New Year for the Mongols. Holidays in Mongolia When Mongolia celebrates New Year
As you know, the celebration of the classic New Year dates back to Roman times, when the so-called Julian calendar was introduced. In Russia New Year On January 1, they began to celebrate since the introduction by Peter I in 1700 of the chronology from the Nativity of Christ, before that the years were counted from the creation of the world. Buryats, Mongols, Kalmyks, Tuvans celebrate Sagaalgan (Tsagan Sar), many Turkic peoples celebrate Novruz Bayram.
New Year seems to be the oldest holiday in human history. It is all the more curious to trace the identity of dates among the most different peoples of the world - for example, the Xiongnu and the ancient Celts, Iranians and Buryats.
March 1, September 1, January 1
Until the end of the 15th century, the New Year in Russia fell on March 1. In principle, like among many peoples, this was an echo of pagan ideas about the time of the beginning of spring field work. In pre-Christian Russia, the New Year fell on the beginning of January. March 1 did not take root in Russia, since the spring field work here differed from those in the Mediterranean, the birthplace of the Julian calendar. However, the new date, September 1, also did not take into account the climatic features of Russia. The reform of the calendar system was carried out without taking into account the working life of the people, without establishing a connection with agricultural work.
The September New Year was established by the Church following the word of the Holy Scriptures; having established and substantiated it with a biblical legend. By the way, the Julian calendar was also not in circulation. In 1700, Peter I put it into operation and set the New Year on January 1. In 1917, after the revolution, the Gregorian calendar was introduced. The Church, however, still uses the old Julian calculus, so all dates have shifted by 13 days, say, Orthodox Christmas and the "old" New Year.
Church influence on the festivities, however, practically disappeared during the Soviet era. There were attempts to completely abolish the New Year, until, in December 1935, Stalin's associate Pavel Postyshev published an article in the Pravda newspaper where he proposed returning the New Year tree to the children. Since then, in many families, the tradition has been preserved to put a red star on the Christmas tree instead of the gold one of Bethlehem.
Hunnu and New Year
According to the testimony of Chinese historians, the Hunnu people, the forerunner of the Mongol and Turkic peoples, knew the New Year. The nomads widely celebrated this holiday and gave gifts. And that was 3000 years ago. It was the Xiongnu among the Asian peoples who were the first to decorate Christmas trees and put gifts under them. The spruce was intended for the god Yorlu, who came to the yurt through the chimney, and it was placed so that it would be more convenient for him to descend. To appease the deity, the tree was decorated with food and silver. Gifts were given for children - bows and arrows for boys, spindles for girls.
New Year was celebrated on the day of the end of the driving of cattle to winter roads and fell on October 14. According to popular observations, at this time there was a descent of the Moon ("ara") in the phase of fullness with the Pleiades constellation ("Tengeriin basagaduud", ie "heavenly girls").
It is noteworthy that this date was also celebrated in pre-Christian Russia, later this holiday became the day of the Protection of the Holy Mother of God.
Later, when the Xiongnu and then the Avars invaded Europe, they, according to some researchers, brought the tradition of decorating Christmas trees.
The end of the harvest was also celebrated by the Celts (October 31), whose New Year was called Samhain.
Nowadays, European and Asian neopagans are trying to revive the tradition of celebrating the New Year at the end of field work or driving livestock for the winter. But there is no unity among them, since many are inclined to celebrate the New Year on other dates.
This is the 21st December
The holiday of the winter solstice, which fell on December 21, is also considered by many peoples to be the New Year. The ancient Germanic tribes on this day awaited the revival of the King of the Oak, the Giver of Life, who warmed the frozen earth and awakened life in the seeds that were stored in its bosom throughout the long winter.
The Vedic-Zoroastrian god Mithra, according to legend, was also born on December 21. On the longest night of the year, the god of light and truth appeared, whose cult, in many ways, was reflected in many religions of the world.
