Majestic Qinghai · Folk Customs Edition: 2026 Tibetan New Year – A Reunion Celebration on the Plateau
On February 18, 2026, the first day of the Tibetan lunar New Year (locally called "Losar") coincides with the first day of the Chinese lunar New Year, marking the grand opening of Losar on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. As the most solemn festival for Tibetans, Losar is not only a ritual to bid farewell to the old and welcome the new but also a carrier of the survival wisdom, cultural genes, and family warmth of the plateau's ancestors. From the busy preparations in the twelfth lunar month to the blessing ceremonies of the New Year, every detail holds the key to understanding Tibetan culture.
Festival Origin: A Thousand-Year Mark of the Integration of Three Calendars
The roots of the Tibetan New Year are deeply embedded in the natural rhythms and cultural evolution of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. A thousand years ago, the ancestors of Tibetans calculated time according to phenological changes and held celebrations after harvests to give thanks for nature's gifts – the earliest prototype of the New Year.
During the reign of Songtsen Gampo in the 7th century AD, the Han Chinese solar calendar and the Indian Kalachakra calendar were introduced to Tibet, integrating with the local phenological calendar and laying the foundation for the systematization of the Tibetan calendar. In 1027, Tibetan astronomers integrated the essence of the three calendars to create the formal Tibetan calendar, designating that year as the starting point of the era, and the date of the Tibetan New Year has been fixed ever since.
As early spring brings gradual warmth to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, it becomes the perfect time for relatives and friends to gather. For Tibetans, this day is "the starting point of all things' recovery," with core meanings of bidding farewell to the old, welcoming the new, praying for blessings, and seeking good fortune. People wish for abundant pastures, bumper harvests, and prosperity for humans and livestock in the new year. This thousand-year-old expectation has also become an important bond maintaining national cultural identity.
Preparations in the Twelfth Lunar Month: A Folk Prelude to Growing New Year Atmosphere
House-Cleaning for Blessings: Auspicious Meanings in Food and Decorations
As soon as the twelfth lunar month arrives, Tibetan villages are wrapped in a strong New Year atmosphere. After the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month, the "Nang Sao" (house-cleaning) ritual officially begins. People wipe their houses and yurts with highland barley stalks, not only cleaning the living environment but also symbolically sweeping away misfortunes and disasters of the past year. Herders busily repair yurts and reinforce fences, while farmers tidy up courtyards and maintain farm tools – every household makes solid preparations for the New Year.
Food preparation is the core task of the twelfth lunar month, with each dish carrying auspicious meanings. The key blessing vessel, the "Chagma Box," is filled with roasted highland barley (symbolizing bumper harvests) and butter tsampa balls (implying a sweet life). Traditional foods such as Kase (fried pastries), hand-grabbed mutton, and butter tea are also prepared in advance, filling the villages with aroma as they await the reunion moment to be shared with relatives and friends.
Household decorations are filled with blessing codes: doors and windows are pasted with patterns like "Sun and Moon Shining Together" and "Eight Auspicious Symbols"; Regong thangkas themed on peace and blessings are hung in living rooms; prayer flag poles are erected outside courtyards or yurts, with colorful prayer flags fluttering in the wind to convey good wishes. Many families also prepare materials such as cypress branches and tsampa for incense-burning rituals, waiting for the New Year blessing ceremony.
Gutor Night: A Folk Festival to Bid Farewell to the Old and Drive Away Evil
"Gutor Night" on the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month is the core link of New Year preparations, carrying the important meaning of bidding farewell to the old and expelling evil. "Gutor" is a fragrant porridge made of tsampa, brown sugar, and other ingredients, with hidden objects symbolizing different personalities – wool represents kindness and gentleness, stones signify perseverance, salt symbolizes calmness and restraint, and chili hints at an irritable temperament.
The whole family sits around to enjoy the hot porridge. Those who find special objects are teased gently by family members, and amid laughter, it symbolizes the elimination of misfortunes from the past year. After the meal, family members hold lit butter lamps and walk slowly around the house and courtyard, reciting blessing mantras. The flickering light is believed to drive away evil spirits, as everyone eagerly anticipates the arrival of New Year blessings.
Core Activities: Vibrant Culture in Traditional Rituals
New Year Blessings: Curling Incense Smoke and Chanting Prayers
On the early morning of the New Year, the blessing ceremony officially begins. Incense-burning (Weisang) is an indispensable first step for every household. People carry pre-prepared offerings such as cypress branches and tsampa to the incense-burning stove on the roof or the sacred mountain "Laze" near the village. After lighting the cypress branches, they slowly sprinkle the offerings, and the curling incense smoke rises, carrying wishes for favorable weather and prosperity for humans and livestock to the gods of heaven and earth.
At the same time, grand scripture-chanting and blessing ceremonies are held in monasteries across the region. Monks dressed in crimson robes line up neatly in the incense-filled temples, holding scriptures and chanting in unison. The melodious Buddhist horns and solemn scriptures echo through the valleys. This solemn atmosphere not only highlights the profound religious and folk heritage of the Tibetan New Year but also serves as an important expression of national cultural identity.
New Year Visits in Festive Attire: Conveying Affection with Hada and Reuniting with Warmth
After the blessing ceremony, the lively New Year visit session pushes the New Year joy to a climax. The whole family, young and old, puts on colorful traditional Tibetan costumes. Juniors respectfully perform the "Quda" (kneeling kowtow) to elders, expressing their respect and gratitude.
Elders then present the Chagma Box, allowing juniors to grab a handful of highland barley and tsampa – first offering it to the gods and then eating it, completing the traditional ritual of "worshipping gods and receiving blessings." Afterwards, elders gently touch the tops of juniors' heads to bestow blessings and hand out red envelopes filled with heartfelt wishes. These red envelopes carry the love and expectations of elders, passing down filial piety and family affection through the ritual from generation to generation.
Neighbors and relatives also visit each other to celebrate the New Year. The first thing they say upon entering is the crisp "Losar Tashi Delek" (meaning "Happy New Year and Good Fortune"), while presenting white hadas with both hands. Everyone sits around to share food, talk about past interesting stories, and plan for the new year. Amid laughter, family bonds and neighborhood friendships grow stronger.
Cultural Core: Plateau Wisdom and Multi-Ethnic Coexistence
Every folk custom of the Tibetan New Year is a crystallization of the wisdom of Tibetans in adapting to the unique natural environment of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau: high-calorie foods resist the plateau's harsh cold, the custom of house-cleaning in the twelfth lunar month helps protect family health, and scheduling the New Year in early spring accurately aligns with the plateau's climatic characteristics and natural rhythms.
More importantly, the Tibetan New Year has become an important bond for multi-ethnic cultural integration. In multi-ethnic areas such as Qinghai, Han, Hui, Mongolian, and other ethnic groups visit and celebrate the festival with Tibetans, showing a beautiful picture of multi-ethnic coexistence, integration, mutual assistance, and support.
From a simple celebration a thousand years ago to today's cultural feast, the Tibetan New Year has always adhered to pure folk warmth and profound cultural inheritance. Rooted in the natural environment of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, it carries the survival wisdom and cultural genes of Tibetans, as well as the universal human yearnings for reunion and beauty. The 2026 Tibetan New Year, this traditional celebration on the plateau, is vividly showcasing the unique charm of China's Tibetan folk customs and telling the profound heritage of the diversity and unity of Chinese civilization.