Tsagaan Sar

For other traditions of celebrating the lunar new year, see Lunar New Year (disambiguation).

Tsagaan Sar
Tsgaan Sar at Burkhan Bakshin Altan Sume, Elista, Kalmykia, Russia (2011)
Also called	Lunar New Year (as a collective term including other Asian Lunar New Year festivals, used outside of Asia.) Mongolian New Year Mongol New Year Cagaan Sar Arctic New Year
Observed by	Mongolia, Siberia, Northern China and other Arctic regions Ethnic groups Aleut Altai Alyutors Ainu Bonans Buryats Chams Chelkans Chukchis Chulyms Chuvans Daurs Dolgans Dongxiangs Dungans Enets Evenks Evens Huis Inuit Inupiat Itelmens Kalmyks Karelians Kereks Kets Khakas Khantys Komi Koryaks Kumandins Manchus Mansis Mongols Monguors Nanais Negidals Nenets Nganasans Nivkhs Nogais Nunatukavuts Orochs Oroks Oroqens Panthays Salars Samis Selkups Shors Sibes Soyot Tazs Telengits Teleuts Tofalar Tozhus Tubalar Tuvans Udeges Ulchs Vepsians Yakuts Yugur Yupik Yukaghir
Type	Cultural (Mongolian and Arctic) Religious (Buddhist and Shamanist)
Significance	New Year holiday
2023 date	21 February
2024 date	10 February
Frequency	Annual
Related to	Chinese New Year, Japanese New Year, Tibetan New Year, Korean New Year, Vietnamese New Year

Tsagaan Sar meal

The Mongolian Lunar New Year, commonly known as Tsagaan Sar (Mongolian: Цагаан сар, Cagán sar / ᠴᠠᠭᠠᠨ ᠰᠠᠷᠠ, Mongolian pronunciation: [t͡sʰaɢaːŋ sar] or literally White Moon), is the first day of the year according to the Mongolian lunisolar calendar. The festival of the Lunar New Year is celebrated by the Mongols along with the people of the Arctic.

Timing

The White Moon festival is celebrated on the first through third days of the first lunar month. Tibet's Losar occurs on the same day as the Mongolian White Moon. Tsagaan Sar is one of the most important Mongolian holidays.

Ceremony

The customs of Tsagaan Sar are significantly different depending on the region. In Mongolia around the New Year for example, families burn candles at the altar symbolizing Buddhist enlightenment. Also people greet each other with holiday-specific greetings such as Амар байна уу? (Amar baina uu?), meaning "Are you living peacefully?" Mongols also visit friends and family on this day and exchange gifts. A typical Mongol family will meet in the home dwelling of the eldest in the family. Many people will be dressed in full garment of national Mongol costumes. When greeting their elders during the White Moon festival, Mongols perform the zolgokh greeting, grasping them by their elbows to show support for them. The eldest receives greetings from each member of the family except for his/her spouse. During the greeting ceremony, family members hold long, typically blue, silk cloths called a khadag. After the ceremony, the extended family eats sheep's tail, mutton, rice with curds, dairy products, and buuz. It is also typical to drink airag and exchange gifts.

The day before Tsagaan Sar is called Bituun, the name of the lunar phase of a new or dark moon. The lunar phases are Bituun (dark moon), Shined (new crescent moon), Tergel (full moon), and Huuchid (waxing moon). On the Bituun day, people thoroughly clean around home, herders also clean the livestock barns and shades, to meet the New Year fresh. The Bituun ceremony also includes burning candles to symbolize enlightenment of the samsara and all sentient beings and putting three pieces of ice at the doorway so that the horse of the deity Palden Lhamo could drink as the deity is believed to visit every household on this day. In the evening, families gather together—usually immediate family, in contrast to the large feast gatherings of White Moon day — and see out the old year eating dairy products and buuz. Traditionally, Mongolians settle all issues and repay all debts from the old year by this day.

Food

Depending on the region, food is prepared in a diverse array of forms. For example, the traditional food in Mongolia for the festival includes dairy products, rice with curds (tsagaa-цагаа) or rice with raisins (berees-бэрээс), a pyramid of traditional cookies erected on a large dish in a special fashion symbolising Mount Sumeru or Shambhala realm, a grilled side of sheep and minced beef or minced mutton steamed inside pastry, steamed dumplings known as buuz, horse meat and traditional cookies. Tsagaan Sar is a lavish feast, requiring preparation days in advance, as the men and women make large quantities of buuz as a whole family, along with ul boov, a pastry reserved for both dessert and presentation.