The Slavic peoples celebrated the Kolyada holiday on this day, when “the sun turns to summer, and winter to frost. No matter how cold the frost may be, the merry holiday will be warmer than the stove. "
Everyone remembers the noise around the world caused by the date of December 21, 2012. In fact, the day of the winter solstice, calculated by the ancient Maya, was the end of a 5200-year cycle of transition from one side of the galactic ecliptic to the other.
Thus, a more progressive calculation of the New Year began, depending on the Sun, Moon, stars, and not depending on the end or beginning of field work or migrations. The end of December was also accepted as the date of birth of Jesus Christ, although it is not known if he was born on December 25th. However, many peoples have adopted the date of the vernal equinox as the New Year.
Ahura Mazda and Hormusta Khan
In the 5th century BC. the prophet Zarathustra, based on ancient Persian and Vedic beliefs, compiled his works and founded, in fact, a new religion. The year according to the Zoroastrian calendar was calculated according to the Sun and counted 12 months. Each month was 30 days, and was named after this or that god or saint. The remaining five to six days were called "weeping days." This calendar was quite perfect for its time. In many respects, many other European and Asian chronologies originated from it.
New Year in Zoroastrianism fell on March 21-22, the day of the vernal equinox. Later, this date will also pass into the solar Turkic calendar as the day of el syrty - the ridge of the year.
Thus, among the ancient Turks and Mongols, it became a tradition to celebrate the New Year with the arrival of spring. But over time, the calendar has undergone changes. Thus, the current Turkic peoples, together with many Muslims, celebrate on this day Novruz-bairam, a holiday that appeared in Islam, but has its roots in Zoroastrianism. But not all Turkic peoples celebrate March 22, say, among the Yakuts, because of the natural and climatic features, the New Year was shifted to May 22.
The contribution of Zoroastrianism to the culture of Asian peoples is enormous. It spread from the Persian Gulf to Lake Baikal, it was transmitted by the Turkic Kams and Mongolian shamans. In the epic "Geser" there are deities Hormusta (Khan-Khurmas tengeri) and Atai-Ulaan, whose names are borrowed from the Zoroastrian Ahura Mazda and Ahriman.
Turkic animal cycle
The so-called "animal cycle" became widespread among the ancient Turks. It was a kind of calendar, at the junction of Persian and Chinese, with Hunnic echoes. It was based on the monthly revolution of the Moon around the Earth, the annual revolution of the Earth around the Sun and the period of Jupiter's revolution around the Sun. By the names of the animals in the calendar, it was almost identical to the Chinese one - rat, bull, leopard, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, chicken, dog and pig.
There was also a 12-hour cycle per day, also according to animal data. The unit of measurement for the month was the time between two new moons. The month was divided into two periods: "ay Nazly" (new moon) and "ay cards" (old moon). Later, in the Middle Ages, each month began to have a certain name and its own signs.
The Turks divided the year into four seasons: spring, summer, autumn and winter. In addition, the year was divided into 24 seasons of 15 days each. Each season consisted of three minor seasons, each with five days. This division further detailed the weather signs.
But the Turkic calendar was sunny, and the establishment of the New Year on March 21 or 22 was more or less understandable. But over time, among the Turkic and Mongolian peoples, the solar calendar began to be replaced by the solar-lunar calendar, and after some of them the Muslim calendars were introduced, while others - the Buddhist lunar calendars.
Sagaalgan - is it a Buddhist New Year?
Many people mistakenly believe that the Tsagan Sar (Sagaalgan) holiday appeared among the Mongol-speaking peoples under the influence of Buddhism. In fact, this New Year, as we can see, was also celebrated among Tengrian shamanists. Northern Buddhists (Lamaists), thoroughly revised the calendars of the Turks and the Chinese, and compiled their own on their basis, based on more accurate astronomical data and adapting the coming of the New Year to our natural and climatic conditions. Therefore, the Chinese and Mongolian New Years do not always coincide.
Either way, the tradition of celebrating in late winter has long roots. But the lunar calendar has its own characteristics. To correspond to the sun, 13 months are added to it every three years - "iluu". Due to the discrepancy between the calendars, it turns out that in each year Sagaalgan falls on different dates of the solar calendar.
