Their favorite drink is airag or kumiss , which is fermented mare's milk. The Khalkha Mongol traditionally married while they were very young. The girls were usually 13 or 14, and the boys were only a few years older. Today, couples usually marry while they are in their early to mid-twenties, then immediately begin having children. Urban Khalkha Mongol, especially those with a college education, tend to delay marriage until they reach their late twenties.
Birth control is discouraged in Mongolia.
Families with six or more children are given financial benefits. The Khalkha Mongol love music, folk dances, chess, and sporting events. Every July, the ancient Naadam festival is celebrated throughout Mongolia. Sporting events are held in horse racing, archery, and wrestling. In the late 1500's, the Mongols were introduced to Tibetan Buddhism, and most Mongols converted to Buddhism at that time.