The Tibetan New year, also known as Losar Festival, is the most important festival on the Tibetan calendar. Annual New Year celebration begins on December 29 and lasts 2 weeks.
This year the Tibetan New Year will be celebrated on 16 February 2018. During the festival, people celebrate by some ancient ceremonies which represent the struggle between good and evil. Lamas are chanting and passing fire torches through the crowds. People perform the dance of the deer and amusing battles between the king and his ministers and cheering for the coming new year by dancing and singing.
The last two days of the old year called Gutor, people begin to prepare for the New Year. On the first Gutor, people have to do some house cleaning, the kitchen must be cleaned in particular because it is where the family prepare food and is considered the most important part of a house.
On the 2nd day of Gutor, religious ceremonies will be performed. People visit the monastery to worship, donate money, gifts to the monks and visit friends and relatives.
The most interesting food eaten on Tibetan New Year’s Eve would be Guthuk (hand-rolled noddle soup with broth) and it carries a special symbolic meaning for the New Year.