It is curious that in one of the versions of the Buryat calendar, the year of the Monkey ("bishen") was named the year of the Star ("mushen"). Apparently, this was due to the fact that the Buryats did not know such an animal, and gave this year a consonant name.
Finally, it is worth recalling once again that in 2014 the Year of the Blue Horse will not come on January 1, but on January 31. And the inhabitants of Buryatia will rest for three days.
New Year is a family holiday for many Mongols and is always celebrated on a grand scale. The gala dinner usually starts late in the evening on December 31st. Traditional dishes- salads, buuz (a kind of Mongolian dumplings, steamed and filled with meat), cake and champagne. At 23:55 TV channels broadcast the President's New Year's address to the people, which lists the achievements of the past year. On the upcoming holiday, for the first time, President H. Battulga will congratulate the citizens of Mongolia as the head of the country. As soon as he finishes his speech, it will strike midnight and people will toast, launch fireworks and celebrate the beginning of the New Year.
If you are in Ulaanbaatar, you can head to Sukhbaatar Square to watch the most popular public New Year's events. The city administration annually organizes New Year's celebrations at Sukhbaatar Square, including performances and fireworks.
V recent times young people are eager to celebrate the New Year in nightclubs, which also offer a varied program for the New Year's Eve.
Children in Mongolia for the New Year take part in decorating a Christmas tree, an obligatory attribute of the holiday, and are waiting for Өvliin Өvgөn, the Mongolian Santa Claus, who brings gifts. Өvliyn Өvgөn often comes with his granddaughter, Tsasan ohin or Snegurochka.
On January 1, when the peak of the celebration is over, many people visit their friends or relatives.
On December 29, Mongolia celebrates the restoration of its national freedom and independence. Therefore, according to a government decree, this day has become an annual public holiday.
Moreover, December 30 is also declared a non-working day. Therefore, residents of Mongolia will have a rest from December 29, 2017 to January 1, 2018, January 2, 2018 - a working day.
Christmas trees decorated with money
Many Mongolians believe that the Christmas tree is decorated for the sake of children. Parents buy a Christmas tree and decorate it to make their children happy.
In addition, the one who comes to visit usually brings a bill with him as a gift to the child, which he hangs on a tree. This has already become a tradition. Moreover, the money hanging on the tree is mostly spent by children. For example, if a family has two children, the money will be divided equally between them.
Christmas tree has become a worldwide symbol of wealth and prosperity. However, on the other hand, the Christmas tree has become the most the best way to earn money. If you see that Mongolia's New Year tree is decorated with money, don't be surprised!
Wake up before midnight December 31st
Almost every Mongolian is awake until 12 noon on December 31 to open champagne and toast at midnight. It has become a tradition to wait for the president's speech and raise glasses at midnight, welcoming the new year and wishing each other all the best.
Ex-President Ts. Elbegdorj made a toast, holding a bowl of milk instead of champagne or vodka, urging the Mongols to celebrate the holiday without alcohol.
Enjoyfireworksohmon the Sukhe-Bator square
No one goes to bed on New Year's Eve, even the kids stay awake until the early hours of the morning. It is very important to admire the fireworks on New Year's Eve.
You don't have to go to the square Sukhe Bator to see the fireworks. You can enjoy it from the windows of your house. If you live in a tall building, you can see the whole of Ulaanbaatar.
Hand overgifts for children
As we mentioned earlier, the Mongols attach great importance to children during the New Year celebrations. Traditionally, Mongols give gifts to children. Companies purchase gifts for the children of their employees.
Recently, friends or caring people give gifts to children from low-income families.
And most importantly, the Mongols welcome the New Year by saying SHINE ZHILIIN MAND KHARGEE !!!
13:55 - REGNUM In the capital of Mongolia, on the central square named after Sukhe-Bator, the grand opening of the country's main Christmas tree was held with the participation of the mayor of Ulan Bator and representatives of the sphere of culture and sports.
"Banquet of Prince Natsagdorzh"
The Mongols celebrate the new year twice. The first time - on the night of December 31 to January 1 according to the Gregorian calendar. Second time - by lunar calendar... This holiday is called "Tsagaan Sar" (translated as "White month").
