’, which has happened several times), it is much easier to go through the motions, put the cup to my lips, sip as much as I can bear and pass the cup back to my host. Elders instruct the youth to: “Taste alcohol barely in the prime of life”; Drink alcohol moderately in the maturity of life”; Drink alcohol enjoyably in older age,” however, the actual practice is a bit different.

When one is offered vodka (before the first round for it is also tradition to take three rounds of vodka; one cannot just get away with the courtesy one shot), there is a short ritual to honor Father Heaven, Mother Earth, and the ancestors. The ritual goes: dip your ring finger of your right hand (‘yadam khuruu’) into the glass, and lightly flick a drip once towards the sky, once towards the air ‘to the wind’ and once to the ground, and end with a wipe across your forehead. This expresses the following meaning:

Be serene, the blue sky!
Be calm, the hole earth!
Be contented, humankind!

Food and drink are accepted with the right hand; the left hand is only used to support the right elbow. Similarly, offerings are presented this way as well. Demonstration picture below (although this picture is slightly wrong – you can tell we are still in the learning stages; the host usually has the offering poured before presenting it, never does he let the guest hold the glass while he pours).