Story of Tibetan New Year in 2001

China's Tibet

Tibet New Year Celebrated In Various Tibetan

Localities

Around 100 BC, the Tibetans developed their own calendar on the basis of changes in the shape of the moon. In the mid-13th century, when Tibet became a part of China, it introduced the Chinese way to work out a calendar. As

Farmers with Onggar Village in Doilungdeqen,Lhasa, prepared qemar and karsai for their New Year.

China was under the rule of the Mongolians then, some Mongolian methods were also adopted in Tibet.
Farmers with Onggar Village in Doilungdeqen,Lhasa, prepared qemar and karsai for their New Year.
This year’s Tibetan New Year fell on February 24, but was celebrated differently in various localities in the autonomous region.

LHASA. Celebrations begin on the 29th Tibetan day of the 12th Tibetan month, or the Tibetan New Year’s Eve. In the evening, all families sit together to eat Gortu or wheat dough porridge mixed with minced meat before going out to light a bonfire and set off firecrackers.

On the first Tibetan day of the first Tibetan month, the Tibetans sing what they call Zhegar. When it dawns, they fetch the first bucket of water from the river or well. When the sun appears, neighbors present each other with a Qema box containing selected crops to show their desire for bumper harvests in the new year, as well as qingke barley wine.

On the second day, the Tibetans put on their holiday best, and visit friends and relatives.

On the third day, they plant sutra streamers on the top of their roofs and mountains. Cultural and religious activities last until the 15th day.

XIGAZE. The prefecture is a major granary of Tibet. Given climatic conditions and the need for farming, the locals start to celebrate the Tibetan New Year on the first day of the 12th Tibetan month. Unlike residents of Lhasa, people in Xigaze meet to share a sheep’s head, sausages and wheat porridge, and drink after-meal wine on the first day of the first Tibetan month.

NYINGCHI. Nyingchi is in east Tibet, and its residents start to celebrate the Tibetan New Year on the first Tibetan day of the tenth Tibetan month. It was said that, in 1904, when the British invaded Tibet, men in the Nyingchi area went to fight the invaders. So that they would not miss the new year celebrations, the events were held ahead of schedule. The locals are fond of dogs as the area boasts dense forests. On the eve of the Tibetan New Year, dogs are invited to share food with their masters. Traditionally, the food the dogs chose to eat would be abundant in the coming year.

Balladeer singing auspicious words on the first day of the New Year.

AMDO. Amdo is in north Tibet, and here, locals celebrate the Tibetan New Year at a different time from the Lhasa area. On the morning of the first Tibetan day of the first Tibetan month, men get up early and run toward the cow or sheep sheds to see in which direction the animals are sleeping. If their heads point east, south, west or north, it means there will be auspicious conditions in the new year. Cows and sheep will be painted with three colors or tied with five-color cloth stripes, and made to move toward the direction in which their heads point.

DORQOIN, XUE WENXIAN & DUAN BO

A t eight on the evening of the 29th Tibetan day of the 12th Tibetan month, or the eve of the Tibetan New Year, Zholma and her family were eating Gortu or wheat dough porridge mixed with minced meat, milk dregs, carrots, peas, cabbage, and gromar fruit.

Dainse, nine, found a piece of gromar fruit in her bowl, and exclaimed merrily: “I’ll be lucky in the new year!”
Debai located a piece of dough in the shape of a book, and the whole family congratulated on her possible success in school study in the new year.

According to the Tibetan customs, Gortu will be mixed with salt, white stone, pepper, charcoal and sheep’s wool. Round dough symbolizes the sun, which means a bright future; a white stone represents a pure heart; pepper means a sharp tongue.

When the family had finished Gortu, Zholma lit a torch made of wheat stalks, and, with the burning torch in hand, walked around the rooms while shouting: “Get out! Get out!”

When Zholma moved out of the house, her family members followed, each holding a burning torch. They kept moving until they reached a crossroad, where they threw away the remains of the Gortu and the burning torches. This symbolizes the fact that they have driven out evil things away and can expect to have good luck in the new year.

WORSHIPPING BUDDHA ON THE FIRST DAY. On the first Tibetan day of the first Tibetan month, tens of thousands of the Tibetans swarm into the Jokhang, Zhaibung and Sera Monasteries, and the Potala Palace to worship Buddha. When we got to the Square of the Jokhang Monastery, we found a human tide that began in Barkor Street. They added roasted highland barley, wheat and wine into burning incense burners. The smoke thus created filled the area. The pilgrims stayed there for more than 10 hours.

In the Jokhang Monastery, a Grand Summons Ceremony was held. The pilgrims visited various halls and kowtowed to the statue of Sakyamuni, with a height similar to the height of the Buddha when he was 12 years old. They also added butter to the butter lamps.
Myima, a lama with the Jokhang Monastery, has been in the monastery for 10 years. “On the first Tibetan day of a year, there are always many coming for worship,” he said.

In fact, all monasteries and the Potala Palace are packed for worship, as people court good luck in the new year.
MOVING TO NEW HOUSES. The third Tibetan day of the first Tibetan month is an auspicious day. It was on that day that Norbu Qoizin in Pozan Township, Shannan, moved into his new house packed with new furniture.
Qoizin and her family lived by the Yarlung River Valley in Shannan Prefecture. Yarlung was where Tibet’s first palace-Yongbulhakang-was built.

In the new house, Qoizin held her wedding ceremony.
“We got registered for one month,’’ said Qoizin. “We are happy to have our own house.”

At dawn, Qoizin and her husband, Lhaba, planted colorful sutra streamers on the top of their new house in pray for a prosperous new life together. At 10 am, their neighbors came to offer congratulations. They gave the new couple gifts, and sat in the courtyard entertaining themselves with buttered tea and qingke barley wine.

On the third day of the first Tibetan month, villagers of Onggar Village planted sutra streamers atop their roofs.

Lunch came in the form of a buffet popular in the cities in inland China. After lunch, the guests presented their gifts to the new couple and their parents. They did so in a long line.

Under the leadership of Cering Qamjor, a 74-year-old lady, the guests danced and sang to their heart’ content. The gala lasted until one o’clock the following morning.
In Qoizin’s hometown, there were many who moved into the new houses on New Year’s Day. Statistics show in Qoizin’s hometown 85 percent of the families have moved to new homes.