Tsagan Sar in Mongolia. Tsagan sar... tsagaan is a white... coat of arms of Chigizkhan. Closer to the East, closer to spring

About how the holiday and New Year are celebrated according to the lunar calendar “Tsagan Sar” in fraternal Mongolia.

Tsagan Sar has long occupied an important place in the traditional life of the Kalmyks, as well as all Mongols, carrying a colossal consolidating and emotional charge. The holiday of the Holy White Moon gives ideas about good and evil, and is perceived as the most important date of the year, as a special sacred time. The name White Month is associated with the symbolism of the color white as a symbol of happiness and goodness among the Mongols, as well as with the use of a large number of milk products (tsang idәn).

SACRED SYMBOL

Early in the morning, at about 3 a.m. on the first day of Tsakhan Sara, I, like all the inhabitants of Mongolia, put on new elegant clothes and at dawn went out to perform a ritual that, according to Buddhist lamas, brings prosperity in the new year. I remember when I had to do this ritual for the first time, I was very embarrassed at the thought of how it would look from the outside. Because I needed to walk along given directions in the area not far from your house, to perform certain actions. But my inner embarrassment disappeared and was replaced by a pleasant surprise when I saw a huge number of people walking, like me, some with incense, some with fire, some with milk, some with stones, and in certain trajectories around and not far from the house, not paying attention at each other and performed rituals. No one was embarrassed in front of anyone and I was very encouraged by this. Then, with her Mongolian family, she went with offerings to the nearest mountain to pay respect to the “masters of the area.” This is an amazing sight! When you look at other mountains from the top of a mountain, you can see a huge number of worshiping people there too! The picture resembles an anthill, where people are “ants” moving along the slopes of the mountains. The thought involuntarily creeps in: this is this spiritual unity! Probably due to this level of veneration, the “spirits of the mountains” simply cannot refuse the people their deepest desires.

RENEWAL SYMBOL

The Tsagan Sar holiday goes back to the ancient national and religious traditions of all Mongolian peoples. Being a symbol of the renewal of man and nature, openness and purity of thoughts, hope and good expectations, it justifies the significance of the main holiday of the year. “White Month” was originally considered a holiday of dairy products and was celebrated in the fall. At this time, the preparation of dairy products for future use, which were consumed during the holidays, was completed. Then the grandson of Genghis Khan, Emperor Kublai, moved the New Year celebration from autumn to late winter under the influence of Chinese astrology. Thus, the Mongolian “White Month” was timed to coincide with the beginning of the year on a twelve-year cycle. After the collapse of Genghis Khan's empire in the 14th century, the tradition of celebrating the "White Moon" at the end of winter was brought to Mongolia proper. With the beginning of the widespread spread of Tibetan Buddhism among the Mongolian peoples in the 17th century, the Mongolian “White Moon” was included in Buddhist rituals and myths. Let us note that the main “core” of all Buddhist rituals associated with the meeting of Tsagan Sara was getting rid of all sins and defilements accumulated in the previous year. On the eve of the holiday, Buddhist services are held in monasteries in Mongolia. The main services take place in the largest Buddhist monastery, Gandanchegchlen (located in the center of the capital) and last 15 days. Services are held in honor of the deities, a rite of removal of obstacles that takes place the day before the end of the old year. They pray for a happy new year.

SPIRIT OF THE HOLIDAY

The celebration of Tsagan Sara itself consists of three main parts, namely: pre-holiday preparations, the last day of the old year and the first days of the “White Month”. On the pre-holiday days, the Mongols clean up all the rubbish and get rid of accumulated dirt and rubbish. Women sew a new "deel" (traditional Mongolian robe) for all members of their family. In order not to be left without a new “deel” for the holiday, some try to place an order at the studio 2-3 months in advance. In preparation for the holy month, ateliers are filled with orders for sewing traditional clothes. The stores also offer a wide selection of clothing in national style. In Mongolia, wearing old clothes on Tsagan Sar is considered an unfavorable omen that can lead to life difficulties for the whole year. I would like to note that it is very pleasant to observe that in such a rapidly developing metropolis as Ulaanbaatar, people everywhere wear national clothes. Mongols also try to pay off all debts, as it is considered unfavorable to celebrate the New Year with debts. During the preparation for the holiday, you can hear conversations about Tsagan Sara everywhere, everyone has smiles on their faces, animated conversations. Life on the streets of Ulaanbaatar can be said to be “boiling and seething.” At this time, the spirit of the upcoming sacred holiday is keenly felt in Mongolia. All stores have an interesting assortment of goods, various discounts and offers on them. On TV from morning to evening there are songs and advertisements of various companies offering everything for a good and fun holiday.

