Sagaalgan is a holiday of purification and renewal. New Year in Buddhism - how it is celebrated in different traditions When does the white month of the year begin

The Mongols christened it Tsagaan-Sar, the Buryats - Sagaalgan, the Tuvians - Shagaa, and the inhabitants of the Altai Territory and the Yakuts: Chaga-Bayram and Urun Yy. Only the knowledgeable will understand that we are talking about the "White Moon Holiday", better known as the Buddhist New Year. He is met much later than January 1, because the celebration is dedicated to the beginning of spring. To find out when the next calendar period begins for the followers of the Enlightened One’s teachings, what date the celebrations for the Eastern peoples of Russia begin and end in 2018, and also to plunge headlong into ancient traditions and rituals, interesting facts about an ancient and extraordinarily interesting tradition will help.

When is the "White Moon" and why?

To determine what date to celebrate the Buddhist New Year, you will have to turn to the lunisolar calendar for help. The date is floating, as it symbolizes the beginning of the first spring new moon. The heavenly body can go into this phase during one of three months: towards the end of January, in February or March.

Astrological tables indicate that in 2018 the celebration will come on February 16th. This Friday day will remain everyday for most Russians, since the holiday is officially celebrated only in a few subjects of the federation:

• Kalmykia and Buryatia;
• Tuva and Altai;
• Trans-Baikal Territory and Irkutsk Region.

According to the practice of previous years, residents of these regions can count on a day off, and given that Sagaalgan is traditionally celebrated for about a month, they can be envied with all my heart. In Buryatia, the Buddhist New Year is a public holiday that guarantees legal rest.

Holiday of bright thoughts and white food

"White month" - this is how the word "Sagaalgan" sounds in translation from Buryat into Russian. Most often it is pronounced when the first spring new moon comes and the four-week celebration of the New Year begins among the Buddhists of Russia, India, Mongolia, China and Tibet.

Ancient chronicles indicate that earlier the celebration had nothing to do with the admirers of Siddhartha Gautama. It was celebrated only by the Mongols, praising milk (tsagaan idee) - the most popular product among nomads, until the grandson of Genghis Khan - Kublai ordered to celebrate the New Year according to the Chinese calendar in the autumn-winter period. Over time, the boundaries were erased and customs became confused. Only reverence for the white color has been preserved, which symbolizes: purity of thoughts and purity of the soul, bringing happiness and prosperity. Buddhists sacredly honor three main customs of the New Year:

1. Gutor or "Cleansing"(forgiveness of past insults, worship of elders, putting things in order in the soul and in the house).
2. white food(dishes from milk, sour cream, rice, flour, etc.).
3. Bonfires "Dugzhuuba"(the burning of sins on the skull-topped pyramid of Sor).

Sagaalgan is the time of fairs, folk festivals and dances of yokhor. On the eve of the celebration, it is customary to keep a one-day fast. You can't eat anything at all. Mandatory rituals - going to visit and a special greeting. This is a ritual that is accompanied by special gestures expressing respect for the elders. On the first holiday, they get up early (4-5 o'clock in the morning), so that the deity Baldan-Lkhamo, who counts souls, does not miss, otherwise you will not see happiness all year.

Buddhist New Year Traditions

The celebration lasts almost a whole month. It begins with the burning of incense, the presentation of takhil (gifts to the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha) and sergem (pouring tea, milk or vodka for the deities guarding the area, shouting "Om Ah Hum"). This is followed by a meeting of the holiday in the temple, the distribution of presents-hadak to parents and the preparation of wrestlers for relatives, as well as the launch of Hii Morin - the horse of the winds.

When the "White Moon" comes, the clergy concentrate in the datsans monasteries, which are open for visiting on New Year's Eve. Priests hold a 15-day prayer called "Monlam Chenmo". The service is dedicated to the corresponding number of miracles that Shakyamuni Buddha performed in India.

Sagaalgan 2018: holiday menu

Sagaalgan, also known as Tsagan Sar or the White Moon holiday, is a Buddhist New Year celebrated by eastern countries according to the lunar calendar. What is such an important day for Buddhists and what date will the Buryats celebrate in 2019?

Top 7 interesting facts about Sagaalgan in 2019

1. The celebration falls on February 16;
2. Buddhist and Chinese New Years are celebrated on different dates;
3. On the eve, the celebrants get rid of everything superfluous in the house;
4. There must be white dishes on the table;
5. Drinking alcohol at the festive table is not allowed;
6. Be sure to visit older relatives - parents, grandparents;
7. The main deity of Sagaalgan is Baldan Lhamo.