New Year according to the Gregorian calendar in Mongolia is celebrated traditionally: they decorate the Christmas tree, Santa Claus and the Snow Maiden give gifts to children.
This custom is only 70 years old: it is a consequence of the influence of culture and education. Soviet Union... Such a New Year in Mongolia was first celebrated only on December 31, 1947. At the same time, Father Frost visited the country for the first time. His role was played by People's Artist of Mongolia Gombozhavin Gombosuren... At that time, the "grandfather" was only 28 years old. He was the main performer of this role for 50 years and became the honored Santa Claus of the country. Mongolian Grandfather Frost differs from Russian first of all in attire: a national headdress, a deel costume and shoes.
Interestingly, before the Gregorian New Year became a legal holiday, it was celebrated illegally in the country. And the great Mongolian writer Dashdorzhiin Natsagdorzh he was even convicted of it. In 1931, the famous prose writer, poet, considered one of the founders of modern Mongolian literature, Dashdorzhiin Natsagdorzh with his Russian wife Nina Shestakova invited a whole company home, which included a famous writer Donrovyn Namdag and representatives of the Russian diaspora, who lived at that time in the capital of Mongolia. They celebrated the new year together. Among the guests was a certain Bat-Ochir, who photographed the event. On the back of one of the photographs, he wrote "The Banquet of Prince Natsagdorzh" and sent this photo to the Ministry of Internal Defense. On May 18, 1932, Dashdorzhiin Natsagdorzh was arrested and interrogated to find out why he was celebrating a "feudal holiday". The writer spent six months in prison.
"Banquet of Prince Natsagdorzh"
A little over ten years passed, and during the Second World War, the Mongolian politician Sonomin Luvsanbecame a participant in the New Year celebrations in the Soviet Union. After returning to his homeland, he said:
« We must celebrate the beautiful New Year's holiday, which is celebrated by Russian brothers ". So this tradition was legalized in the country.
The second New Year - "White Month" - the nomadic Mongols have been celebrating for over 800 years. The holiday is associated with the beginning of spring. Tsagaan Sar ("White Month") falls most often in February. The tradition originated in the country during the time of Genghis Khan. The Mongols meet Tsagaan Sar not in a narrow family circle, but in the company of friends and neighbors, since for a long time there is a belief that the more people gather in the house for a holiday, the richer and happier the coming year will be. True, during the time of Genghis Khan, the Mongols celebrated this New Year's holiday in the fall. And in the spring it was moved only after the death of the commander, in the XIII century.
MONGOLIAN HOLIDAYS
WHITE MONTH (TsAGAAN-SAR)
Tsagaan Sar- this is the meeting of the New Year, and the first month of the year, which opens the spring-summer season, the long-awaited end of wintering and moving to spring pastures. Translated from Mongolian “Tsagaan sar” means White month. Tsagaan Sar has long occupied an important place in the traditional life of the Mongols, carrying a colossal emotional charge. It gives an idea of 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 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 beginning 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 happens in February. Until 1267, the Mongols met Tsagaan Sar in September. For the ancient Mongols, the new year began in the fall.
According to some sources, spring began to be considered the beginning of the year since the reign of Genghis Khan. As written in the writings of Lama Aghvaaniyam. Genghis conquered Tibet in the spring. Many princes of the conquered country. and not only they, but also other tribes and nationalities recognized Chinggis as their emperor and arranged a great holiday in honor of this event. Upon arrival in his homeland, Chinggis again celebrated the beginning of the year. Since then, the tradition has been established to celebrate the new year in spring. The sage Sumbe Khambo Ishbalzhir introduced his own calendar, which he called "Tutsbuyant", which is followed by all monasteries in Mongolia to this day.
According to other sources, the transfer of the holiday to February occurred only under Khubilai, the grandson of Genghis Khan, the first emperor of the Mongol Yuan dynasty, which ruled in China from 1271-1368. The testimony 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 Peking court in the 13th century.
