While the world welcomes the new year in loud discotheques and concerts, Tibet has its own vibrant way of embracing Losar—the Tibetan new year—which falls in the month of February. The merry affair is an extravagant display of Tibetan traditions, customs, and beliefs blended with enthusiasm and excitement. It is also the time when farmers celebrate the harvest.
Here’s what Losar is about and why you must attend this kaleidoscopic Tibetan New Year 2024.
Losar – the Tibetan New Year: Celebrations
The Tibetan word Losar means New Year. Also known as Bal Gyal Lo, Losar celebrations include three days of revelry and merrymaking. They are a much-awaited event that features prayers, chanting, folk music, dance drama, and many other performances. The celebrations also include interesting competitions such as arrow shooting and horse racing.
The grand festivities create a beautiful holiday time for culture enthusiasts and photographers. It is also an excellent opportunity for solo travellers and families to explore the traditions and customs of Tibet. Attending the spring new year and participating in the Tibetan festivities is truly a delight.
Also Read: Sakya Monastery
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Day wise festivities
People celebrate Losar with good food, new clothes, and spending time with their family. It begins two days before the new year and ends on the first day.
Day 1: Lama Losar – The second last day of the Tibetan calendar
The first day of Losar falls on the 29th day of the 12th month of the year. On this day, Tibetans clean their houses and cook special dishes like soup with small dumplings. Monks in monasteries indulge in special rituals to prepare for the celebration.
Day 2: Gyalpo Losar – The last day of the Tibetan calendar
The last day of the year and the second day of Losar is when Tibetans head to the monasteries to pray and offer gifts to the monks. Monasteries arrange religious celebrations, and people dress up to enjoy them and have a good time.
At dusk, people celebrate with crackers and fire torches, believing this will scare away the evil spirits. The night is concluded with a special reunion dinner, during which case (cake) and chang (alcoholic drink) are served along with other delights.
Related Post: Festivals In Bhutan
Day 3: Choe-Kyong Losar – The first day of the Tibetan calendar
On the first day of the Tibetan New Year, people wake up early, bathe, and wear new clothes. They make offerings to God, mainly including Torma (a dough figurine of animals and demons).
Prayer flags are hung on the hills and roofs, and juniper leaves and incense are burned. Families exchange gifts, gather for dinner, and have a gala time together. The custom of getting the year’s first bucket of water is also very significant. The housewives wake up before sunrise, heading to a nearby well or river to fetch water. This is believed to bring good luck to the family.
Though the festival ends on this day, the celebration lasts 10 to 15 days.
Extended Losar Celebrations
Chunga Choepa, or The Butter Lamp Festival, on the 15th day of the Tibetan Calendar
The celebrations of Losar – the Tibetan New Year – are concluded with the Butter Lamp Festival, locally called Chunga Choepa. The day is spent making butter lamps and placing them in different city corners. Towards the evening, lamas light up the lamps, illuminating the streets.
It is an enchanting view, where everything is bright and lit up, families get together, people dress up, and they celebrate with good food and crackers – much like Diwali in India.
Related Post: Festivals Of Ladakh
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Best places to celebrate Losar – the Tibetan New Year
Indeed, the best place in the world to behold the best Losar celebration is Tibet! But where in Tibet? We have the answer!
- Shigatse Region
With gigantic beige hills, Shigatse is a busy city and one of the largest in Tibet. The Losar Festival celebration in this region involves keeping the houses clean, decorating doorsteps with New Year paintings, eating guru (a dough containing white stones, wool, charcoal, and capsicum), and indulging in many entertainment activities like horse racing, dance, and music.
- Kongbo Area
Kongbo is also ideal for celebrating Losar, the Tibetan New Year. The style of celebration is a little different from that of the Shigatse region. On the last day of the year, people serve different dishes to dogs on a wooden plate, and based on what the dogs eat, they predict what will happen in the coming year.
- You can also celebrate Losar by planning a holiday in Sikkim, Ladakh, and Himachal Pradesh. However, the celebrations in these Indian destinations are not as grand as those in Tibet.
2025 date for Losar – the Tibetan New Year
Every year, the dates of Losar change according to the Tibetan calendar. It is very similar to Chinese New Year, and sometimes the two fall on the same day. Dates for Losar for the next two years are:
Losar 2025 – 28th February
Further Read: Best Places In The World To Ring It In & Celebrate
Tibet is one of the highest places on earth to celebrate the new year with Food, drinks, dancing, and performing arts. A Festival is nothing less than a treat for a culture vulture. If you are one, you cannot miss this New Year’s extravaganza. Book a trip to Asia to experience fun.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Losar – Tibetan New Year
How do people celebrate Tibetan New Year?
Tibetan New Year is a 15 day festival that begins from 29th December and continue till January. Tibetans perform a number of ceremonies over the days for purification and warding off the evil spirits.
What does Losar mean?
Losar is the name of Tibetan New Year where ‘Lo’ means year and ‘Sar’ means new.
Why do we celebrate Losar?
Losar is an important festival in Tibetan culture that signifies the beginning of the new year. Tibetans believe that the happiness of God and spirits will bless them with a prosperous New Year. It is also a festival of gratitude for harvest.
Where Is Losar celebrated?
Losar is mainly celebrated in Tibet and countries with Chinese populations.
What does Tashi Delek mean?
Tashi Delek is a Buddhist greeting associated with the festival of Losar. Though it is difficult to translate to the English language, it is interpreted as “May all auspicious signs come to this environment.”
What is the Buddhist New Year called?
It is known by different names in different countries. In Thailand, Buddhist New Year is called Songkran.
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