Kazakh gesture taboos are connected with a whole complex of traditional ideas. It is forbidden to hold the hands by the sides («beldi taianbaidy»), which is usually used when performing «zhoqtau» – singing songs at the funeral. In this gesture, the lower back (bel) is understood as a sacred part of the body, which means that death breaks the integrity of the person. In traditional culture, the belt was given special significance. To this day, in Kazakh culture, the closest males tie their backs when a relative dies, usually with white cloth (handkerchief).