With the establishment of the country's autonomy and sovereignty in 1911, Bogdo Khan declared this chronology to be a state one. "Tugsbuyant" has become 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 hold 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 was held by 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 their calendar by the lamas, the white month was moved towards the end of winter and combined with the date of the victory of the founder of Buddhism over other schools. White color for the Mongols symbolizes well-being, while white products are required for celebration Tsagaan Sarah.
Tsagaan Sar - Lunar New Year, that is, according to the eastern horoscope, is celebrated on the first spring day. According to this calendar, it falls on different years on different days and even months. Depending on the location of the moon in a particular zodiac, astrologers use the algorithm to calculate the first spring day or the day of Tsagaan Sarah. 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 lamas-astrologers Sumbe hamba 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, and therefore spring comes much earlier.
Traditionally, on New Year's Eve, the most respected and revered lamas make astrological forecasts for the inhabitants of the country on next year... On the eve of the new year, a ritual of purification and a special prayer service are performed in temples and datsans. The main services are held at the largest Buddhist monastery Gandantegchlen. The services lasting 15 days comprise a New Year's prayer service. It includes a service in honor of deities, a rite of removing obstacles (held the day before the end of the old year), a prayer service in honor of the miracles performed by the Buddha for the sake of spreading the sacred teachings, wishes for peace and prosperity, and other rituals. Many residents of the capital these days are trying to get into churches in order to pray for happiness and good luck in the coming year for themselves and their families.
Since the 15-16th century, as Buddhism spread and strengthened on the territory of Mongolia, this holiday was sacralized on the occasion of the memory of Buddha Shigamuniyev performing various miracles in 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 in the monasteries of Mongolia, great khurals are performed / t. e. Buddhist worship /. Pray for a happy new year. After the prayer service, bonfires are kindled, in the flame of which old things are burned and sacrifices are made to the fire.
The celebration of the White month consists of three main parts: these are 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 litter, get rid of the accumulated dirt and rubbish. Women sew a new deel / traditional Mongolian robe / to 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. The Tsagaan Sar meal 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, whole boiled rump of a fat ram with its head, traditional lapte-shaped shortbreads - 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, Arkhi milk vodka, Ayrag kumis.
On the eve of Tsagaan Sara the houses are doing a lot of cleaning. On New Year's Eve, each family arranges a farewell to the outgoing year - "bituuleg". People have to pay off all their debts, especially with such as, for example, objects, things that can be counted. If you were in a quarrel with someone, did not get along with someone, offended someone, then the exchange of "hooreg" (a snuff box with snuff is designed to improve your relationship). With this action, you kind of ask each other for forgiveness. That is, you need to enter the new year as cleansed as possible, leaving all the bad behind.
The celebration of Tsagaan Sar begins from the last day of the old year, which is called “bitun”. “Bitun” means “closed”. In "bityn" every Mongol should be at home, not visit and eat his fill of covered food, that is, manti and dumplings. It is also believed that in “bitun” people over 13 years old should not sleep, since the Buddhist goddess Lham, flying around the entire planet on her horse on this day, can count the person asleep among the dead. In the evening, on New Year's Eve, a bituuleg is arranged in every Mongolian family - a farewell to the passing year. On the last evening of the outgoing year, children gather at the parent's hearth to spend the old and celebrate the new year with a generous treat. The rump of a fat ram, 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. It is customary to eat your fill in bituun. The feast had its own characteristics. The old men were located in the northern part of the dwelling, where the most honored guests are usually seated. Younger men - on right side, women - on the left.
Also, the Mongols put 3 transparent pieces over the door of the yurt in "bitun" river ice- this is a drink for the horse of the goddess, and weeds, thorns on the left lintel of the yurt so that they cannot enter the house evil spirits... On the last day of the old year, many actively visit Buddhist monasteries and perform the rite of cleansing from the sins of the outgoing year. The redemptive and cleansing function of such New Year's Eve prayers is enhanced by the idea that the line of transition from one year to another is a special, sacred time, a time when there is a gap between good and evil.
