Preparations
begin well
before the arrival of the New Year. Tibetans begin making new clothes
and start preparing the special foods needed during the festival.
Khapse (fried flour preparations specially made for Lhosar), Chhyang
(rice beer) and Lofi (barley shoots) are some of the food required for
the celebrations.
During the
week leading up to the new year, lamas and monks in monasteries
perform a week-long Mahakala rite for the purpose of eliminating all
the negative accumulations of the previous year
Two days before the ceremonies are to begin, the house is cleaned thoroughly and must be completed before the 29th of the Tibetan calendar month. One of the important preparations is the making of Guthuk, which consists of nine different ingredients including vegetables, while barley is the primary ingredient. The dough in the Guthuk is shaped into balls and in some of them, coal and chilli, etc. are added before cooking. Each person in the family then opens the dough to see what his portion contains. This happens on the 29th and is a fun event as contents like coal or chilli in the dough is said to symbolize the person's character; coal represents an evil person while chilli means the person is hot tempered, etc. On this day, some monasteries feature their traditional Lama dance. Towards the end of the day, an effigy of a demon is made, and all the leftover Guthuk is poured on it. It must then be thrown away by someone who takes it to a crossroads nearby. This symbolizes the throwing away of all evil and bad omens. Hence, when the person comes back to the house, he is not let in unless he brings good news.
Two days before the ceremonies are to begin, the house is cleaned thoroughly and must be completed before the 29th of the Tibetan calendar month. One of the important preparations is the making of Guthuk, which consists of nine different ingredients including vegetables, while barley is the primary ingredient. The dough in the Guthuk is shaped into balls and in some of them, coal and chilli, etc. are added before cooking. Each person in the family then opens the dough to see what his portion contains. This happens on the 29th and is a fun event as contents like coal or chilli in the dough is said to symbolize the person's character; coal represents an evil person while chilli means the person is hot tempered, etc. On this day, some monasteries feature their traditional Lama dance. Towards the end of the day, an effigy of a demon is made, and all the leftover Guthuk is poured on it. It must then be thrown away by someone who takes it to a crossroads nearby. This symbolizes the throwing away of all evil and bad omens. Hence, when the person comes back to the house, he is not let in unless he brings good news.
On the 30th
the house is decorated and even the Khapse is stacked up neatly to go
with the decorations. On the 1st day of the New Year, the house must
not be cleaned. Women get up as early as 3 am and go to the nearest
source of water outside the house. As the first light of day is seen,
collecting the first spurt of water is said to be very auspicious.
This is especially true in the villages. Changkhul (boiled wine) to
which grapes have been added is then prepared. This is very tasty.
When this is done the women go back to sleep after wishing each other
"Tashi Delek". Afterwards, sweet rice mixed with grapes,
ghee and dried nuts is prepared. Everyone is fed this specially
prepared rice before going to the monastery to receive blessings from
the Lamas. They then come home for the family gathering and the
celebrations begin. The young play cards while, the elders take to
playing dice, and the feasting commences. In the evenings the family
gathers to sing and dance. The evenings of the 1st and 2nd of the
month are spent in this manner.
On the 3rd
day of the New Year, prayer flags are put up on poles. This is an
auspicious day so such flags are put up both at home and at Boudha.
Around 9:30 am many people gather around the stupa for the dance
performances. The air is filled with incense smell and thousands of
oil lamps are lit. Everybody then takes barley flour and then together
throw it in the air. On this day, Tibetans are seen in their best
costumes and colorful jewelry. There is a lot of merriment as
everybody starts dancing.
The third day of Losar is also the usual day for the traditional party in Baudha (Mahankal Yantra House). This year, because of power cuts and seriousness of the situation in Tibet the party will be a relatively somber day-time affair. The Dalai Lamas Office has requested everybody to celebrate the new year in a subdued manner, mindful of the great sacrifices of the Tibetan people last year, and the suppression of their aspirations.
The third day of Losar is also the usual day for the traditional party in Baudha (Mahankal Yantra House). This year, because of power cuts and seriousness of the situation in Tibet the party will be a relatively somber day-time affair. The Dalai Lamas Office has requested everybody to celebrate the new year in a subdued manner, mindful of the great sacrifices of the Tibetan people last year, and the suppression of their aspirations.
Best wishes for a happy
and auspicious year of the
Earth-Ox.