Losar

Losar is the Tibetan word for New Year. Lo means year and sar means new. Losar is the most important holiday in Tibet. He is also celebrated with deviations in the Yolmo, Sherpa, Tamang Bhutia, Bhutan and the many exiled Tibetans around the world.

Losarfeiern there was apparently already in pre-Buddhist period. Preparatory exercises with text reading and meditation usually begin five days before. At Losar the house gets a fresh coat of paint, the family gets fresh, new clothes, shall be settled and paid debts. You start a new life, so to speak.

The date of the Tibetan New Year has changed again and again throughout history. It begins with the first month of spring, the lunar months employed in this context denote the time from new moon to new moon. For the year always begins in early spring, the Tibetan lunisolarer calendar is adjusted to the solar year, so many years take 13 instead of 12 months. Often it falls on the same day as the Chinese New Year (sometimes with one day or even one lunar month difference). As in China, Mongolia and other countries of the Cultural Committee each year is continuously one of 12 animal names of East Asian zodiac cycle of 5 elements and in addition one - unlike in China - assigned to the male and female energies. Thus began, for example, 22 February 2012 on the day after the new moon, the Tibetan male 2139th year of the Water Dragon.

On the first day of the Losarfests is celebrated predominantly in the family. Often food is first offered to the Buddhas in a tsog Puja. The second day is devoted to religious matters, large thangkas ( sacred fabric images ) are on display in the monasteries, Cham dances admired and participated in ceremonies monastery. On the third day is celebrated in public, drunk mostly in the open air, and chang (barley beer). As an important Buddhist ritual renewal ceremony can 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.

Since the day of birth is not of particular importance in this culture, usually is celebrated Losar also birthday and everyone thus a year older.