The New Year's Eve begins not at midnight, as is customary in our country, 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 with sunrise, family members dress up in new clothes and congratulate first the elders in the family, then the neighbors. However, according to Mongolian custom, the spouses do not exchange greetings. This morning the hostess offers the first cup to the gods. Then they visit their older relatives, performing the "zolgoh" rite, in which the younger one stretches out his hands with his palms up and supports the elder under the elbows, and he, in turn, puts his outstretched hands with his palms down. The ceremony is performed, as a rule, in national dress, and men must have a headdress on their heads. When all the rituals are completed, it is customary to visit, exchange congratulations and gifts, feast
The festive feast begins with a lamb sacrum, which the owner of the house passes in thin pieces strictly according to the rules. The more abundant 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, drinking wine, must express a wish for happiness to the host. A large assortment of milk products is displayed on the table: Bislag cheese, Arul dried cottage cheese, Tarak curdled milk, Uryum foam, Arkhi milk vodka, Ayrag kumis, etc. In addition to treats, the hosts give small gifts to guests and sweets for the children.
And khadag for the Mongols is the most best gift... Khadagi are different in length, color, patterns. Khadag, which is called Ayuush, has images of people given to the most respected people, parents or the eldest. A folded hadag with a bow is served with the open side to the receiver. The one who has received the hadagh also bows respectfully and, having neatly folded it, keeps it with himself. Khadag is the symbolic peak of spiritual and material wealth. And for a long time there has been a custom to keep the five-color "hadagi" as a good sign of well-being and tranquility. Blue hadag - the colors of the blue sky - is a sign of harmony and tranquility. Green is a symbol of reproduction, productivity. Red - a symbol of fire - a sign of the safety and security of the hearth. Yellow - removes everything bad and is a sign of elevation in office, professional growth, knowledge and the spread of Buddhist philosophy. White - the color of mother's milk, embodies the clear wisdom of the Buddha and good deeds, generosity.
It is customary among men these days to treat each other to snuff from a snuff-box, which, having taken it with his right hand, opens the cap with his left hand and sprinkles a snuff of tobacco on the back of his right hand and sniffs. At the same time, snuff-boxes made of 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 the hosts to the guests, not by the guests to the hosts.
The ritual “zolgolt” is held at home. This is a kind of New Year's greeting, when the younger Mongols extend their hands to their elders, palms up, and the elders put their hands on top, palms down. At this time, the younger ones support the older ones under the elbows. This distinctive gesture of welcome expresses respect for the elderly and the promise of help and support when needed. In the White Month, all the younger members of the family should be the first to congratulate the older members. It is also customary to treat all guests with plentiful food, since this is a special holiday when the stomach should be full. Then they present all the guests who have come with gifts. Zolgolt is the most important ritual of the White Month. The Mongols still have a belief: the more guests visit the house or yurt on the first day of the New Year, for the zolgolt, the happier the coming year will be.
The first persons of the country on the first day of the New Year in the central temple of Gandantegchilin participate in the ritual of worshiping the deity Zhanraiseg and the ceremony of entrusting the deity of Ochirdar with the fate of the people, with wishes of well-being. They also perform the rite of "zolgoh" (greetings) with lamas of high rank. Then they pay homage to the shrines of our monastery. Further, the rite of "zolgoh" is performed at the State Residence, where the leaders of our monastery also perform the rite of "zolgoh" 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 graduation Tsagaan Sara business life is gradually returning to its normal course. The Mongols attach great importance to the celebration of this holiday. On the streets at this time, people in Mongolian national costumes are everywhere.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
- The materials of the newspaper "Mongolia News" were used. No. 5-6 dated 02/07/2013. Scanning and processing E. Kulakova.
