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Learning About Mongolian Life and Culture

Introduction

In every society and ethnic group, the New Year and the birth of a new household are celebrated grandly. In Mongolia too, the New Year and weddings are special events prepared and celebrated by the whole family. At both of these events a dish of a whole sheep boiled with the bones in is served. This is called "uuts", and the one with the biggest tail possible is preferred. It expresses the wish to be surrounded by plump sheep for this year, or for the rest of one's life. Having sheep is the first step to happiness.

New Year (Tsagaan Sar)

In Mongolia, the New Year is called "Tsagaan Sar (White Moon)". The date is decided religiously the previous year according to the Tibetan Buddhist calendar. New Year's Day falls roughly from mid-January to mid-February, but is not a fixed date each year.

Preparations

Preparing for the New Year is busy, and since the first few days after the New Year are very busy with visiting homes and receiving guests, meal preparation is done especially carefully. During the New Year period, "buuz" is served wherever you go. Buuz is like a steamed dumpling, considered an auspicious food packed with meat, and since it can be stored frozen it is easy to serve to unexpected guests. Some households make 300 to 500 in advance. People eat their fill of it on New Year's Eve, welcome New Year's Day full of happiness, and keep eating it after the New Year begins. And they ask each other, "Did you welcome the new year plump?"

The Morning of New Year's Day

When the new year begins, before the sun rises, the household members perform a ritual of leaving the house in a direction determined by the announcement of the calendar master and returning. What to do between leaving and returning and the sutras to recite while walking are decided, and all of it must be finished before the sun rises, then they return home. For example: "Leave the house heading southeast, walk while reciting a certain sutra 7 to 21 times, light a small fire north of the house, put it out with water or snow, and return from the south of the house."

When this is finished, the family changes into their best clothes and gives New Year's greetings to the head of the family in the seat of honor. The head of the family returns the greeting. Then "uuts" is offered at the household altar and everyone eats. On the table, besides uuts and buuz, are stacked "kheviin boov" made of fried flour. They are always stacked in an odd number of tiers and decorated with dairy products, sugar cubes, candy, chocolate and so on. These are handed to guests as gifts. They are boat-shaped, and following the custom that anything facing up should be kept filled, dairy products and the like are placed on top of the kheviin boov when handing it over. It is the custom of sharing good things with everyone.

Greeting Rounds

Greeting rounds continue over the next several days. Everyone shares buuz and kheviin boov and wishes for the new year to be a good, good year; that is Tsagaan Sar.