Indian Arts and Culture Buddhism Losar: The Tibetan New Year A sacred and secular festival Print Richard L'Anson/Getty Images Buddhism Origins and Developments Figures and Texts Becoming A Buddhist Tibetan and Vajrayana Buddhism By Barbara O'Brien Barbara O'Brien Zen Buddhism Expert B.J., Journalism, University of Missouri Barbara O'Brien is a Zen Buddhist practitioner who studied at Zen Mountain Monastery. She is the author of "Rethinking Religion" and has covered religion for The Guardian, Tricycle.org, and other outlets. Learn about our Editorial Process Updated on January 30, 2019 Losar is the Tibetan New Year, a three-day festival that mixes sacred and secular practices — prayers, ceremonies, hanging prayer flags, sacred and folk dancing, and partying. It is the most widely celebrated of all Tibetan festivals and represents a time for all things to be purified and renewed. Tibetans follow a lunar calendar, so the date of Losar changes from year to year. It is held on February 27 in 2017, February 17 in 2018, and February 5 in 2019. It sometimes falls on the same date as Chinese New Year, but not always. Preparing for Losar During the month before Losar, Tibetan households draw the eight auspicious symbols and other signs on walls with white powder. In monasteries, the several protector deities — such as Dharmapalas and wrathful deities — are honored with devotional rituals. On the last day of the celebration, monasteries are elaborately decorated. In homes, cakes, candies, breads, fruits, and beer are offered on family altars. Here is the typical schedule for the three-day celebration: Day 1: Lama Losar BOISVIEUX Christophe/hemis.fr/Getty Images The devout Tibetan Buddhist begins the new year by honoring his or her dharma teacher. Guru and disciple greet each other with wishes of peace and progress. It is also traditional to offer sprouted barley seeds and buckets of tsampa (roasted barley flour with butter) and other grains on home altars to ensure a good harvest. Laypeople visit friends to wish them Tashi Delek — "auspicious greetings"; loosely, "very best wishes." His Holiness the Dalai Lama and other high lamas gather in a ceremony to make offerings to the high dharma protectors (Dharmapala) — in particular, the Dharmapala Palden Lhamo, who is a special protector of Tibet. The day also includes sacred dances and debates of Buddhist philosophy. Day 2: Gyalpo Losa Keith Tsuji/Getty Images The second day of Losar, called Gyalpo ("King's") Losar, is for honoring community and national leaders. Long ago it was a day for kings to hand out gifts at public festivals. In Dharamsala, His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, exchanges greetings with officials of the Tibetan government in exile and with visiting foreign dignitaries. Day 3: Choe-kyong Losar Suttipong Sutiratanachai/Getty Images On this day, laypeople make special offerings to the dharma protectors. They raise prayer flags from hills, mountains, and rooftops and burn juniper leaves and incense as offerings. The Dharmapalas are praised in chant and song and asked for blessings. This ends the spiritual observance of Losar. However, the subsequent parties may go on for another 10 to 15 days. Chunga Choepa aiqingwang/Getty Images Although Losar itself is a three-day festival, festivities often continue until Chunga Choepa, the Butter Lamp Festival. Chunga Choepa is held 15 days after Losar. Sculpting yak butter is a sacred art in Tibet, and monks perform purification rituals before crafting brightly colored, elaborate works of art that are put on display in monasteries. Cite this Article Format mla apa chicago Your Citation O'Brien, Barbara. "Losar: The Tibetan New Year." Learn Religions, Apr. 5, 2023, learnreligions.com/losar-tibetan-new-year-449919. O'Brien, Barbara. (2023, April 5). Losar: The Tibetan New Year. Retrieved from https://www.learnreligions.com/losar-tibetan-new-year-449919 O'Brien, Barbara. "Losar: The Tibetan New Year." Learn Religions. https://www.learnreligions.com/losar-tibetan-new-year-449919 (accessed April 16, 2024). copy citation