* Altai Republic
*Tyva
* Zabaykalsky Krai
** Aginsky Buryat District
* Irkutsk region
** Ust-Orda Buryat District
China
* Inner Mongolia
Holiday in the XIII century. [ | ]
| Their year begins in February; the great khan and all his subjects celebrate this way: according to custom, everyone dresses in white, both men and women, as everyone can. White clothes are considered happy by them, that's why they do this, dress in white, so that all the year there is happiness and prosperity ... They bring him great gifts ... so that all year the great khan has a lot of wealth and he would be happy and cheerful. I will tell you more, princes and knights, and all the people give each other white things, hug, have fun, feast, and this is done in order to live happily and kindly all year. On this day, you know, more than a hundred thousand glorious and expensive white horses are presented to the great khan. On the same day, five thousand elephants are brought out under white, embroidered beasts and birds, blankets; each elephant has two beautiful and expensive caskets on its back, and in them are the dishes of the great khan and rich harness for this white gathering. Many more camels are being bred; they are also under blankets and loaded with everything necessary for the gift. Both elephants and camels pass in front of the great khan, and such beauty has never been seen anywhere! ... And when the great sovereign reviews all the gifts, tables are set up, and everyone sits down at them ... And after dinner, magicians come and amuse the courtyard, which you have already heard before; when all this is over, they all go to their home |
Popular mythology[ | ]
Popular Buddhist mythology connects the Tsagan Sar holiday, the beginning of spring, with the name of the Buddhist deity Dharmapala, the goddess Baldan Lhamo. According to legend, every year after the next victory over the mangus and the salvation of the sun, swallowed by the lord of hell Yama (mong. Erlag nomin khan), she descends to the ground, warms her with her warmth, and spring begins. Colds recede, winter lack of fodder leaves, a new season begins in the economic activities of cattle breeders. They are counting the losses incurred in winter and rejoice at the approaching warm season.
The image of an angry Buddhist goddess sometimes coexists with the image of the White Elder (Mong. Tsagaan өvgөn), the traditional Buddhist embodiment of fertility and longevity.
Holiday in New Time[ | ]
Today is the first day of Sagaalgan in the Republic of Buryatia and the Trans-Baikal Territory, as well as in the territories of the Aginsky Buryat Autonomous Okrug and the Ust-Orda Buryat Autonomous Okrug is a day off.
According to the Law of the Republic of Kalmykia dated October 13, 2004 N 156-III-З "On holidays and memorable days in the Republic of Kalmykia", the Tsagan Sar holiday is a national holiday in Kalmykia.
According to the Law of the Republic of Tyva dated February 3, 1999 No. 143 "On holidays Republic of Tuva "holiday Shagaa (New Year according to the lunar calendar) was given the status of" folk holiday ", its date is set annually by a resolution of the Supreme Khural (parliament) of the Republic of Tuva in accordance with the eastern lunar calendar.
On February 1, 2013, the State Assembly of the Altai Republic made amendments to the law “On Holidays and Memorable Days, Anniversaries in the Altai Republic”. In accordance with the amendments, the holiday of the New Year and the change of the symbol of the year according to the lunar calendar Chaga Bayram is declared non-working.
In 2011, the holiday was nominated in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List.
Celebration traditions and rites[ | ]
Meat and sweets - modern treats on the Sagaalgan holiday
They prepared for the celebrations in advance, slaughtered cattle for future use, since it was forbidden to do this directly on the days of the holiday. The celebration took place in every home. They hung new outfits on a rope, shook up all the clothes. They cooked meat - lamb, beef or horse meat, cooked buuz.
Ritual mutual greeting[ | ]
The traditional greeting was an important ritual with which two people who met that day addressed each other. The meaning of this greeting is so great and the duration of its action is so long that, for example, Tuvans could not say hello for a whole year, arguing that in the White month they had already greeted.
Visiting[ | ]
Visiting is an indispensable component of the Sagaalgan holiday. Even those living far away these days came to meet with their relatives. There were certain norms: the sequence of visits, the nature of the gifts depended on the position of the person. They visited their parents, maternal relatives - they always enjoyed special reverence; daughters-in-law came to the house of her husband's parents with children to worship ancestral ancestors and patrons. An indispensable element of the holiday gifts was a bunch of wrestlers.
