Losar, Tibetan New Year

Losar ("lo" means year and "sar" means new) is the most important festival in Tibetan Buddhism and is celebrated in February, at the same time as the beginning of spring. The exact date varies depending on the lunar cycle. It is celebrated over three days. Losar begins punctually at midnight on the first day.

It is also celebrated with variations by the Yolmo, Sherpa, Tamang, Bhutia, in Bhutan and by the many Tibetans living in exile around the world.

Losar celebrations apparently already existed in pre-Buddhist times. Preparatory exercises with text reading and meditation usually begin five days beforehand. At Losar, the house is given a fresh coat of paint, the family is given fresh new clothes, disputes are settled and debts are paid off. A new life begins, so to speak.

On the first day of the Losar festival, most of the celebrations take place within the family. Food is often first offered to the Buddhas in a tsog puja. The second day is dedicated to religious matters, large thankas (sacred scroll paintings) are displayed in the monasteries, Cham dances are admired and monastery ceremonies are attended. On the third day, celebrations are held in public, usually in the open air, and chang (barley beer) is drunk. As an important Buddhist renewal ritual, the ceremony can also last 15 days. On the second day of the new year, it is customary to visit each other; monks and nuns travel to their families.