Tibetan New Year, otherwise called Losar, is the main celebration for Tibetan individuals and it is commended in numerous areas of western China (Tibet, Shangri-La, Jiuzhaigou… ), Nepal, Bhutan, and northern India.
The celebration commends the start of another year on the Tibetan schedule.
Concluded by the Tibetan lunisolar schedule, the date of Tibetan New Year generally falls on another moon in the initial two sun powered terms — from February 5 to Walk 5. In 2023, Tibetan New Year falls on February 21st.
The festivals of Tibetan New Year customarily length from the most recent 2 days of the old year to the third day of the new year (Feb. nineteenth to 23 rd in 2023).
Tibetan New Year is Called Losar
Losar is a Tibetan word that implies New Year. The word is made out of two characters: lo and sar. Lo signifies ‘year’ and sar signifies ‘new’.
The festival of Losar can be followed back to the Tibetan pre-Buddhist time frame (127 BC – 629 Promotion). Around then Tibetans were devotees of the Bon religion and held an otherworldly service each colder time of year.
During the services, individuals consumed an enormous amount of incense to mollify neighborhood spirits, divinities, and defenders. Later this strict celebration formed into a yearly Tibetan Buddhist celebration.
Tibetan New Year Traditions
Generally, the festival of Tibetan New Year endures 5 days beginning from the penultimate day of the old year and completing on the third day of the new year.
The main activities include 1) cleaning the house, 2) eating reunion dinner, 3) exorcising ghosts, 4) offering sacrifices, 5) fetching water, 6) visiting neighbors, 7) hanging prayer flags, and 8) burning pine branches.
1) Spring Cleaning before Tibetan New Year’s Day
During the most recent 2 days of the old year, individuals start to plan for Tibetan New Year.
Tibetan individuals give their homes an exhaustive cleaning before the New Year, which represents clearing away the misfortune of the former year and preparing their homes to get best of luck.
The kitchen, particularly, should be cleaned in light of the fact that this is where food is ready, and thus is the main piece of the house.
2) Enjoying a Reunion Dinner for Tibetan New Year’s Eve
On Tibetan New Year’s Eve, families spruce up and have Another Year’s Eve supper to invite the appearance of the new year together, which is comparative in soul to the Han (the larger part Chinese nationality) Chinese New Year feast.
Large groups of a few ages lounge around round tables and partake in the food and time together.
3) Exorcising Ghosts
After the get-together supper on New Year’s Eve, Tibetan individuals have a short function for heading out underhanded spirits. During the service, individuals walk the house holding a light, while yelling, ‘get out’. Its motivation is to drive out the misfortune from their homes.
4) Offering Sacrifices to Gods
On Tibetan New Year’s Day, Tibetans rise and shine early and put on new garments in the wake of having scrubbed down. They then love the divine beings by setting contributions toward the front of their family hallowed places.
The contributions normally comprise of creatures and evil presences produced using a sort of mixture called chemar (a crate of wheat and good country grain flour that can be made into tsampa).
5) Fetching the New Year’s First Bucket of Water
Generally, on the main day of the new year, the ladies will get up right on time to get the year’s most memorable can of water from a close by stream. The primary can of water from the stream/well is accepted to be honored with best of luck for the approaching year.
6) Visiting Relatives and Friends
From the second day of Losar, Tibetan individuals start to visit their family members and companions conveying their gifts.
At the point when Tibetan individuals meet, they right off the bat say “zasidler” (‘best of luck and joy) to one another and afterward trade hada (white stylized scarfs) to communicate their gifts.
While paying a Tibetan New Year visit, a straightforward function is followed to invite the visitors’ visit.
The host meets his visitors with a chemar (a case tsampa flour) in his grasp, then squeezes a little broiled grain flour from the chemar with his thumb and forefinger and sprinkles it in the air multiple times, and afterward puts a portion of the tsampa in his mouth.
7) Hanging Praying Flags
During the Tibetan New Year time span, normally on the third day, Tibetan individuals pick a fortunate hour to hang petitioning God banners on their roofs to appeal to God for a guard reap, best of luck, and thriving in the new year.
