As Altai people are cattle-breeding nation, a great number of national holidays are closely connected with farming. Some of their holidays are also connected with religion, which states that the nature is alive and every season and natural phenomenon has its own spirit. The worship to these spirits became the basis of a greater part of holidays.

The most important holidays in Altai are – tazhyl byur and saary byur. They meant moving from one pasture to another.

In June while a full moon can be seen in the sky people celebrated the holiday which was a symbol of the beginning of summer - tazhyl byur (“Green leaves”). This was the time, when the first leaves came out and everything was in blossom, so that people could graze their cattle again. Not to anger spirits, during the holiday they thanked them for good winter.

In autumn they celebrated dazhyl byur (“Green leaves”). This holiday is like summer holiday tazhyl byur, but it was devoted to the master of Altai taiga forest (muyrguyl). During this holiday people asked him for warm and full of food winters.

One more significant traditional holiday of Altai people was chagan bayram. It was celebrated in February and meant the beginning of New Year according to the lunar calendar. The date is not fixed and calculated each year on the lunar-solar calendar. From early morning a worship rite “blessing to Altai” is carried out. At a special altar refreshments from dairy products are presernted, ribbons are tied, a fire is made and all this is accompanied by good wishes. The rite is usually committed by men. After that celebration immediately starts - people gather, organize various cultural and sports activities: for example sledding on skins of cattle, etc. People were happy to have spring again. This holiday was taken from Mongolia and means “white”.

In a range of ritual holidays the one of importance was Dylgaiak, which took place in the very beginning of spring, when a new moon appeared in the sky. People took the meat left after a severe winter and carried out the rite, which was directed to blessing the sky and Altai which provided prosperity and sufficiency for a family and a clan. During this holiday people had a jolly time, treated each other with traditional dishes and children slid down the slopes on skins of animals.

From the end of 80s the holidays of Altai clans began to be reintroduced. These were holidays when all the relatives from all over the region came home.

Since 1988 the holiday El Oiyn took place in Altai (early July). Later it became a national holiday, so that now every two years from different parts of Altai thousands of participants and guests gather together. During the holiday around the site of festival you can observe a huge tent and yurt camp. Sportsmen here have a chance to take part in different kinds of competitions and musicians to perform folk music showing people the variety of traditions of this land. In the program of the holiday the most popular with people games are included first of all, among them are wrestling, archery, horse races, weightlifting, stone lifting, Altaian chess and running with a person on the back. In the framework of the holidays different contests of folk groups, fairs and exhibitions, fancy-dress shows of folk costumes are carried out. The place for this holiday is always different. If you are lucky and have a trip in Altai during one of the holidays, you can visit it and watch traditions of a different culture with your own eyes.