The Mongolian Lunar New Year, known as Tsagaan Sar, is the first day of the Mongolian lunisolar calendar. Citizens of Mongolia celebrate the lunar new year, which is the first day through three days of the first lunisolar calendar. 

Before the day of Lunar New Year starts, we have Lunar New Year Eve commonly known as Bituun, or the dark moon. Before Bituun, everyone in the household must deep clean the house. 

In the evening, families will gather together and have a large feast and end the old year eating dairy products, such as airag, aaruul and buuz. Usually, everyone gathers in the head parents’ house to have a feast. During this time, we have to eat closed food such as buuz and khuushuur. 

Mongolian citizens celebrate Tsagaan Sar every year, and it’s the most important festival. On the first day of Lunar New Year, the head of the family will wake up early and go watch the sunrise and pray the upcoming year will be the happiest year. Sometimes the oldest children go with the family head and watch it together. While the family head is watching the sunrise, the housewife and her children will stay at their house. The housewife will get up and prepare themselves.

Once the family head returns, the oldest will start zolgokh to the family head. 

Zolgokh is a traditional Mongolian greeting where two people hold their arms out, the oldest person’s arm at the top and the youngest person’s arms at the bottom. This shows respect to the elders. Then we say “Амар байна уу?” or “Сар шинэдээ сайхан шинэлж байна уу?” which translates into “Are you well and peaceful?” 

The family head and his wife never perform the zolgolt with each other, because it then counts as a curse.

Everyone will wear their traditional Mongolian clothes and jewelry that go with the clothes. After doing zolgolt with the family head, they will go to the eldest’s house to do a greeting. The first eldest will be the parents of your dad’s family. Usually the family head will do the greeting to his parents holding khadag and also to respect the eldest. 

After the greeting, we will start tsagaalga where you have to eat curd rice with raisin to start the day. Once you had a bite from curd rice with raisin, we will start with actual traditional food. Buuz, airag, ul boov and many daily products. Ul boov/Idee is a set up traditional sole cake stacked in an odd number of layers. 

After talking with everyone in the household, we proceed to go to the mom’s family to do the greeting. After greeting the two families, we go to other families such as the uncle’s and other eldest’s house to express our politeness. Each family gives us small gifts to express their gratitude. 

The Mongolian Lunar New Year is important because it comes from my ancestors which is Genghis Khan. In the year of the Red Hare, Genghis Khan ascended to his throne on the first day of the lunar new year. He wore new clothes and paid respects to the earth and heaven, and he also greeted his mother Houlen.

Since then, we started respecting our elders by celebrating the lunar new year, following the steps from our great ancestors whom we respect till we die. It’s also important for us because it marks the beginning of spring after a harsh winter.