LUNAR NEW YEAR

On the Tibetan Plateau, Losar, or New Year, is the most awaited and celebrated event of the year, a time for family reunions, weddings, and new beginnings. The two days before Losar are reserved for cleaning the house. New clothes are acquired, and special foods are prepared, including a profusion of kapse (fried twists), which are included in the ‘derga’, an elaborate display of offerings that include everything from losar cards to fruit and candy. On this special day, the family altar is dominated by a rich array of light offerings, mainly butter lamps. Butter sculptures are displayed, simple ones in homes and elaborate ones in monasteries.For children, it is a time for getting together with their extended family, gossiping, playing, and catching up with their favourite cousins. Losar is the nomad’s best time for leisure; animals are grazing nearby and feeding on oats, and they can indulge in cooking, catching up on the news, or matchmaking. The first day of Losar is typically spent at home, with the family rising before dawn, donning new clothes, and making offerings and prayers. On the second day, people begin visiting each other, either in their village or further on, an activity that can extend into a pilgrimage either to the nearby monastery or further afield, to the holy city of Lhasa.

2024 will mark the year of the Dragon for people born in 2012, 2000, 1988, 1976, 1964, 1952, 1940, and 1928. People born in those years are known to possess courage and tenacity. They also display enthusiasm and confidence. The wood element brings ease in relations with others and compassion towards others. 

The Dragon is considered an auspicious creature who excels in many talents. It symbolises power, honour, luck, and success. For this reason, 2024 is believed to bring about opportunity, change, and challenges. The coming year could be an opportunity for anyone looking for a shift in their life.