Tibetan New Year (Losar)

Tibetan New Year (Losar) follows the Tibetan calendar and falls in February or March; it evolved from ancient Tubo-era calendrical and agricultural traditions, absorbing Tibetan Buddhist religious content to become the most important holiday in the Tibetan year.

In the days before Losar, households clean thoroughly and prepare barley-sprout decorations and five-grain offering boxes; on New Year's Eve the family eats gutuk (a dumplings soup with hidden tokens foretelling fortunes); on New Year's morning people race to draw the first 'auspicious water,' then exchange visits and offer khata scarves and barley wine; on the third day they ascend hills to burn aromatic offerings.

Inscribed on China's first national ICH list in 2006, Tibetan New Year integrates religious belief, astronomical tradition and family ethics, and is the most direct opportunity to experience Tibetan folk culture in full.

Celebrated citywide in Lhasa, with Jokhang Temple and the Potala Palace square as the most concentrated celebration sites; monasteries hold ritual assemblies, and folk performances take place at Norbulingka and other venues.