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Tibetan Festivals 

Tibetan Festivals are closely associated with our religion and spiritual life. The majority of the Tibetan Festivals are celebrated in the monastery and religious institutions. Here are some of the main festivals of Tibet celebrated in Tibet every year.

Losar (Tibetan New Year)

•       When: February or March (varies by lunar calendar)

•       What: The most important Tibetan festival, celebrated for 3–15 days. It's a time for family gatherings, rituals, offerings, dancing, and feasting.

•       Highlights: Burning incense, decorating homes, wearing traditional clothes, and performing Cham dances (masked religious dances).

Saga Dawa

•       When: 4th month of the Tibetan calendar (usually May or June)

•       What: Commemorates the birth, enlightenment, and death (parinirvana) of Buddha.

•       Highlights: Pilgrimages, especially around sacred sites like Mount Kailash, and acts of compassion (like freeing animals or donating to the poor).

Shoton Festival (Yogurt Festival)

•       When: August (6th month in the Tibetan calendar)

•       What: Initially a religious retreat period for monks, it later evolved into a public celebration.

•       Highlights: Offering yogurt to monks, Tibetan opera performances, and the dramatic unveiling of giant Thangka paintings at Drepung and Sera Monasteries in Lhasa.

Cham Dance Festivals

•       When: Various dates

•       What: Monks perform masked dances representing deities, demons, and symbolic myths.

•       Highlights: Held at many monasteries like Tashilhunpo and Hemis (Hemis Festival in Ladakh is a famous one), these dances are both spiritual and theatrical.

Ganden Ngamchoe

•       When: 25th day of the 10th month (usually December)

•       What: Honors Tsongkhapa, founder of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism.

•       Highlights: Butter lamp offerings, prayers, and public gatherings.