Tibet Traditional Festival

Tibetan New Year
Tibetan New Year, known as Losar, is the most important festival in Tibet area. It is celebrated on 1st January according to Tibetan Calendar, but from December of Tibetan Calendar, the people begin to prepare for special purchases for the festival, especially some tributes. On New Year's Day they get up early and put their splendid clothes on; go to visit each other, and wish luck saying "Zha Xi De Le"; or honor the gods and place offerings in front of their household shrines. This festival is full of dancing, music and merry-making.

Lhasa Yoghurt (Shoton) Festival
"Shoton" means yoghurt banquet in Tibetan. It is celebrated on 1st July according to Tibetan Calendar and lasts seven days. It began in 16th century with a banquet given by the lay people for the monks featuring yoghurt. As Tibetan operas are performed and Buddha paintings are exhibited at this time, it is also called "Tibetan Opera Festival" or "Buddha Exhibition Festival". From 17th century on, traditional Tibetan Opera were performed during the annual Shoton Festival in Norbulingka Park. Meanwhile, Drepung Monastery holds the annual ceremony of displaying Buddha portrait.

Butter Lantern Festival
Butter Lantern Festival is on 15th January of Tibetan Calendar, the last tide of the celebration of Tibetan New Year. The monks and the folk artisan make the butter flowers shaped in different images with butter mixed with adequate mineral colors expressing the Buddhism stories and historical sages, and display them on the stands outside of Jokhang Temple. As darkness falls, all butter flower lantern are lit, making the whole street bright as in the day. People sing and dance while enjoying the lanterns.

Saga Dawa Festival 
Saga Dawa, an influential religious festival in Tibet, celebrates each year in the full fourth lunar month of Tibetan Calendar. Buddhism believes that Sakyamuni was born on 15th  April of Tibetan Calendar, and also became Buddha and died on the same date, so the Sagar Dawa Festival mainly focuses on worshipping Buddha in the inner, middle and outer parts of Lhasa. All the activities last through the whole month. The grandest one is on April 15th when the Buddhist followers walk around the outer part of Lhasa. They recite scriptures while walking on the 8,000-metre-long outer ring of Lhasa, forming a grand troop.

Gyantse Darma Festival
Gyantse Darma Festival, having a history of more than 500 years, officially opens on April 18th of Tibetan Calendar. Today, the Dharma Festival is not only a folk festival but an exchange with a theme of promoting economy through cultural activities. During the festival, besides traditional sport items such as shooting on horseback, there are other contemporary pastimes such as ball games and track events. Around the sports ground are tent shops where trade takes place, and tents of farmers and herdsmen who come from afar. The Gyantse Darma Festival will last seven to ten days. 

Mountain Circling Festival
Mountain Circling Festival is celebrated on April 4th of Tibetan Calendar. It is believed that Buddha gave his first sermon on this day, so people celebrate the festival by paying visits to holy mountains. On this day, people in their new clothes go into temples nearby, with their offerings to Buddha, they recite scriptures and pray to the Buddha for blessing. After that, they go out into the open grass with drinks, dancing happily.

Changtang Chaqen Horse Racing Art Festival
Chaqen Horse Racing Art Festival, the most ceremonious festival in Northern Tibet, is held on August 10th of solar calendar, When the pasture is lush and horses and cows are stout and strong. As the horse racing starts, herdsmen will come from a long way by horse or yak, wearing colorful clothes for festivals, and all kinds of jewels and ornaments. The horse racing field will instantly be surrounded by tents. The event includes horse racing and horsemanship.

Bathing Festival
In July of Tibetan Calendar, or September of Solar Calendar, the sacred planet Venus appears in the sky for seven nights in one year, people believe that the water in the river is specially pure and holy during that week. They believe that the dirt can be washed off, illness can be cured and their health can be improved. So the people all go to riverbanks for bathing, washing clothes and playing at their pleasure. 

Ongkor (Harvest Awaiting) Festival
Ongkor Festival is an old festival in farming areas of Tibet held in each August of Tibetan calendar when all crops are waiting for harvest. The people are dressed in grand Tibetan robes, hold colored flags with good wishes. Under the leadership of a revered man and accompanied by the sounds of ritual trumpets and drums, they move round the farmland outside the village, pray for good harvest. The celebration could last 1-3 days. The people begin to harvest the crops after this festival.

Nyingchi Kampot Festival
Nyingchi Kampot Festival, popular in Nyingchi area, is celebrated on October 1st of Tibetan Calendar. It is said that the Kampot King lead the tribe to flight back the aggression in 13th century. Kampot people put forward October 1st as the festival to commemorate the brave soldiers sacrificed in the war. The commemorated activity gradually changed to the present activity included dancing and singing, horse racing, arrow shooting, trading, and so on.

Fairy Maid Festival
Fairy Maid Festival, also known as "Celestial Mother Festival", is celebrated on October 15th of Tibetan Calendar. Religious activities are held in temples throughout Tibet, Tibetans gather around Jokhang Monastery for presenting hadas to Celestial Mother, praying for happy marriage and true love. Tibetan women think this is a special occasion for themselves, so they look very active and feel extremely happy.

Lighting Festival
Lighting Festival is celebrated on October 25th of Tibetan Calendar. It is said that Tsongkapa, the initiator of Gelugpa or Yellow Sect of Lamaism, passed away on that day. Every family light butter lantern on the roof and recite scriptures to commemorate this great day.

Ghost-Exorcising Festival
Ghost-Exorcising Festival is held on December 29th of Tibetan Calendar, one day before Tibetan New Year. At the end of the Tibetan year, religious dances to drive off evil spirits are help in monasteries all over Tibet, and every household clean the house, to welcome the new year.

Join one festival during your tour in Tibet, it will surely add more to your memory!