April 15 - the day of great love of Kozy-Korpesh and Bayan-Sulu
April 15 in Kazakhstan is celebrated as a day of lovers Kozy-Korpesh and Bayan-Sulu. This holiday was offered as an alternative of the holiday of St. Valentine's Day. Though the day of Kozy-Korpesh and Bayan-Sulu didn’t get the official status, people celebrate this day actively. Every year the youth arrange a number of events which are close to the Kazakh folk custom and traditions.
An ancient legend about tragic love of Kozy-Korpesh and Bayan-Sulu has it that: friends since the childhood Sarybay and Karabay swore to marry their children that were affianced even before the children’s birth. But Sarybay died during hunting before the birth of the son. Growing-up Kozy and Bayan, connected by bonds of the marriage contract, fell in love with each other. But as time passed perfidious Karabay changed plans. He promised to bestow his daughter in marriage for local djigit Kodar who has rescued once Karabay’s flocks from jute. Kodar becomes a barrier between the lovers. In this eternal love triangle the first who died was Kozy.
Soul-sick Bayan resorted to cunning to revenge the murderer. She promised to marry Kodar if he builds a well with spring water. Kodar started to work, holding hair of the girl. But unexpectedly Bayan cut off plaits and Kodar fell in the well and perished. Bayan revenged Kozy’s death. On his grave the heroine of the legend stabbed herself with a dagger.
Many people who visited the burial of the Kazakh lovers heroes, say that it overgrew a marvelous bush of dogrose on which once scarlet and white roses blossomed.
