Tibetan Losar
The Tibetan New Year starts today, Friday, February 16, and lasts for 15 days, with the first three days and New Year’s Eve being the main celebrations. Losar is an official holiday in India. The origins
of Losar can be traced back to the pre-Buddhist period and were most likely celebrated to mark the winter solstice, the beginning of the end of winter. Festivities included offering large quantities of incense to the local spirits and deities, donations to monasteries, and feasting and gifting.
Excerpt from the UK paper, The Sun: How is Tibetan New Year celebrated and what is it about?
The three-day festival is celebrated among family and friends.
Marked with a variety of activities, including the exchanging of gifts, offerings and rituals to ward off evil spirits, Losar is about welcoming the new and saying goodbye to the old.
Other ways in which Tibetan New Year is celebrated include the whitewashing of buildings, feasting and dancing, as well as a thorough clean to purify.
There is also evidence of the ceremony taking place before the Buddhist period in Tibet and some families create a shrine within their homes.