The history of the white month

Tsagan Sar or Sagaalgan was introduced in the 13th century by the Mongols. At first, it was celebrated in the fall, until Genghis Khan moved the celebration to the spring. The dates of its celebration are calculated based on the Buddhist tantra of the Cycle of Time, so it does not coincide with the Chinese New Year.

Traditionally, Sagaalgan is celebrated by Eastern peoples who practice Buddhism on the first day of the first spring month according to the lunar calendar. In Russia, it is celebrated by the republics of Altai, Tuva, Buryatia, Kalmykia, as well as the Trans-Baikal District.

This day has been a public holiday since 1990 (before that, it was banned from 1930). In 2019, Friday, February 16, is officially a day off for the four republics of Russia; since recently, Sagaalgan has been celebrated in Moscow with the arrival of official delegations from Mongolia and Tibet, and festive festivities

When is the "White Moon" and why?

To determine what date to celebrate the Buddhist New Year, you will have to turn to the lunisolar calendar for help. The date is floating, as it symbolizes the beginning of the first spring new moon. The heavenly body can go into this phase during one of three months: towards the end of January, in February or March.

Astrological tables indicate that in 2019 the celebration will come on February 16th. This Friday day will remain everyday for most Russians, since the holiday is officially celebrated only in a few subjects of the federation:

• Kalmykia and Buryatia;
• Tuva and Altai;
• Trans-Baikal Territory and Irkutsk Region.

According to the practice of previous years, residents of these regions can count on a day off, and given that Sagaalgan is traditionally celebrated for about a month, they can be envied with all my heart. In Buryatia, the Buddhist New Year is a public holiday that guarantees legal rest.

Sagaalgan 2019: holiday menu

Traditions of celebrating Sagaalgan

Three days before Tsagan Sara, in Buddhist temples - datsans - they begin to read prayers dedicated to ten deities - the defenders of the Dharma teaching, who protect Buddhism from its opponents. The goddess Baldan Lhamo, who patronizes the capital of Tibet, Lhasa, enjoys special attention and reverence. On the eve of Sagaalgan, a separate prayer service is held for her.

Buddhists are supposed to stay up all night before the New Year, or wake up around 4-5 in the morning. It is believed that it is at this time that Baldan Lhamo enters the house, and if a person does not sleep, but meets her, then she gives her blessing to his house for the whole next year.

The datsans hold services all night, the abbots of the temples congratulate all those gathered on the New Year. During the first fifteen days of the coming year, prayers are read to the Buddha, praising his deeds.

Nowadays, the home celebration of Tsagan Sara is no different from the meeting of the Christian New Year - people give gifts to each other, gather at the laid table.

Since this holiday is called the "White Moon", according to tradition, there should be white dishes (hadak) on the table, for example, from milk or sour-milk products.

During the festive dinner, a special lamp-goblet is lit - the Zulu, which drives away evil spirits and, together with oil, burns the sins of those sitting at the table. Alcohol in Buddhism is not welcome, so it is almost never found on the New Year's table during Sagaalgan.

The first day of the New Year is supposed to be spent in your house among the people living in it. Only the next day you can receive guests or go to visit yourself. If the children live separately, then they must come to their parents on the first day - honoring the elders is one of the foundations of Sagaalgan, which was once laid by Genghis Khan himself, who visited his mother Oyalun.

The meeting of the older and younger generations is marked by the offering of a hadak: the younger on outstretched hands brings it to the elder, who shifts the hadak to the right hand of the younger, and they join hands from palms to elbows.

Special rituals and customs of Sagaalgan

There are several rituals traditional for Sagaalgan, many of which are still performed today:

1. Gutor is a ritual of cleansing the home, during which everything that carries negative energy is thrown out of the house, is not used for a long time and only takes up space. Usually the gutor is held in the presence of an invited lama and all family members.
2. Dugzhuuba - organized by the priests of the temples the day before the celebration of Tsagan Sar. A fire is made on the territory of the temple or in the field, where people burn “Sora” - everything that is unnecessary and brings bad karma, thus being cleansed of sins. It is not recommended to carry it out on the territory of residential premises, as this can attract bad spirits.
3. "Horse Wind Fortune" is also one of the oldest rites. Buddhists take a canvas of the flag with a special image to the clergyman, it is consecrated there, and after that it must hang over the house all year, protecting its inhabitants from misfortune and disease.

