First day of Tibetan New Year/Losar Festival 2013

July,28 2016 BY Master Catherine Jigme 0 COMMENTS

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Today is the second day of Chinese New Year, also the first day of Tibetan New Year/Losar Festival 2013. Let's see how local Tibetans celebrate the Tibetan New Year 2013.

The housewife in the family get up in the dawn. She cooks a big pot of Tsampa, a mixture of brown sugar, dried milk crumbs and highland barley wine.

In the rural areas, the housewife goes out to fetch the first bucket of water from the well or river nearby for the New Year. Legend has it that the first bucket of water is the purest and holiest. Whichever family gets it will ward off disasters in the coming year.

Chemar is a box of Tsampa and highland barley put in each half decorated with wheat ears and yak butter sculptures.

Then she goes to feed livestocks and wakes up everyone of her family.

Everybody puts on new clothes and sits together in the order of family ranks. The seniors enthrine a Chemar, a box with Tsampa and highland barley in each half decorated with wheat ears and yak butter sculptures to wish for good harvest in the coming new year, in the middle of the offering table, then everyone picks up a few pieces of the grains and spread them toward the sky (spreading grains toward the sky means to pray for gods) and then put some into his/her mouth.

The senior wishes the younger generations "Happy New Year", or "Tashi Delek" in Tibetan, and the younger wish the seniors “Good luck and boundless beneficence，or “Tashi Delek Peng Song Cuo” in Tibetan.

After the ceremony, the whole family sits together drinking barley wine and eating snacks. Usually people stay at home on this day.

Guthuk, is a kind of dumpling soup with peas, "small white stones", lambs’ wool, pepper and salt, each with a special meaning.This is the special food for Tibetans' on the New Year's Eve.

You might have missed the chance to enjoy the happy Tibetan New Year with local people. It is a little pity, but there are other more interesting Tibetan festivals on Tibet tour calendar 2013, such as Saga Dawa Festival and Shoton Festival.

About the Author - Master Catherine Jigme

With exceptional passion and outstanding leadership, Mrs. Catherine has dedicated herself to Tibet inbound tourism and China tour for 15 years. As one of the handful females who see great potential of Chinese inbound tourism, Catherine has made great contribution to promoting Tibet tourism and enhancing the employment of Tibetans and prosperity of local Tibetan community.

Over the years, she travelled overseas with Tibet Tourism Bureau many times to promote Tibet tourism. Currently, Catherine works as the marketing director of Tibet Vista, an opinion leader behind the whole team of Tibet Vista.

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