AT THE FEAST TABLE

At this pre-holiday moment, you can see huge quantities of “buuzas” laid out for freezing on the balconies of multi-storey buildings. On the holiday, it is customary to show generosity, treat a lot and eat a lot. It is believed that guests from your home should leave well-fed and satisfied, then this year will be generous to you and your home. On average, each family makes 3 thousand “buuz” or more. Somehow I came across information that in general in Mongolia over 60 million “buuz” are eaten on Tsagan Sar! In addition, the Mongols prepare various treats and gifts for guests in advance. Treating at Tsagan Sar is a special topic, since the Mongols believe that it is during Tsagan Sar that a person should eat to his fill. Traditional Mongolian food during Tsagan Sar is “buzy” and dumplings (“bansh”), a whole boiled rump of a fat sheep with its head, traditional elongated shortcakes - “ul boov” with sweets, rice with raisins (“beres”). A funny incident once happened to me with this dish, symbolizing the happiness of the owners of the house. Guests, having tasted one tablespoon of the “hosts’ happiness,” must pass the cup to the person sitting next to them. I liked this dish so much that I finished the cup of “beres” that was left on the table with great enthusiasm, admiring the culinary art of the hostess. And only when I saw an astonished expression on the faces of those present at the table, in whose eyes there was “delight”: “And our Kalmyk “beryashka” does not suffer from lack of appetite!”, I realized that I had made a “protocol” mistake by “eating” their family food. happiness! True, those present unanimously forgave me, taking into account that I had recently arrived in Mongolia and was not sufficiently aware of the intricacies of Mongolian table etiquette. In addition to the listed dishes, on the tables you can find a large assortment of products made from milk: cheese (“baslag”), dried cottage cheese (“aarul”), curdled milk (“tarak”), milk foam (“Urum”), milk vodka (“ arkhi"), kumis ("airag").

The celebration of Tsagan Sar begins on the last day of the old year, which is called “bitun”, which means “closed”. In “bitun”, every Mongol must be in his parents’ house and eat his fill. On the last evening of the outgoing year, children gather at their parents' hearth to spend the old year together over a generous meal. On this day, only “closed” food is served on the table.

TABOO AND ABSTINENCE ON THE FIRST DAY

On the first day of Tsagan Sara, you cannot take water from open reservoirs and wells. Water in the house should be in containers. It is necessary to refrain from restoring and sewing old clothes, fabrics and things. Everything should be new, this is a good sign for longevity. They don't lend money. You cannot be a debtor; all debts must be paid off before the onset of the holy month. Otherwise, “doors for losses” open, and “doors for profit” close. Items cannot be taken out or distributed. They also believe that people over 13 years of age should not sleep, since the Buddhist goddess Lham, flying around the entire planet on her horse that day, can count the person who has fallen asleep among the dead. You can't cry or quarrel. Troubles that happened during the year cannot be remembered. It is prohibited to throw away ash from the stove or garbage. The home needs to be cleaned before the New Year. You cannot say words about slaughter, hunting, or the death of animals, because what is said can bring death next year. On the Seventh Day of the Holy Month, greeting visits to relatives and friendly gatherings should be avoided. This day is considered a “black” day. Those who violate this order next year will face the fate of an “outsider”; he will be trailing behind, not having time to do anything. People sit at home and let their stomachs “come to their senses.” This is the time of unpacking numerous gifts and feeling the joy of them. The number of gifts in one Mongolian family sometimes reaches several hundred! On this day everything calms down, you get the feeling that all of Mongolia is resting...

