It is the most widely watched festival in the country, and is believed to have existed for centuries in one fashion or another. Originally it was a religious festival as an annual sacrificial ritual honouring various mountain gods and to celebrate a community endeavour. Now it formally commemorates the 1921 revolution when Mongolia declared itself a free country. The 2006 National Naadam was introduced as the as the 85th Anniversary of the revolution and the 800th celebration of Mongolian Statehood.

At first being a ritualized archery competition, accompanied by other the other main traditional sports wrestling and horse racing, being held near an ovoo, during communism it is reshaped into a `combination…of sports day and prizegiving´ (Humphrey 1983: 380).
Humphrey refers also to the study of Kabzinska-Stawarz on `manly games´ among Khalkha Mongolians. This study supports the idea that the `manly games´ and with that the ovoo rituals where to support the tie between man and there land. In some behaviour of the wrestlers this is shown. The earth is touched before and after a fight, and even rubbed to gain strength from it. The winner throws milk foods towards the spectators, the ovoo, the mountains and the sky after he first has touched it with his forehead. In this with way he share the victory with them, and it is said it would give the whole population strength (Humphrey & Onon 1996: 151). According  Kabzinska-Stawarz games always had a purpose and where never just leisure. Even a kid’s game with the ankle-bones of an animal, was symbolizing the milking of different animals and thus increasing the amount of dairy products and wealth.

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