Shashu (literally “scattering”) is a magical rite in which coins and sweets are given away, usually to young people at wedding ceremonies, when entering a new yurt (house, flat), a new significant thing (for example, furniture). The ritual is a symbolic call to abundance, i.e. prosperity.
In the past, as a rule, “dried cheese (syqpa), fried bread (bauyrsaq), sweets, dried fruits, sugar and small coins were given away, while expressing best wishes to the young person. Judging by the words of goodwill “nūr zhausyn” (may the light of heaven fall upon you) often uttered during this rite, it is very much influenced by cosmogonic ideas. Sprinkling, so to speak, embodies the rain that falls on the boys, which is believed to bring them good luck,” writes H. Argynbaev [2, p.73].
The shashu ritual is still popular today. Shashu as a symbolic act of wishing wealth and happiness is characteristic of many cultures of the world, where it is performed with grains (e.g. rice). However, the essence is the same in different variations.