Tsagan Sar marks not only the beginning of the New Year, but also the first month of spring. On the eve of the holiday, events dedicated to it are held in the country. For example, since 1963, national wrestling competitions have been held - the second most important after Naadam. This year, the traditional tournament took place on January 30, and 256 of the country's strongest athletes took part in it.

In recent years, it has become fashionable in Mongolia to greet the first rays of the sun at dawn on the first day of the White Moon. To do this, some residents of the country climb to the tops of the nearest mountains, where they make offerings to the luminary with dairy products.

Ulaanbaatar residents traditionally come to the nearest hills “Khiimoriin ovoo”, “Tasgany ovoo”, say good wishes, and then, with the first ray of sun, those gathered in chorus exclaim “Khurai!”

In previous years, on the first day of spring, the head of Mongolia visited the oldest residents of the capital to express his gratitude and respect. And this year, President Ts. Elbegdorj, Speaker of Parliament Z. Enkhbold and Prime Minister N. Altanhuyag held a gala reception at the State Residence for the country's centenarians, who were between 94 and 106 years old. At the State Residence, representatives of the three branches of power of Mongolia, together with the elders, performed traditional rituals and also paid tribute to the State symbol of the country - the nine-legged banner.

As you know, Tsagan Sar is the most important holiday of the Mongolian peoples. It symbolizes the renewal of man and nature. “White Month” was originally celebrated in the fall, when the preparation of dairy products for the future, for the winter, with which the name of the holiday is associated, was completed.

The time for the celebration of Tsagan Sara was moved from autumn to the end of winter by the grandson of Genghis Khan, Kublai. Under the influence of Buddhist astrology, he timed the holiday to coincide with the beginning of the year in a twelve-year cycle.

In Mongolia, the ancient traditions of celebrating Tsagan Sara are still observed. On the eve of the New Lunar Year, every family prepares meat dishes - lamb, beef and horse meat. The day before Tsagan sara - “bitun” - the owner of the family puts on the table a bowl of national pies, which must have an odd number of layers, and “idee” sweets - the main symbols of the holiday.

On the first day of Tsagan Sara, it is customary to congratulate parents and elders in the family. In the following days, they visit other close people, observing seniority and the sequence of family ties.

Traditional greeting is an important ritual of Tsagan Sara. When meeting, Mongols usually ask each other whether they celebrated the New Year safely: “Amar baina uu?”, “Sar shinedee saikhan shinelev uu?”, “Ond mend orov uu?”

These words are accompanied by gestures, which may vary depending on the gender and age of the people greeting each other. For example, the younger one stretches out both hands to meet the older one with palms up, the older one with palms down, the younger one supports the older one’s elbows. This gesture contains both respect and a promise to provide help and support if necessary.

After the greeting, those who come to visit the elder try “idee” and dairy products, exchange good wishes and snuff boxes with the hosts as a sign of mutual respect. Then the hostess of the family cooks the main dish of Tsagan Sara - buuzy, the guests are offered various dishes: salads, meat dishes, sweets, etc.

Before leaving, guests are always given something, and since everyone visits each other during the White Month, no one is left without gifts.

A mandatory ritual during the celebration of Tsagan Sara in Mongolia is also a visit to Buddhist temples - people come here to honor the gods, cleanse the mind and heart, and ask for absolution.

East Asian countries have also celebrated the New Year from time immemorial, but unlike our solar calendar, they used a different one - the Lunar calendar. Therefore, the time of the New Year and the traditions of the holiday are quite different compared to European ones. In 2015, Mongolia will celebrate the New Year on February 19, 2015.

The Mongolian New Year is a holiday of shepherds, called Tsagan Sar (Tsagaan Sar, or literally translated “White Moon”) and is the first day of the new year according to the Mongolian lunar calendar. The Lunar New Year festival is celebrated not only by the Mongols, but also by their closest neighbors - the Kalmyks and Buryats. The White Moon Festival is celebrated 2 months after the first new moon after the winter solstice. Tsagan Sar is one of the most important holidays of the Mongols.