On that day, all relatives are spruced up and assemble on the highest point of their home to partake in the cheerful action.
Imploring banners are comprised of numerous bright three-sided banners bound on a rope. The shades of the banners are constantly organized in succession: blue, white, red, green, then, at that point, yellow.
Each tone represents a characteristic component: blue for the sky, white for mists, red for fire, green for water, and yellow for soil.
Hanging petitioning heaven banners is likewise a method for recognizing these five components in nature, which are accepted to be the material premise of Tibetan individuals’ lives.
8) Burning Pine Tree Branches — Wei Sang
Wei Sang is one of the main functions of the Tibetan New Year. It can occur in neighborhood cloisters or at home. An oven is utilized for consuming the pine tree limbs whether in the religious communities or in local people’s homes.
During the consuming, individuals serenade Buddhism sacred writings, adding cypress branches and grain powder to the flames. The smoke from the consuming fire, sooths and solace the dedicated Tibet individuals, who accept this act causes a gift from the buddhas and bodhisattvas.
Tibetan New Year Food and Drink
The foods served during Tibetan New Year are traditionally dominated by various pastries and noodles. The must-eat food for Tibetan New Year is guthuk (‘nine dumpling soup’). The guthuk soup contains various ingredients including dried cheese and various grains.
Other common Tibetan New Year foods include khapse (fried pastries), droma dresil (sweet rice), and chang (highland barley wine). Tibetan eat these foods not only for their wholesome, warming taste but also for their symbolic meanings.
1. Guthuk (‘Nine Dumpling Soup’)
This must-eat nourishment for Tibetan New Year is a sort of dumpling soup. While making guthuk, aside from typical fixings like batter for the covering, meat, and garlic or onion, a few fascinating components are wrapped inside, like bean stew, fleece, salt, rice, or charcoal.
Does this sound insane? It has a rich representative importance… On the off chance that white-hued fixings, for example, salt or rice are found secret in the mixture, being a decent sign is accepted.
In the event that somebody finds coal in his dumpling, it has a similar significance as finding coal in a Christmas loading: it implies the individual has been terrible or “dark hearted”, and he/she is compelled to drink wine as a discipline.
2. Khapse (Fried Pastries)
These rotisserie baked goods are generally ordinarily eaten and presented during the Tibetan New Year time frame. Making khapse is a significant movement during the planning time frame for Tibetan New Year.
Before Tibetan New Year’s Day, making khapse can be a guise for a family party, and relatives make game plans for making khapse together. It represents plentiful food and a sweet life for the family in the approaching new year.
3. Droma Dresil (Sweet Rice)
Droma dresil is rice blended in with dry organic product, margarine, and sugar and is viewed as favorable rice that ought to be served at the gathering supper for Tibetan New Year. Droma dresil is normally served by the oldest kid in the family.
While eating droma dresil, Tibetan individuals squeeze a couple of grains of rice and sprinkle them out of sight, which is an emblematic proposing to their divine beings. Then they put some droma dresil into their mouths while saying specific expressions of gift.
4. Chang (Mild Barley Wine)
Chang is Tibetans’ low liquor wine produced using grain. Toward the beginning of the day, on the main day of Tibetan New Year, each Tibetan family cooks a bowl of chang blended in with earthy colored sugar in anticipation of their visitors’ visits.
At the point when visitors show up, a cup of chang is proposed to warm them up.
Tibetan New Year Greetings
At the point when you travel to Tibet during Tibetan New Year, you can say “Tashi Delek” to Tibetan individuals, and that signifies ‘best of luck and bliss’.
Close to Tashi Delek, the most well known hello is “Losar sang”. Tibetan New Year is known as Losar in Tibetan: lo signifies ‘year’ and sar signifies ‘new’. Losar sang in a real sense signifies ‘blissful New Year’.
While paying Another Year’s visit to a family, individuals in every case express their all the best to the master first, saying “Ama badro kunkham sang”, and that signifies ‘Wishing the leader wellbeing and life span ‘.
In Tibet, ladies assume a significant part in the family, so they are constantly regarded and welcomed first.
