The Essentials of Tibetan New Year Shopping
As the Tibetan New Year approaches, markets like Chongsaikang in Lhasa and Barkhor Specialty Product Mall become bustling centers for New Year shopping. A variety of traditional items include:
- Multicolored Barley Ears: Symbolizing prosperity and a good harvest.
- Kabzay: A sweet, fried pastry, an integral part of the festivities.
- Chemar Box: A special container filled with barley and Tsampa (roasted barley flour), adorned with Losar Flower and butter sculptures.
- Butter Sculptures: Intricately crafted sculptures that are essential for decoration and offerings.
Losar Metok: The Auspicious Flower of Tibetan New Year
Special Losar Metok: A Symbol of New Year’s Blessings
Losar Methok: In Tibetan, ‘Losar’ means New Year, and ‘Methok’ means flower. These special flowers are an indispensable part of New Year decorations, symbolizing happiness and well-wishing in homes.
Losar Metok means New Year Flower” in Tibetan. It is an essential and auspicious flower symbolizing joy and prosperity during the Tibetan New Year. The vibrant Losar Metok, often placed in Chemar boxes. It represents warm familial love and hopeful wishes for happiness and a bountiful harvest in the coming year. People often says many flowers bloom in splendor, Losar Metok uniquely expresses New Year wishes.
Cultivation and Preparation
Farmers sow the barley seeds used in Losar Metok before April 15th in the Tibetan calendar and harvest them around August or September. They then tie multiple barley spikes together and leave them to dry for a month before storing them. In November, they take out these spikes for the dyeing process.
In Sangmu Village, almost every household masters the skill of dyeing these barley spikes, following a time-honored process that encompasses planting, harvesting, drying, and coloring.
Dyeing Process: A Blend of Tradition and Technique
Losar Metok requires four colors: red, dark green, light green, and yellow. While red, dark green, and yellow are obtained from readily available dyes. Light green is created by mixing a certain proportion of yellow into dark green.
The dyeing process, though seemingly straightforward, requires skill and precision. In a traditional earthen stove, the fire provides a continuous heat source for the dye in the pots. The barley spikes are immersed in the respective pots and turned several times to ensure even coloring. This process takes about five minutes for each batch.
Coloring the Losar Metok is relatively simpler. Bundled spikes are rolled in the hot dye, ensuring an even coat. After dyeing, they are dried for a day before being tied again.
Losar Metok: Adding Color to the Tibetan New Year
Once dyed and bundled, Losar Metok adorns the streets of Lhasa during winter, adding a touch of auspiciousness and festivity to the Tibetan New Year. These brightly colored barley spikes are not just decorative elements. They are symbols of the enduring traditions and rich cultural heritage of Tibet. It represent the country’s hopes for joy, prosperity, and a harmonious life in the new year.
The Symbol of Prosperity: “Nyema Luphul” (Green Barley Seedlings)
Nyema Luphul Tradition: From the 12th month of the Tibetan calendar, households buy green barley seedlings as a part of New Year goods. It symbolize the start of farming and wishes for a prosperous year. These are placed beside the Chemar box along with “Lunggo” to symbolize a successful harvest.
The Heartfelt Wish: “Lunggo” (Ceramic Sheep Heads)
Lunggo: These are sheep heads made from materials like ceramic or plaster, representing good luck and prosperity. Placed at the center of offerings, it’s a traditional symbol of auspiciousness and a prosperous year ahead.
“Dega”: A Tibetan Celebration of Harvest offering
Derga: A special fried pastry, similar to Kabsay but made without oil. This traditional offering has evolved from ancient sacrificial rituals to now using pastries. Derga is a traditional Tibetan practice of displaying harvested fruits on a Tibetan-style cabinet as a way to celebrate the harvest and wish for auspiciousness and good fortune in the New Year.
The Arrangement of Dega
To set up Dega, you place a plate in the middle and towards the back of the cabinet. On this plate, you stack 10 to 15 layers of fried dough pastries in a tower shape. Start with the bigger pieces at the bottom, about 1 to 2 feet long and 1 to 4 inches wide, and use smaller pieces as you go up. At the top of the tower, you put an orange and then fruit candy on top of it. The candy wrapper is white on one side. You use different types of fried dough pastries in this setup, like “Bulo,” “Nyabshey,” and “Bindo.”
You arrange an assortment of candies, raisins, peaches, walnuts, and beans around the sides and gaps of the tower. Next to the large plate, you place two more plates on each side. Each of these plates holds 3 to 5 layers of fried dough pastries, similar to the main plate’s arrangement.
On each side, you also place a plate. One plate holds a porcelain sheep’s head with stars and a moon painted on its forehead. The other plate contains a brick of tea. On this tea brick, you place salt at one end and alkali at the other. In the middle, you put a piece of Chabachong (compressed tea) and drape it with a white Khata (ceremonial scarf).