During communism

During Mongolia's Communist period, the government banned Tsagaan Sar and tried to replace it with a holiday called "Collective Herder's Day", but the holiday was practiced again after the 1990 Democratic Revolution in Mongolia.

Dates

The Mongol calendar in the Tegus Buyantu (Төгсбуянт) system is a lunisolar calendar. The Tegus Buyantu astrology was developed by Mongol high priest Luvsandanzanjantsan (1639–1704), the first reincarnation of the Blama-yin Gegegen (Ламын гэгээн). Tsagaan Sar is celebrated on the first through third days of the first lunar month.

Gregorian year	Mongol year	Transliteration	Tsagaan Sar	Element and animal
1989	Цагаан	Tsagaan	7 February – 10 February	female earth Snake
1990	Машид согтонги	Mashid sogtongi	26 February – 28 February	male iron Horse
1991	Төрөлхтний эзэн	Törölkhtnii eeen	15 February – 17 February	female iron Goat
1992	Ангира	Apgira	4 February – 7 February	male water Monkey
1993	Цогт нигурт	Tsogt nigurt	25 January – 30 January	female water Rooster
1994	Бода	Boda	11 February – 13 February	male wooden Dog
1995	Насан төгөлдөр	Nasan tögöldör	31 January – 5 February	female wooden Pig
1996	Баригч	Barigch	19 February – 21 February	male fire Rat
1997	Эрхэт	Erkhet	8 February – 10 February	female fire Ox
1998	Олон үрт	Olon ürt	28 February – 2 March	male earth Tiger
1999	Согтох төгөлдөр	Sogtokh tögöldör	17 February – 19 February	female earth Rabbit
2000	Тийн дарагч	Tiin daragch	5 February – 8 February	male iron Dragon
2001	Сүргийн манлай	Sürgiin manlai	24 January – 26 January	female iron Snake
2002	Элдэв	Eldev	13 February – 15 February	male water Horse
2003	Наран	Naran	2 February – 4 February	female water Goat
2004	Наран гэтэлгэгч	Naran getelgegch	21 February – 23 February	male wood Monkey
2005	Газар тэтгэгч	Gazar tetgegch	9 February – 11 February*	female wood Rooster
2006	Барагдашгүй	Baragdashgüi	30 January – 1 February	male fire Dog
2007	Хамгийг номхотгогч	Khamgiig nomkhotgogch	18 February – 20 February	female fire Pig
2008	Хотолыг баригч	Khotolyg barigch	8 February – 10 February	male earth Rat
2009	Харшлалт	Kharshlalt	25 February – 27 February	female earth Ox
2010	Тийн урвагч	Tiin urvagch	14 February – 17 February	male iron Tiger
2011	Илжиг	Iljig	3 February – 5 February	female iron Rabbit
2012	Баясгалан	Bayasgalan	22 February – 25 February	male water Dragon
2013	Тийн ялагч	Tiin yalagch	11 February – 13 February	female water Snake
2014	Ялгуусан	Yalguusan	30 January – 1 February	male wood Horse
2015	Галзууруулагч	Galzuuruulagch	19 February – 21 February	female wood Goat
2016	Муу нүүрт	Muu nuurt	9 February – 11 February	male fire Monkey
2017	Алтан унжлагат	Altan unjlagat	27 February – 1 March	female fire Rooster
2018	Тийн унжлагат	Tiin unjlagat	16 February – 18 February	male earth Dog

See also

• List of Buddhist festivals
• Celebrations of Lunar New Year in other parts of Asia:
  • Chinese New Year (Spring Festival)
  • Korean New Year (Seollal)
  • Japanese New Year (Shōgatsu)
  • Tibetan New Year (Losar)
  • Vietnamese New Year (Tết)
• Similar Asian Lunisolar New Year celebrations that occur in April:
  • Burmese New Year (Thingyan)
  • Cambodian New Year (Chaul Chnam Thmey)
  • Lao New Year (Pii Mai)
  • Sri Lankan New Year (Aluth Avuruddu)
  • Thai New Year (Songkran)

External links

• Understanding Mongolian Tsagaan Sar