Present [ | ]
The traditional ritual gift is the national flour dish "bortsok". Bortsoki were made from fresh unleavened dough and fried in boiling fat. They made up sets - for offering the "first portion" to the Buddhas, as well as gift sets - for handing over to relatives during festive visits. The shape of the wrestlers included in the sets had a symbolic meaning: the figurines in the form of animals expressed the wish for the offspring of the corresponding cattle; as a reason - good luck. So, bortsoks "huts", fashioned in the form of a figurine of a ram, meant the wish for a large offspring of this type of cattle and reflected to some extent the ancient rite of animal sacrifice, that is, they replaced the real victim with its image. A similar role was played by the whale bortsoks, whose shape resembled a part of horse entrails, and the өvrte tokhsh bortsoks, symbolizing cattle. Bortsoki "moshkmr" - twisted, reminiscent the National dish from boiled mutton entrails, small "khorha" (literal translation: insects). Jola wrestlers, depicting the occasion, were supposed to invoke endless luck. And when they brought up the "shoshhr" wrestler, they expressed a desire to live as a single family, as well as to have protection from enemies.
Offerings [ | ]
Early in the morning on the day of the holiday, the sprinkling ceremony (Kalm. Zulg orgkh) was performed: after crossing the threshold of the house, the owner sprinkled around the first cup of freshly brewed tea as an offering to the ancestors and the White Elder. Bortsoks in the form of a sun and a lotus were used for a symbolic offering to the Burkhans. Among the Don Kalmyks, the type of wrestlers "burkhan hall" or "tsatsg", in the form of a tassel, symbolizing a lotus, was especially loved. It was placed at the top of the "Deedzhi Boortsg". Bortsoks in the shape of the sun are large cakes, called havtha in some ethnic groups, and tselvg in others. "Havtha" is a whole flat cake with pinches along the edges or with four holes in the center, the edges of the "tselvg" wrestlers are even, and small holes are located radially around their circumference. "Havtha" or "tselvg" was prepared in the first place and was invariably set as a deeji. All the other wrestlers listed above were also placed in this set.
Days of the new moon - the eve of Sagaalgan - from to[ | ]
| 05.02.00 | 22.02.01 | 12.02.02 | 01.02.03 | 20.02.04 | 09.02.05 | 29.01.06 | 18.02.07 | 07.02.08 | 24.02.09 |
| 14.02.10 | 03.02.11 | 21.02.12 | 10.02.13 | 31.01.14 | 19.02.15 | 08.02.16 | 26.02.17 | 16.02.18 | 05.02.19 |
| 23.02.20 | 12.02.21 | 01.02.22 | 20.02.23 | 10.02.24 | 29.01.25 | 17.02.26 | 06.02.27 | 24.02.28 | 13.02.29 |
| 03.02.30 | 21.02.31 | 11.02.32 | 31.01.33 | 19.02.34 | 08.02.35 | 26.02.36 | 15.02.37 | 04.02.38 | 22.02.39 |
| 12.02.40 | 01.02.41 | 20.02.42 | 10.02.43 | 30.01.44 | 17.02.45 | 06.02.46 | 24.02.47 | 14.02.48 | 02.02.49 |
| 21.02.50 | 11.02.51 | 01.02.52 | 19.02.53 | 08.02.54 | 26.02.55 | 15.02.56 | 04.02.57 | 22.02.58 | 12.02.59 |
| 02.02.60 | 19.02.61 | 09.02.62 | 29.01.63 | 17.02.64 | 05.02.65 | 24.02.66 | 14.02.67 | 03.02.68 | 21.02.69 |
| 11.02.70 | 31.01.71 | 19.02.72 | 07.02.73 | 26.02.74 | 15.02.75 | 05.02.76 | 22.02.77 | 12.02.78 | 02.02.79 |
| 20.02.80 | 09.02.81 | 29.01.82 | 17.02.83 | 06.02.84 | 24.02.85 | 14.02.86 | 03.02.87 | 22.02.88 | 10.02.89 |
| 30.01.90 | 18.02.91 | 07.02.92 | 25.02.93 | 15.02.94 | 05.02.95 | 23.02.96 | 12.02.97 | 01.02.98 | 19.02.99 |