The New Year begins in this country in February. According to custom, Mongols dress in white or national clothes. White robes symbolize happiness, so that the person who wears them throughout the next year will not leave happiness and prosperity. It is customary to give horses, goats and food.

Characteristic features of the holiday

Burning candles on the altar symbolize enlightenment. Mongolians greet each other with “Amar baina uu?”, which translates as “Did you have a good rest?” Families visit friends and parents' homes. Traditionally, young families meet at the father's or grandfather's house. When exchanging greetings, when meeting, it is customary among Mongolians to grab each other's elbows. The father is greeted by every member of the family, with the exception of his wife. At the welcoming ceremony, family members hold long pieces of cloth called hadag in their hands. After the ceremony, everyone eats rice with cottage cheese, dairy products and exchanges gifts.

Mongolian Santa Claus

The traditional Mongolian Father Frost, Uvlin Uvgun, is the most important shepherd among the Mongols, which is why he comes to the holiday in traditional Mongolian cattle breeder clothes. He wears a fox fur hat on his head. He holds a whip in his hand, and a bag with tinder and flint is attached to his belt.

Uvlin Uvgun, Mongolian Santa Claus

Officially, Uvlin Uvgun was born on December 31. He is 90 years old and lives in the capital of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar. He has a family - Zazan Ohin (Snow Girl) and Shine Zhil (New Year). When he appears in public, he says the phrase “Zul sariin bolon shine ond mend devshuulye!”, which is translated into Russian as “Greetings to the month of January and the New Year!”

Mongolian New Year's feast

The New Year's table in a traditional Mongolian family is not complete without their favorite traditional national drinks. People mainly drink Tsagan Tsai (milk tea with salt) and Airag (Mongolian kumiss). The male population will not ignore archi - milk moonshine. Also, the word “archi” refers to factory-made Mongolian vodka, in which the share of alcohol is 38% of the total volume.

Like the Buryats, residents of Mongolia will happily cook and eat steamed manti (buza) on New Year's Eve. You won't be able to get by here without bortsok - an elongated piece of deep-fried dough made from animal fat. In addition, there will be cheese (bislag) on ​​the table,

Among the meat dishes on the Mongolian New Year's table you can see: goat meat baked in the stomach of the animal - bodog, khorkhog, khar shul, tsuivan, blood sausage hotorgoin shuhan and chebureki khushur.

MONGOLIAN HOLIDAYS

WHITE MONTH (TSAGAAN-SAR)

Tsagaan sar– this is both the New Year’s Eve and the first month of the year, which opens the spring-summer season, the long-awaited end of wintering and migration to spring pastures. Translated from Mongolian, “Tsagaan sar” means White Moon. Tsagaan Sar has long occupied an important place in the traditional life of the Mongols, carrying a colossal emotional charge. It gives ideas about good and evil, and is perceived as the most important date of the year, as a special sacred time. The name White Month is associated with the symbolism of the color white as a symbol of happiness and goodness among the Mongols, as well as the use of a large number of milk products.

There is no fixed date for the start of the New Year according to the lunar calendar. It shifts every time and can fall from January to early March, but most often it occurs in February. Until 1267, the Mongols celebrated Tsagaan Sar in September. For the ancient Mongols, the new year began in the fall.

According to some sources, spring has been considered the beginning of the year since the reign of Genghis Khan. As written in the writings of Lama Agvaaniyam. Genghis conquered Tibet in the spring. Many princes of the conquered country. and not only they, but also other tribes and nationalities recognized Genghis as their emperor and organized a big holiday in honor of this event. Upon arrival at home, Chinggis again celebrated the beginning of the year. Since then, the tradition of celebrating the New Year in the spring has been established. The sage Sumbe Khambo Ishbalzhir introduced his own calendar, which he called “Tutsbuyant”, which all monasteries in Mongolia still follow.

