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| Tibetan Festival | ||
| In Tibet, traditional and exotic festivals are the ones, which spread throughout the year and have been the most interesting events of Tibetan's life. Those festivals have their origins rooted in religious celebration or folk traditions, and are usually rituals, farming events, commemorations, celebrations, or just simple entertainment. Those, of which reflect the religious belief of Tibetan, as well as the way of life. | ||
| Losar Festival- Tibetan New Year | ||
| It is one of the greatest festivals in Tibet. It is known as "Losar", of which is also known as "Bal-Gyal-Lo". "Bal" is Tibet, "Gyal" is King, "Lo" is year. The Tibetan New Year has been celebrated since the first King's enthronement celebration, which is also the reason it has been known as "Bal-Gyal-Lo". | ||
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| Tibetan New Year festival lasts for 15 days, with the main celebrations on the first three days. This is the time that Tibetan families reunite and expect a bright coming new year. During this festival, doors are painted with religious symbols; specially made tributes are offered to family shrine, Gala dinner is carefully prepared. After dinner, it is also the time for another festival of Banishing Evil. Torches are lit and people run and yell in order to get rid of evil spirits from their house. Before the sunrise of the New Year's Day, housewives fetch the first bucket of water in the New Year and prepare breakfast. After sunrise, people get dressing up; open their doors visiting their neighborhoods with blessing of "Tashi Delek". Then go to monasteries pray for a whole new year; the prayer flag, which was hanged up in the last year, will be replaced with new one. Other folk activities such as: such as arch sword, spear and pole-climbing contests, will be held to celebrate the events. | ||
| The Festival of Banishing Evil | ||
| It happens on the 29th of the last month of a year, which is right before The Losar festival. The meaning of Evil banishing can be found in other ethnic activities around the globe. | ||
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| When this day comes, a sorcerer's dance is performed in monasteries and a thoroughly house-cleaning is done in each single house in order to get rid of misfortune and prepare for godly blessing. When night comes, torches are lit and Shouting are heard everywhere in a prayer for a brand new year without misfortunes. | ||
| Bathing Festival | ||
| It is believed that the water in the river becomes purest when the sacred planet Venus appears in the sky in the early of 7th month of Tibetan calendar. During Venus appearance for one week in the sky, Tibetan brings food and set up tents along the river, and all Tibetan will bath themselves all day long in rivers across the plateau, believing that bathing may cure illness and get rid of misfortune at this time when water is purest and mildest. |
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| Kongpo Traditional Festival | ||
| Originated long ago at a time when Tibet was in danger of a large-scale invasion. One troop was sent out to defend their homeland, It was in 9th month of Tibetan calendar, and the soldiers worried that they might miss the New Year celebration with its highland barley wine and other good things. In order to not disappointing those solders, locals - the Kongpo people declared an early New Year for 1st of 10th of Tibetan calendar before the departure of this troop. The festival begins with the presentation of three sacrifices and then continues nonstop with such entertainment as Kongpo dancing, horse racing, and archery. | ||
| Gyantse Horse Racing & Archery Festival | ||
| Horse-race and Archery on horseback are generally popular throughout the Tibetan Cultural Area. Gyantse Horse Racing Festival is the most prestigious horseracing festival, having hosted the first event in 1408 when the king of Gyangtse gave a decree marking the period from April 10 through 27 of every year for prayers and sacrificial ceremony for his grandfather with entertainment offered on the 28th. | ||
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| By the mid-17th century, original ritual ceremonies became symbolic and Contests in early times. Festival programs included horseracing, archery, and shooting on gallop horse, then followed by a few days' entertainment or picnicking. At present, ball games, track and field events, folk songs and dances, and barter trade have been added to the original schedule of events. |
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| The Ongkor Festival | ||
| "Ongkor" in Tibetan means "Harvest". It is a festival that Tibetan celebrates for a bumper harvest in the village when crops ripen. | ||
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| This festival originated in the region of the middle and lower reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo Valley, approximately 1,000 years ago. At that time, Sorcerers from the Bon religion were invited to perform rituals while farmers were walking around the field to celebrate a bumper harvest, and then continuingly to have entertainment such as: Tibetan opera, horseracing, archery contests…etc; Due to the development of Buddhism, which led to changes to the festival. Monks from other sect of Tibetan religion, such as: Nyingma, Gelukpa were invited to chant sutras thanking for the bumper harvest for this year, while pray for a wealthy coming new year during the festival. In the 14th century, The Gelukpa Sect of Tibetan Buddhism gained prominence, this festival soon became tinged with practices of the Gelukpa Sect, The Ongkor Festival has since been held on an annual basis, and with more activities including Thangkar unfolding, stone lifting, wrestling and various other events. |
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| Holy Mountain Festival | ||
| It is the festival to celebrate the day that Sakyamuni's first sermon. The festival date is on 4th of the 6th month in Tibetan calendar. During this festival, Tibetan is in their best conduct; go to monasteries to Circumambulation around mountains is the popular practice in the festival. Picnicking, singing and dancing are also part of the activities. | ||
| Monlam - The Great Prayer Festival | ||
