What is "losar"

Losar (, ) is the Tibetan word for "new year". lo holds the semantic field "year, age"; sar holds the semantic field "new, fresh". Losar is an important holiday in Tibet, Bhutan and for certain ethnic groups in Nepal and India. Before the Tibetan New Year, Nyi Shu Gu is celebrated on the eve of the last night of the year.

Losar is celebrated for 15 days, with the main celebrations on the first three days. On the first day of Losar, a beverage called changkol is made from chhaang (a Tibetan cousin of beer). The second day of Losar is known as King's Losar (gyalpo losar). Losar is traditionally preceded by the five-day practice of Vajrakilaya. Because the Uyghurs adopted the Chinese calendar, and the Mongols and Tibetans adopted the Uyghur calendar, Losar occurs near or on the same day as the Chinese New Year and the Mongolian New Year, but the traditions of Losar are unique to Tibet, and predate both Indian and Chinese influences. Originally, ancient celebrations of Losar occurred solely on the winter solstice, and was only moved to coincide with the Chinese and Mongolian New Year by a leader of the Gelug school of Buddhism.

Losar is also celebrated by Yolmo, Sherpa, Tamang, Gurung, Bhutia, Monpa, Sherdukpen and certain other Himalayan people although different regions of the Himalayan countries have their own respective new year celebrations as well. Losar is also celebrated by Tibetan Buddhists worldwide. Yolmo Losar is observed on the same day as of the Chinese New Year.