According to other sources, the holiday was moved to February only under Kublai, the grandson of Genghis Khan, the first emperor of the Mongol Yuan dynasty, which ruled in China from 1271-1368. Evidence of the celebration of Tsagaan Sar was left in his notes by the Venetian traveler Marco Polo, who was present at the celebration of the White Month at the Beijing court in the 13th century.

With the establishment of the country's autonomy and sovereignty in 1911, Bogdo Khaan declared this calendar to be the state calendar. "Tugsbuyant" became both a religious and a state calendar. During the years of repression, "Tugsbuyant" was the calendar of livestock breeders, but since 1944, when the Gandan monastery was revived and the need arose to conduct services according to the established order, the "Tugsbuyant" calendar was revived. There was a datsan in which astrology was taught as a science and its graduates were responsible for writing the lunar calendar. During the years of socialism Tsagaan sar took place under a different name, consonant with the ideology of that time - the holiday of the “livestock breeder” according to the same calendar.

After the adoption of Buddhism and the introduction of the lamas of their calendar, the white month was moved to the end of winter and combined with the date of the victory of the founder of Buddhism over other schools. White color symbolizes prosperity for the Mongols, and white foods are a must for celebrations Tsagaan Sarah.

Tsagaan sar - New Year according to the lunar calendar, that is, according to the eastern horoscope, is celebrated on the first day of spring. According to this calendar, it falls on different days and even months in different years. Depending on the location of the moon in a particular zodiac, astrologers use an algorithm to calculate the first day of spring or the day of Tsagaan Sara. As the astrologers of the Gandantegchlen monastery say, the most correct and suitable astrology for Mongolia is Tugs Buyant. It was developed by the famous astrologer lamas Sumbe Khamba Ishbalzhir and Luvsandanzanzhantsan, who lived in the 18th century, in relation to the climatic conditions of our country. After all, yellow or, as it is also called, Chinese astrology corresponds to the climatic conditions of China and other countries of North and Southeast Asia. The climate there is warmer than ours, so spring comes much earlier.

Traditionally, on New Year's Eve, the most respected and revered lamas make astrological forecasts for the residents of the country for the next year. On the eve of the New Year, a cleansing ritual and a special prayer service are performed in churches and datsans. The main services take place in the largest Buddhist monastery, Gandantegchlen. Services lasting 15 days make up the New Year's prayer service. It includes a service in honor of deities, a ritual for removing obstacles (held the day before the end of the old year), a prayer service in honor of the miracles performed by the Buddha to spread the sacred teachings, wishes for peace and prosperity, and other rituals. Many residents of the capital these days are trying to get to churches to pray for happiness and good luck in the coming year for themselves and their families.

From the 15th-16th centuries, as Buddhism spread and strengthened in Mongolia, this holiday was sacralized on the occasion of the memory of the performance of various miracles by Buddha Shigamuni on these days as proof of the truth of the faith he preached and the divinity of its origin. On the eve of the holiday and the first two weeks, great khurals are celebrated in the monasteries of Mongolia. e. Buddhist services/. They pray for a happy new year. After the prayer service, fires are lit, in the flames of which old things are burned and sacrifices are made to the fire.

The celebration of the White Month consists of three main parts: the pre-holiday preparations, the last day of the old year and the first days of the white month and the rest of the white month. On the pre-holiday days, the Mongols clean up all the rubbish and get rid of accumulated dirt and rubbish. Women sew a new deel (traditional Mongolian robe) for all members of their family. They also try to pay off all debts, since it is considered unfavorable to celebrate the New Year with debts.

In addition, the Mongols prepare various treats and gifts for guests in advance. Treating Tsagaan Sar is a real feast, since the Mongols believe that it is during Tsagaan Sar that a person should eat his fill. Traditional Mongolian food during Tsagaan Sar is manti and dumplings, a whole boiled rump of a fat sheep with its head, traditional bast-shaped shortcakes - ul boov with sweets, rice with raisins. There is also a large assortment of products made from milk: “Bislag” cheese, “Arul” dried cottage cheese, “Tarak” curdled milk, “Uryum” foam, “Arhi” milk vodka, “Ayrag” kumis.

