Our first amazing experience was Luke's Hair Cutting Ceremony that we were invited to on our second day in Mongolia. Mongolians don't cut a little boy's hair until he turns two. We were told it was was for "gender protection." It's quite a ceremony and we were thrilled to be invited. The big mound on the table is mutton, which we thought tasted pretty good. The table looked very festive. Aunts and uncles, grandparents, cousins, and friends poured into the modest home. We were all served hot salted milk, a type of potato salad, dried fruit, fresh fruit, candy and sodas. The next course consisted of a mutton stew with a slice of mutton fat. The big cake-looking object was piled high with dried milk curd and sugar cubes. Part of the ceremony was to drink fermented mare's milk, which our mission president, President Anderson, said is part of the Mongolian culture and okay for members to drink. So we had to taste. Only one taste was enough for me! It was really potent. During the celebration, each person took a turn to cutting off a lock of the Luke's hair, after which the person who cut presented Luke with a small gift or some money. We felt very lucky to be able to attend this event. It really helped us to feel a part of the culture.
