Naadam Essay Competition 2024

In honor of Naadam, the Mongolian Heritage Society, in collaboration with the Embassy of Mongolia, is introducing an essay competition. This competition is open to all high school and college students.

Contest Information

Three essays will be recognized and will receive prizes.

First place - $1,000 

Second place - $500

Third place - $300

Submission Details

Include a cover page with: 

• Full Name

• Mailing Address

• Telephone number

• Email Address

• Highschool or college attending

• Highschool or college graduation year

Essays must be written in English and include a reference list (this will not count towards the word count). Submissions should be emailed as a PDF with the subject line “Naadam 2024 Essay Competition” to mongolianheritagesociety@gmail.com. The deadline for essay submissions is 11:59pm EST June 15, 2024. Results will be revealed on July 11, 2024.

Writing Prompt

Naadam is a festival that has been celebrated throughout all of Mongolia, with some sources claiming it to be a 2,000-year-old tradition. In 2010, the festival was added to the UNESCO List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, and today, it has become internationally known as cities across the globe take part in Naadam.

In a minimum of 500 words, discuss a brief history of Naadam and why it still holds importance today.