| It has its origin in a prayer meeting organized at Jokhang Temple by Tsong Khapa - the founder of the Gelukpa Sect of Tibetan Buddhism in 1409. 'Monlam' means 'Prayer' and at monasteries a great Buddhist service is held and 'Cham' (Buddhist dances) are performed. According to the legend, in the first month of the year, Buddha conquered or converted six holy men of false religions. As one of the grandest religious festival in Tibet, thousands of monks from far and near gather together for chanting prayers and performing religious rituals at Jokhang Temple, ceremonial activities begin with lamas from Lhasa's three major monasteries reciting Buddhist sutras, lecturing on Buddhism and debating Buddhist doctrines in front of the statue of Sakyamuni in the Jokhang Monastery. Highly successful participants are granted the highest Buddhist academic title known as Lharamba Geshi. Devout Buddhists throughout Tibet crowd together to the monasteries refilling butter lamps and presenting alms, listening to sermons. The date of the Great Prayer Festival (Smom-lam) varies. For the three great Monasteries of Lhasa, it is from the 4th to the 25th day of this month when the monastery greets Maitreya. For Taer (Ku-bum in Tibetan, i.e., ten thousands images of Buddha) Monastery, it is form the 8th to the 15th day of the first month. For Labrang Monastery, it is from the the 3rd to the 17th day of the first month. |
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| Nakchu Horse-racing Festival | ||
| Nakchu is home to the hardy Tibetan nomads, and has been for centuries. It is located on the Lhasa-Golmud highway. Every summer, Nakchu comes alive to the sounds of horses hoofs galloping and the yells and hoots of the horsemen and the crowds. During this time, thousands of herdsmen throng to here riding fine horses, and carrying the local products. Tents that the nomads putting up form a "city" in the south of Nakchu town. | ||
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| During the festival, shows of horsemanship skills, including archery on horseback and racing, are the main attractions. There will also be much revelry and merry making among the participants and the Tibetan. Though, the weather condition is harsh and the facilities are quite basic, however the Horse racing Festival presents a great opportunity for both Tibetans and the visitors to participate in an age-old festival. | ||
| Saka Dawa Festival | ||
| On Tibetan Calendar, April 15th is the day that Sakyamuni was born as well as nirvana. It is an important Tibetan Buddhist festival. During this fetival, People keep from killing animals, and refrain from eating meats. Mt. Kailash is one of the most important places to celebrate this festival. During the festival pilgrims raise a new flagpole at Darboche in Kailash. Tibetans gather to attach their prayer flags, to pray, and to help to remove the one for the last year, and erecting the new flagpole. A Lama leads the ceremony and the flagpole is raised under his instructions. After the flagpole is erected, Tibetan pray and throw 'wind horses' (little pieces of colored paper with Buddhist scriptures on) into the air. | ||
| The Shoton Festival | ||
| In Tibetan,
"Sho" means Yogurt, "Ton" means Party. Therefore
"Shoton festival" means also "Party of Yogurt" 6th month of Tibetan calendar was for self-cultivation to the monks, whom were required to remain in monasteries, or caves in order to complete the meditation. July 1 in Tibetan calendar is the last day for complete this holy cultivation, local Tibetan bring yogurt to serve the monks. Since a large amount of yogurt was served as meal and followed by entertainment of folk songs, daces…etc, therefore this festival was called "Party of Yogurt", which in Tibetan is "Shoton festival" |
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| Prior
to the 17th century, Shoton Festival had been an exclusively
religious ritual. Gradually Tibetan local operas were added to
this festival extensively in Tibet since the mid-17th century,
which makes it also called "Tibetan Opera Festival"
from that time on. In the beginning of the 18th century, Norbu Lingka, which was built also in the early 18th century as to be the summer residence of the Dalai Lama, became the main venue for the Shoton Festival. Presently, the celebrations of Shoton festival became formalized, including Thangkar unfolding, Tibetan opera contests, Horse-raceing, Yak-racing, |
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| Thangkar Unfolding Festival | ||
| This festival was created by the first Dalai Lama some 500 years ago, it is celebrated for 3 days from 14th to 16th of the 5th month in Tibetan calendar, and has being held in Tashilhunpo Monastery since it's been created. It is an important religious activity at the Tashilhunpo Monastery involving scripture chanting, prayers for rain. During this festival, Giant Thangkas of Amitayus, Sakyamuni and Maitreya are displayed on the monastery's Thangka Wall, and thousands of pilgrims flocking to the monastery to pay their homage to the Buddha and also to accumulate merits. | ||
| Tsong Khapa Butter Lamp Festival | ||
| October 25th of Tibetan calendar is the date of this festival. When myriad of butter lamps are lit on rooftops, and prayers are chanted, it is the time to commemorate the Nirvana of Tsong Khapa, whom was the creator of Gelukpa Sect of Tibetan religion, a great religious reformer and a master of Tibetan Buddhism. | ||
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| During the festival, Barkhor Street of Lhasa is crowded with Tibetan, Various giant sculptures, of which made of butter and Tsampa, are in forms of auspicious symbols and figures, and being displayed in Barkhor Street. Some of those Butter lamps are as much as 5 to 10 meters in height. There are quite different type Butter lamps, such as: numerous colored butter sculptures of immortals, animals, birds, flowers and plants. Buddhists take ritual walks through the streets to Jorkhang temple, and placing one special kind tree branch into incense burners in front of this holy temple while praying for good luck. | ||
| The Lingka Woods Festival | ||
| "Lingka" in Tibetan means a place with beautiful scenery.
"The Lingkar Festival" means "World Happiness
Day". It is held on the 15th day of 5th month in Tibetan Calendar. The festival evolved from the legend that Padmasambhava, an Indian monk, whom conquered all evils in the 5th month of the year of Monkey in Tibetan Calendar. On this day, Tibetan dressed up, and gathered together in the Lingkar, carrying barley wine, Tsampa, buttered tea, and other favorite food going to Lingkar, putting up tents, singing and dancing, enjoying and celebrating, Folk artists exhibit their skills throughout the festival, |
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