On the eve of Tsagaan Sarah Houses are being cleaned extensively. On New Year's Eve, every family bids farewell to the outgoing year - "bituuleg". People must pay off all their debts, especially those that can be counted, for example. If you were in a quarrel with someone, didn’t get along with someone, offended someone, then exchanging a “chooreg” (a snuff box with snuff) is intended to improve your relationship. With this action, you seem to ask each other for forgiveness. That is, you need to enter the New Year as purified as possible, leaving all the bad things behind.

The celebration of Tsagaan Sar begins on the last day of the old year, which is called “bitun”. “Bituun” means “closed”. In “bitun”, every Mongol should be at home, not go to visit and eat to the full of closed food, i.e. manti and dumplings. It is also believed that people over 13 years of age should not sleep during “bituun”, since the Buddhist goddess Lham, flying around the entire planet on her horse that day, can count the person who fell asleep among the dead. In the evening, on New Year's Eve, every Mongolian family holds a bituuleg - farewell to the passing year. On the last evening of the passing year, children gather at their parents' hearth to spend the old year and celebrate the new year together over a generous meal. The rump of a fat sheep, buuz (manty), dairy and flour dishes are prepared for the New Year's table. The Mongolian New Year's feast is a whole ritual, as ancient as the tradition of celebrating Tsagaan Sar. In Bituun it is customary to eat to your fill. The feast had its own characteristics. The old people were located in the northern part of the home, where the most honored guests were usually seated. Younger men are on the right side, women are on the left.

Also, the Mongols in “bitun” put 3 transparent pieces of river ice above the door of the yurt - this is a drink for the goddess’s horse, and weeds and thorns on the left ceiling of the yurt so that evil spirits cannot enter the house. On the last day of the old year, many actively visit Buddhist monasteries and perform a ritual of cleansing from the sins of the outgoing year. The redemptive and cleansing functions of such New Year's prayers are enhanced by the idea that the transition point from one year to another is a special, sacred time, a time when there is a break between good and evil.

The New Year celebration begins not at midnight, as is customary here, but early in the morning, on the first day of the new year. The first day of the new year according to the lunar calendar begins early in the morning from 3 to 5 o'clock. On the first morning of the New Year, at sunrise, family members dress in everything new and congratulate first the elders in the family, then the neighbors. However, according to Mongolian custom, spouses do not exchange greetings. This morning the hostess offers the first cup to the gods. Then they visit their older relatives, performing the “zolgokh” ritual, in which the younger one stretches out his hands, palms up, and supports the older one under the elbows, and he, in turn, puts his outstretched hands with his palms down. The ritual is performed, as a rule, in national clothes, and men must have a headdress on their heads. When all the rituals are completed, it is customary to visit, exchange congratulations and gifts, and feast

The festive feast begins with a lamb rump, which the owner of the house hands over in thin pieces strictly according to the rules. The more plentiful the New Year's table is, the more prosperous the coming year will be. It is considered a good omen if there are guests in the yurt. Each guest, while drinking wine, must express a wish for happiness to the owner. A large assortment of products made from milk is displayed on the table: “Bislag” cheese, “Arul” dried cottage cheese, “Tarak” curdled milk, “Uryum” foam, “Arhi” milk vodka, “Ayrag” kumiss, etc. In addition to treats, the hosts give small gifts to guests and sweets to children.

And hadag for Mongols is the best gift. Hadags come in different lengths, colors, and patterns. Hadag, which is called Ayush has images of people, is given to the most respected people, parents or the eldest. The folded hadag is served with the open side towards the recipient with a bow. The one who received the hadag also bows respectfully and carefully folds it and keeps it with him. Hadag is the symbolic pinnacle of spiritual and material wealth. And for a long time there has been a custom to keep five-colored “hadags” as a good sign of prosperity and tranquility. Blue hadag - the color of the blue sky - is a sign of harmony and calm. Green is a symbol of reproduction, productivity. Red is a symbol of fire - a sign of the safety and security of the hearth. Yellow - removes all bad things and is a sign of elevation in position, professional growth, knowledge and the spread of Buddhist philosophy. White - the color of mother's milk, personifies the clear wisdom of the Buddha and good deeds, generosity.