Dega: A Reflection of Tibetan Culture
Dega is more than just a display of food; it is a reflection of Tibetan culture, deeply rooted in agricultural practices and spiritual beliefs. This intricate and symbolic arrangement is a part of the Tibetan New Year’s celebration, embodying the community’s gratitude for the past year’s harvest and their hopes for prosperity in the year to come. The use of specific foods and their arrangement hold significant cultural meaning, showcasing the rich traditions and practices of Tibetan people.
Kabse: A Festive Tibetan Pastry
Kabse pastries are a vital part of Tibetan New Year celebrations and a traditional item for this special occasion. Artisans make these pastries from butter and shape them into various forms, such as ear-like, butterfly, strip, square, and round shapes. They then colorfully decorate each Kabse and coat it with sugar. This makes Kabse not only an art piece for decoration but also a tasty treat for guests. The variety and beauty of Kabse often represent the hostess’s hard work, wisdom, and hospitality, making it a highlight of the celebrations.
In the past, Tibetan families would come together to make Kabse, spending three to four days on this task as the New Year drew near. Nowadays, more families choose to buy ready-made Kabse and other New Year items from the market. This change shows how traditions are adapting to modern lifestyles.
Tibetan Butter Sculpture: An Artistic Tradition of Dedication and Skill
The Intricate Art: “Tsebdro” (Butter Sculptures)
Butter Sculptures is known as “Tsebdro” in Tibetan. These are elaborate sculptures made from butter, depicting various figures and themes. They add colour and beauty to the New Year celebrations. Crafted from butter as the primary material, these sculptures often depict figures, flowers, trees, birds, and animals, showcasing a rich history in Tibetan artistry.
The Rich History of Butter Sculpture in Tibetan Culture
Butter sculpture, a distinctive form of Tibetan sculptural art, uses butter as its primary medium to create intricate representations of people, flowers, trees, birds, and animals. This handcrafted art form has a long-standing history in Tibetan tradition, demonstrating the unique creativity and spiritual depth of the culture.
The Delicate Nature of Butter Sculptures
Butter sculptures are known for their low melting point, a standout feature of this art. They start to lose shape at just 15°C (59°F) and can fully melt at about 25°C (77°F). To keep their original shape, artists have to create them in conditions below freezing. This requirement has earned them the nickname “flowers blooming at the freezing point.”
The Intricate Process of Creation
Before sculpting begins, artisans prepare the butter by soaking it in icy water and kneading it extensively to remove impurities, ensuring a smooth and fine texture for sculpting. To prevent their body heat from affecting the butter, artisans keep their hands extremely cold, often soaking them in ice water or holding ice cubes. This labor-intensive process is a testament to the artisans’ devotion and commitment, particularly evident in Ta’er Monastery, where monks often endure chilblains as a result of their dedicated work in creating butter sculptures.
Evolution and Types of Butter Sculptures
Over time, butter sculpture has evolved into two main categories: relief sculpture and freestanding sculpture. Relief sculptures resemble bas-relief or high-relief colored sculptures, often seen during the Tibetan New Year as decorations on Chemar boxes. Freestanding sculptures, on the other hand, are three-dimensional and can be either individual or group sculptures. The butter sculptures displayed during the annual Ta’er Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the first Tibetan month at Ta’er Monastery predominantly feature these freestanding sculptures.
The art of butter sculpture in Tibetan culture is more than just a form of artistic expression; it’s a symbol of devotion, a testament to the artisans’ dedication to their spiritual beliefs and the preservation of their religious art. These sculptures, created in challenging conditions, are not only visually stunning but also embody the resilience and perseverance of the Tibetan people and their rich cultural heritage.
The Charm of Chemar Box: A Symbol of Prosperity in Tibetan Culture
Chemar: The Auspicious Container
Chemar Container: A container with a narrow bottom and wide mouth, divided into two sections for barley mixed with butter and Tsampa. Decorated with colourful barley ears and “Losar Metok,” it embodies people’s aspirations for a prosperous life.
The Essence of Chemar Box in Tibetan Tradition
The Chemar Box, translating to “Five Grains Harvest Bucket” in Mandarin, is an emblem of abundance and good fortune in Tibetan culture. This auspicious item plays a pivotal role not only in the daily life of the Tibetan people but also in their grand celebration ceremonies, particularly during the Tibetan New Year.
Significance of Chemar in Tibetan New Year Celebrations
As the Tibetan New Year approaches, every household busies itself with either crafting or purchasing a Chemar Box. Originally made from wood and shaped into a rectangular bucket, the size of the Chemar Box varies. Through the evolution of Tibetan history, the design of the Chemar Box has undergone significant changes. Today, it stands not only as a symbol of well-wishes and blessings but also as a piece of art showcasing the distinctive characteristics of Tibetan craftsmanship, highly valued for its aesthetic appeal.
