Losar is the Tibetan New Year.
This year it's from 21 to 23/24 february.
It's the most important festivity in Tibet.
Losar starts with the sighting of the new moon on the first day of the first month of the tibetan calendar.
This New Year was celebrated long before Buddhism reached Tibet.
The houses, clothes, etc. are cleaned thoroughly before. At some places that starts before the other preparations, at other places the cleaning is simultaneously with the other preparations. These include resolving disagreements, undoing mistakes, and paying debts.
In a way one can say that people start anew at the new year, clean and with a clean bill, and in peace with others and oneself. The bad spirits and habits are pushed inn the past, to be able start completely new.
Five days before the New Year special meditations start and holy texts are read and recited.
People turn more inward. Pray.
In some areas celebrations start two days before the New Year. (Which aligns with the preparations to be clean and clear in time for the new year.)
The cleaning of the house needs to be ready the first day.
The second day is to welcome family or travel to family, a reunion dinner and getting blessings from the monks.
The first day of Losar is celebrated with family (and abroad with family, friends and everyone else who wants to join.)
The second day is celebrated in the religious community.
People bring sacrifices to home altars and monasteries, to respect their ancestors and dieties.
Thangka's *** are hung above home altars and in religious buildings. At some places huge thangka's are hung outside on the temple and monasteries.
People can watch cham-dances and can participate in ceremonies in the monasteries.
The third day is celebrated in the world, so mainly in the open air.
Chhaang or chhyang is drunk. It's a kind of beer made of barley, millett, or rice. When it's cold the beer is served hot. Even though some medical uses are known, drinking too much of the home made version of the brew can be very unhealty and even toxic. Some of the plants used are family of the aconitum and the risk is that some true acconitum is used...which is toxic.
The public holiday lasts this year from february 21 to 27, so 7 days.
***
A thangka is a scroll with a painted or embroidered traditional image.
It stems from the 11 century. The Tibetans were a nomadic people and they took their religious items with them. The scrolls are images of dieties, religious items or meditational images, painted or embroidered on silk, hung on top of a brocade "frame" to protect them as much as possible.
The scrolls are used for meditation and teaching, and can be found all over Tibet and abroad at temples and homes. Except where the chine-se are destroing cultural and religiou items.
At special events where lots of people gather(ed) very huge painted thangka's are (were) rolled out at religious places. Like this one at the Drepung Monastery at Lhasa, displayed for about 2 hours at the Shoton Festival, which is this year at August 16.
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