Tibetan Festivals

The Royal New Year

The first day of the first month in Tibetan calendar is the Royal New Year that is in February or March according to the Gregorian calendar. This is an important festival of the year for Tibetans. At the beginning of the twelveth month in Tibetan calendar, Tibetans start to prepare the holiday gifts including the ¡°Auspicious Bushel¡±which is filled with barley flour mixed with butter and fried wheat and ginseng. On the top of the barley flour is inserted the highland barley ears, the cockscomb and the colored flower plat made of butter. Early on the New Year day¡¯s morning, Tibetans, men and women, dressed in their hosliday best carry it in hand to exchange New Year¡¯s greetings and the good wishes to each other, saying ¡°Tashi Delek¡± which means auspicious or luck. After these few days, they also go to the monasteries nearby to worship Buddha, or sing and dance on the streets, or go to visit their relatives and friends for drinking to their heart¡¯s content to enjoy the New Year together. Everyone is intoxicated with spirit of the festival.

 

The Shoton Festival in Lhasa

On the First of the Seventh month, or August in Gregorian calendar, traditionally, after the monks are required to remain sequestered in their monasteries for the ascetic practice of Buddhism, people from their families prepared sour milk for them to drink with dancing following in their period of confinement. Shoton means ¡°Yogurt Festival ¡±. In the early 17th century, the Shoton festival became a joint performance with the Tibetan operas. Tibetan artists with different schools from all over Tibet came to gather in Norbu Lingka to have a performing competition, which lasted for several days. During this period, the Drepung Monastery would hold a large portrait of Buddha displaying ceremony.

 

The Saga Dawa festival

It is called ¡°the festival to free captive animals¡±in local custom. Through the whole fourth month, monks don¡¯t eat meat and don¡¯t commit slaughter. They only concentrate themselves on turning prayer wheels and reciting Buddha¡¯s scriptures.It is said that on the 1st of the fourth month is the day that Shakyamuni was born ,became enlightened and achieved nirvana.On this day every year, people in their holiday best, singing and dancing,go into parks for their dinner party.

 

The Wongkor (Bumper Harvest) festival

It is an occasion that Tibetans long for a bumper harvest. When the important moment comes, people in their colorful clothes uphold colored flags with good wishes. They make a pagoda of harvest with the ceremonial scarves twining round the highland barley and the wheat ears, beating drums and gongs, singing in their odes and walk around the fields in prayers for a bumper harvest, and then followed by a horse race. The autumn harvest starts as soon as the festival is over.

 

The Six Four Festival

On the fourth of the sixth month in Tibetan calendar, in Lhasa area, people in their new clothes go into temples nearby. With their offerings to Buddha, they pray to the Buddha¡¯s images for blessing in murmurs. After that, they go out into the open grass with drinks to their hearts¡¯ content and dance happily.

 

The Festival of driving out evil spirits

Every 29 th of the twelveth month in Tibetan calendar is a big day for the sorcerer¡¯s dancing held by monasteries all over Tibet. Households clean their houses thoroughly and decorate them beautifully. Because the New Year is coming, the dirty things and evils must be cleared away, people pray for their families for good health and wish a bumper harvest for the coming year.

 

Heavenly Maid Festival

It is well known as ¡°the Celestial Mother Festival¡± or ¡°Belha Rabzhol¡± in Tibetan. Each year, on the 15th of the tenth month in Tibetan calendar, religious activities are held in temples throughout Tibet. Tibetan women love the festival because they think this is a special occasion for themselves, therefore, they look very active and feel extremely happy.

 

Butter Lamp Festival

The Butter Lamp Festival is celebrated on the 15th day of the first month every year. Monks from monasteries and local artists make various-shaped butter flowers with colored butter in pyramids in front the Jokhang Temple. In the evening, after the butter lamps are lit, their lights look just like stars dazzling in the sky. The pyramids made of butter include of immortals, animals, flying birds, beasts, and flowers.

 

Tsongkapa's Death Anniversary

It is held on the 25th day of the 10th month, which is in November or December in Gregorian calendar. It is the day on which Tsongkapa, the founder of the Gelug Sect met his demise. Every household light lamps on roofs of houses and windowsills chanting prayers in memory of Tsongkapa in the night.

 

Bathing Festival

In the 7th month in Tibetan calendar or in September in Gregorian calendar is the period, which the Venus appears only for seven nights in one year. Tibetan people think the water is specially holy and clean during this week. They believe that the dirt can be washed off, illness can be cured and their health can be improved. During the week, people all go to riverbanks for bathing, washing their clothes and playing at their pleasure.