A Ritual of Respect and Blessing with Chemar
On the day of the Tibetan New Year, the Chemar Box is prominently displayed on a Tibetan cabinet. When guests arrive to extend New Year greetings, they first approach the Chemar Box. In a gesture of reverence towards the Three Jewels of Buddhism, they pinch a small amount of roasted barley grains and Tsampa (barley flour) between their thumb and forefinger, tossing it into the air three times. Following this, they consume a bit of the grains and warmly greet the host with “Tashi Delek,” offering sincere New Year wishes. This elegant yet straightforward ritual marks the beginning of socializing, where guests and hosts sit down together for tea and conversation.
Chemar Box: A Cultural Touchstone
The Chemar Box is not just a ceremonial object; it’s a cultural touchstone that embodies the richness of Tibetan heritage. It reflects the community’s deep-rooted values of hospitality, respect, and the universal desire for prosperity. In the modern era, it has transcended its traditional role to become a symbol of Tibetan identity and artistry, admired by both locals and visitors alike.
Incorporating a Chemar Box into Tibetan New Year celebrations or even as a decorative element in homes, serves as a reminder of the Tibetan people’s enduring spirit and their timeless traditions. It’s a unique blend of cultural significance, artistic beauty, and a universal message of hope and abundance.
Gonden: A Tibetan New Year Ritual Porridge
During the Tibetan New Year, the hostess performs the Gonden ceremony. She mixes hot barley wine with milk residues, ginseng fruits, and brown sugar. Then, Hostess adds Tsampa (barley flour) and roasted barley grains to this mixture. She decorates the concoction with barley spikes and colorful butter sculptures. Finally, she offers this special preparation to all family members as a sign of respect and blessing.
Both Kabse pastries and the Gonden ritual are integral parts of the Tibetan New Year, reflecting the rich cultural heritage and customs of the Tibetan people. These practices are not just about food; they embody the spirit of community, the importance of family, and the joy of sharing blessings and good fortune as a new year begins.
Dried Yak Meat: A Tibetan Delicacy
- Preparation: Made from fresh yak meat, preferably from the hind legs, dried during the coldest part of the year to retain its flavour and texture. Seasoned according to taste, it’s a must-have for the New Year.
Darchok: Tibetan Prayer Flag Trees
The Tradition of Darchok in Tibetan Homes
Darchok, the Tibetan term for prayer flag trees, holds a special place in the cultural and spiritual life of Tibetans. These are not literal trees but structures with colorful prayer flags, often placed on rooftops. The presence of Darchok is a common sight in Tibetan homes, symbolizing prayers for prosperity, good fortune, and wellbeing in the coming year.
Symbolism of Colors in Darchok
The arrangement of colors on the Darchok is significant and follows a specific sequence: blue, white, red, green, and yellow, from top to bottom. This specific order is a symbolic representation of the elements of nature: blue for the sky, white for clouds, red for fire, green for water, and yellow for earth. This arrangement is a traditional way to convey prayers and wishes to nature.
Renewing Darchok During the Tibetan New Year
A key tradition associated with the Tibetan New Year is the renewal of the Darchok. The ceremony of replacing the prayer flags typically takes place on an auspicious day after the first day of the Tibetan New Year. On this special day, families gather on their rooftops in festive attire, bringing with them food and offerings. They participate in the “Labsol” (blessing) ceremony, a joyous and solemn occasion, during which the new Darchok is installed. The ceremony is often accompanied by a communal meal on the rooftop, where family members share wishes of good fortune and happiness.
The practice of erecting and renewing Darchok is a profound expression of Tibetan spirituality and culture. It symbolizes the renewal of hopes and blessings for the new year, embodying the community’s enduring connection with the natural world and their aspirations for peace, harmony, and abundance.
Shambu: Colorful Fabric Decor in Tibetan Architecture
Xiangbu: An Essential Decorative Element in Tibetan Homes
Shambu refers to the vibrant and colorful fabric used as decorations on doors and windows in traditional Tibetan architecture. It’s a common sight in Tibetan households, both on the exteriors and interiors, where Shambu is hung as a decorative element, symbolizing auspiciousness and harmony.
Cultural Significance and New Year Tradition
Tibetans use Shambu not just for its aesthetic appeal, but also for its cultural and symbolic significance. These fabrics are an expression of good wishes and peaceful living. During the Tibetan New Year, it’s customary for families to replace their old Shambu with new ones, signifying the renewal of blessings and the welcoming of good fortune for the year ahead.
The preparations and items associated with the Tibetan New Year are not just about celebration but also deeply rooted in cultural symbolism and the community’s connection to nature and spirituality. These practices reflect the rich heritage and the vibrant cultural identity of the Tibetan people, making Losar a truly unique and meaningful festival.