It is customary these days among men to treat each other with snuff from a snuff box, which the recipient, having accepted with his right hand, opens the cap with his left and pours a snuff of tobacco onto the back of his right hand and sniffs. At the same time, snuff boxes made from jade and other valuable stones should not rub against each other and their lids should be slightly open. As in most other cases, gifts are given by hosts to guests, not by guests to hosts.

At home they perform the “zolgolt” ritual. This is a kind of New Year's greeting when younger Mongolians extend their hands to older ones, palms up, and older ones place their hands on top of them, palms down. At this time, the younger ones support the older ones by the elbows. This unique gesture of greeting expresses respect for the elders and a promise of help and support if necessary. During the White Month, all younger family members should be the first to congratulate the older members. It is also customary to treat all guests to a hearty meal, as this is a special holiday when the stomach should be full. Then they present all the guests who come with gifts. “Zolgolt” is the most important ritual of the White Month. The Mongols still have a belief: the more guests who visit a house or yurt on the first day of the New Year, for zolgolt, the happier the coming year will be.

On the first day of the New Year, the country's top officials in the central temple of Gandantegchilin participate in the ritual of worshiping the deity Zhanrayseg and the ceremony of entrusting the fate of the people to the deity Ochirdar, with wishes for well-being. They also perform the ritual of “zolgokh” (greetings) with high-ranking lamas. Then they pay respect to the shrines of our monastery. Next, the “zolgokh” ritual is performed at the State Residence, where the leaders of our monastery also perform the “zolgokh” ritual with the head of state and other high-ranking officials.

The celebration officially lasts 3 days, but usually lasts at least a week. Within a few days after completion Tsagaan Sarah business life is gradually returning to its normal course. Mongols attach great importance to the celebration of this holiday. At this time, people in Mongolian national costumes are everywhere on the streets.

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PHOTO ALBUM PAGES

BIBLIOGRAPHY

• Materials from the newspaper "News of Mongolia" were used. No. 5-6 dated February 7, 2013. Scanning and processing by E. Kulakov.

One of the main national holidays, Tsagan Sar (White Month), symbolizing the onset of spring and the awakening of nature, was celebrated by residents of Kalmykia. In Elista, festive events took place in the Central Khurul and on Victory Square, where Maslenitsa was celebrated together with Tsagan Sar, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports.

The "Caucasian Knot" wrote that Tsagan Sar occurs on the first day of the dragon month according to the lunar calendar. On this day, in a number of regions - in China, Mongolia, Buryatia, Tyva, Tibet - Buddhists celebrate the New Year. Usually Tsagan Sar also coincides with Maslenitsa.

New breed for the year of the dog

This year Tsagan Sar fell on February 16th. By tradition, by decree of the head of Kalmykia, this day was declared a non-working day.

In the central khurul "Golden Abode of Buddha Shakyamuni" prayer services dedicated to the offensive of Tsagan sar were held on February 14 and 16. In addition, on the evening of February 16, the Shajin Lama (Supreme Lama) of Kalmykia Telo Tulku Rinpoche gave a lecture on the basics of Buddhism.

Meanwhile, on Victory Square in Elista, together with Tsagan, we celebrated Maslenitsa. The festive concert consisted of Kalmyk and Russian folk dances. During the intermission, Buddhist and Orthodox clergy read prayers from the stage, after which a ritual of “purification by fire” was performed: those gathered in the square were asked to throw a handful of salt into a vat of fire, mentally imagining that all kinds of negativity would burn together with this salt.

Along the perimeter of the square, yurts were installed, where one could try traditional treats on this day: Kalmyk tea, bortsoki ( dough donuts), as well as Maslenitsa pancakes.

Educational institutions in Elista organized an exhibition and sale of arts and crafts works by students and teachers. The exhibition and sale of dogs of the Kalmyk breed “Barg”, timed to coincide with the onset of the Year of the Dog according to the Eastern calendar, also aroused keen interest among those gathered.

