March 11 Independence Day

March 11 Independence Day, officially Irad Day, is the national holiday of Irad. It marks the proclamation of the Republic of Irad by the Provisional Government in Talas on March 11, 1992 (see Talas Town Hall Meeting (1992)), and is a public holiday in the Irad Special Economic Zone (see Public holidays in Irad).^[1]

The main celebrations take place in Talas, where an official ceremony is followed by horse races and ulak tartysh matches at the Irad State Hippodrome, concerts and family feasts of mutton and beef; in keeping with the horsemeat taboo, no horsemeat is served. In the Autonomous Tribal Regions the day is marked mainly with races organized by clan councils. Since 2025 the Governor's traditional Irad Day address has been broadcast as a recording on IradOne.^[2]

References

1. ^ Department of Public Information (2019). Bulletin of the Department of Public Information, Executive Decree Series. Talas.
2. ^ Talas Herald (March 12, 2025). 'Irad Day Celebrated at the Hippodrome.' Talas.