Tibetan New Year

Tibetan New Year is generally called Losar and takes place over a week. Losar is the most important celebration in Tibet. It is an event when Tibetan families come together and expect that the coming year will be a better one.The celebration of Tibetan New Year precedes Buddhism in Tibet and can be drawn back to the pre-Buddhist period.

In this early custom, every winter a religious ceremony was held, in which people offered large quantities of annoy to calm down the local spirits, deities and protectors. This spiritual celebration later developed into an annual Buddhist celebration. because of the birth of traditional Tibetan calendar. Losar festival has celebrated by Tibetan people from 8th to 15th day of the first Tibetan month. It has marked with ancient ceremonies that symbolize the struggle between good and evil, by chanting and by passing fire torches throughout the crowds.

A definite amount of lightness has provided by events such as the dance of the deer and the amusing battles between the King and his various ministers.Preparations of the New Year Festival are obvious by special offerings to family shrine deities, painted doors with religious symbols and other conscientious jobs done to prepare for the event. Tibetans usually eat Guthuk on New Year's with their families. Eating Guthuk is pleasurable since the barley crumbs are stuffed with a different filling to deceive someone in the family.

On the New Year's Day, Tibetans get up early and put on new clothes after having taken a bath. After then they worship the gods by placing offerings in the front of their household holy places. The contributions usually consist of animals and demons made from a kind of bread called torma.