According to the breeder, author of the breed, State Duma deputy Bator Aduchiev, the barg is not afraid of wolves.
“I had a dream - to revive the Kalmyk breed of dog. Together with fellow scientists, I managed to turn the dream into reality. Now in the steppe, along with the four traditional types of main farm animals (camel, sheep, cow, horse - editor's note), a guard appeared and assistant livestock breeder,” Aduchiev wrote on his Facebook page.

In addition to the still exotic dogs, the attention of Elista residents and city guests was attracted by Bactrian camels, which were offered for everyone to ride.

The celebration of Tsagan Sar sets Kalmykia apart from other Buddhist regions

Builder Arslang Dordzhiev, by his own admission, celebrates Tsagan Sar without attaching much importance to the symbolism of the holiday.

“For some it’s the New Year, for others it’s a spring holiday. To be honest, I don’t delve into this issue. I don’t remember whether Tsagan Sar was an official holiday in Soviet times, but I remember well how during construction work in the steppe I saw a gopher with my own eyes, although there was snow all around and the temperature was below zero. Before that, there were doubts when the old people said that gophers wake up on Tsagan Sar. It’s not for nothing that Tsagan Sar and Maslenitsa usually coincide - this day really does happen. turning point. For our nomadic ancestors, the approach of spring was of great importance. For me, it’s just a tradition, one of my favorite holidays from childhood,” Dordzhiev told the “Caucasian Knot” correspondent.

In turn, student Alina believes that celebrating Tsagan Sara as a spring holiday, and not as a New Year, sets Kalmykia apart from other Buddhist regions.

“I know that in other Buddhist regions they celebrate the New Year, but we have already celebrated the Year of the Dog... Today for me is a spring holiday. It’s great that we have our own holidays, this distinguishes our republic from the background of the Buddhist world. Emphasizes our uniqueness ", Alina told the Caucasian Knot correspondent.

According to her, on the night of Tsagan Sar, she baked bortsoki with her mother and in the morning she visited relatives and friends with gifts, “as is customary among the Kalmyks.”

Pensioner Svetlana Andreeva says she has been celebrating Tsagan Sar “as long as she can remember.

“I am Orthodox. But since I was born in Kalmykia, I always celebrated Kalmyk holidays. In turn, my Kalmyk friends, acquaintances, neighbors always congratulate me on Christmas, Easter and other Christian holidays. And Tsagan Sar also coincides with Maslenitsa, so here God himself ordered us to celebrate in harmony, together,” Andreeva told the “Caucasian Knot” correspondent.

A resident of Volgograd, Dmitry, according to him, is interested in Buddhism, so he decided to come to the Central Khurul for holiday prayers.

“It’s not that I’m interested in these particular rituals, it’s just that more experienced practitioners recommended that I listen to live lectures on the basics of Buddhism - they say that some points cannot be gleaned from books. I came to the lecture with Telo Tulku Rinpoche. But, unfortunately, I did not specify the time I don’t know yet whether I will be able to stay in Elista until the evening. But in any case, I don’t regret the trip. I was here for the first time with a tour group from Volgograd, today I came on my own - it seems to me that your city is conducive to leisurely walks. Celebration on the square. I wouldn’t call it particularly bright, but I like that people here have not forgotten how to enjoy simple things,” Dmitry said in an interview with a “Caucasian Knot” correspondent.

Let us note that earlier, Doctor of Historical Sciences Elza Bakaeva told the "Caucasian Knot" that Tsagan Sar is a pre-Buddhist holiday, which was celebrated by the ancestors of the Kalmyks as the New Year, but not in the spring, but in the fall. According to her, the holiday was moved to spring by the willful decision of Kublai Khan, the founder of the Yuan dynasty.

“However, in the period from the 13th to the 16th centuries, the Oirats were not always part of the Mongol Empire, sometimes they were at enmity with it, and in the 17th century they completely separated and migrated to the lower reaches of the Volga. That is why the Kalmyks preserved the tradition of that ancient, hunting, New Year, and Tsagan Sar turned into a separate holiday, which over time began to mark the onset of spring,” Bakaeva explained.