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, Mongolian New Year, Mongol New Year, Arctic New Year, Cagaan Sar
Observed by	Mongolia, Siberia, Northern China and other Arctic regions Ethnic groups Aleut Altai Alyutors Ainus 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 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
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 / ᠴᠠᠭᠠᠨ ᠰᠠᠷᠠ; [Сагаан һараб Sagaan hara] Error: {{Lang-xx}}: text has italic markup (help); [Цаһан сар, Cahan sar] Error: {{Lang-xx}}: text has italic markup (help) or literally White Moon) or the Arctic New Year, is the first day of the year according to the Mongolian lunar 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 one month after the first new moon following the winter solstice. Tsagaan Sar is one of the most important Mongolian holidays.

Ceremony

The customs of Tsagaan Sar is much 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, the food is much different. 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 women make large quantities of buuz and freeze them to save for the holiday.

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

* Note: The start date of Tsagaan Sar depends on longitude. For example, in 2005, Tsagaan Sar began on February 8 in most of the United States and February 9 in much of Asia.