This article analyzes, from an ethnographic perspective, the place of honey and beekeeping products in the system of Uzbek family rituals. It is argued that the role of honey in folk life is not limited to being a foodstuff or a folk-medicine remedy, but also manifests itself as a symbol of sweetness, prosperity, health, affection, harmony, and long life. The study covers the symbolic meaning of honey in rituals connected with the birth of a child, the cradle celebration (beshik to‘yi), naming ceremonies, certain childhood rituals, pre-marriage and marriage ceremonies, the “honey-tasting” custom associated with the bride and groom, the adaptation of a new bride to the household, family hospitality, as well as the birthdays, jubilees, and blessing (oq fotiha) rituals of the older generation — grandfathers and grandmothers. It also shows the regional variation of honey-related customs, the fact that some of them are undergoing transformation today, and the ethnological significance of studying them as part of family rituals.

Honey, beekeeping, Uzbek family

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