Sagaalgan or Tsagan Sar, the holiday of the White Month - the New Year in Buddhism, a traditional holiday of the Mongolian peoples. On the territory of our country, it is widely celebrated in Buryatia, Kalmykia, the Republic of Tuva, Komi, Altai Territory and in a number of other regions. About what kind of holiday it is when Sagaalgan is celebrated in 2019, about the traditions and customs associated with the Buddhist New Year - about all this and much more in our today's article.

Holiday date

Sagaalgan or Tsagan Sar is the solemn beginning of spring, the starting point of the new year, the time of the flowering of nature and the beginning of a new life. In Buddhism, the chronology is based on the lunisolar calendar, which means that the question of what date Sagaalgan is celebrated in 2019 is quite natural. Every year, the date of the holiday falls on a new day.

The holiday invariably falls on the first day of the lunar calendar, more precisely, on the first lunar day of the new lunar year. As a rule, this period is the end of January - February, less often the beginning of March of the current year.

This holiday is of great importance for the Mongolian peoples living in Russia. That is why in a number of republics - Buryatia, Tuva, Khakassia, Yakutia and others - the first day of Sagaalgan is a day off. In Kalmykia, Tsagan Sar received the status of a national holiday. It is celebrated by Buddhists and all those who are not indifferent to the revival of traditions.

The White Month has a long, literally centuries-old history, but Sagaalgan was included in the list of official holidays only in 1990. In the USSR, the celebration of the Buddhist New Year was officially banned, and only with the collapse of the Union did the holiday revive.

Traditions and customs

Sagaalgan, Tsagan Sar, Tsaagan, Chaga-Bayram - this holiday has many names, according to the number of languages ​​​​and dialects of peoples celebrating the New Year according to the Buddhist lunisolar calendar. This holiday marks not only the beginning of a new calendar year, but also serves as a kind of milestone that marks the age of a person or animal: in Tsagan Sar everyone became a year older, regardless of when they were born. Thus, this holiday can also be considered as a kind of birthday honoring the traditions of the Mongol, Buryat, Kalmyk.

By tradition, Sagaalgan is celebrated for three days and three nights, and all prescribed actions both on the eve and on the holiday itself are filled with their own special sacred meaning.

Getting ready for the holiday

Preparations for the White Month began long before the celebration itself. Buy sweets for children in advance, prepare meat delicacies, pickle and pickle vegetables - there are many worries before the holiday.

On the eve of the first day of the White month, all housewives started cleaning. Moreover, it was not enough just to clean the house, it was necessary to get rid of junk - that rubbish that accumulates during the year. It was also necessary to acquire new clothes, or at least an element of it - a belt, jewelry, a scarf. Tsagan Sar is a holiday of renewal, a starting point for the beginning of a new life, which means that it is necessary to enter the new year from scratch. When all the junk was burned in huge bonfires bred in the center of the settlement, today on the eve of the holiday, clothes and unnecessary things are preferred to donate to the poor.

The updates also concerned the main "friend" of all men - the horse. The hitching post was updated, a new harness was sewn for the horse, the saddle and horseshoes were changed. Today, the role of the main vehicle is played by the car, and all the updates go to the "iron friend" - unscheduled maintenance, new tires, or at least a new "herringbone" flavor on the windshield.

The preparation process ends with a rite of purification - family members, the house itself, and the car are fumigated with special fragrant herbs.

celebration

Sagaalgan is the best time for guests. On these three days, it is customary to visit and invite guests to your place, celebrating the holiday with a large and noisy company - after all, the New Year, as you know, must certainly be cheerful and active. The first to congratulate the head of the family, the eldest in the family, no matter whether the whole family lives under one roof or not. Moreover, congratulations pass according to a certain scenario - the youngest member of the family approaches the elder with open hands, that is, holding them out with their palms up. The older one lowers his hands on the hands of the younger, as if leaning on carefully placed palms. This symbolizes respect and the ability to support the elder at any time. The elder shows in this way his willingness to accept help.

Of course, what a holiday without gifts! It is customary to exchange gifts at the festive table, with family and friends, and each gift is accompanied by wishes of happiness and longevity.

meal

In preparation for the Sagaalganu holiday in 2019, the hostesses will prepare various dishes. Traditionally, the table is served:

• meat broth;
• cheese of different types;
• cottage cheese, sour cream and other dairy products;
• unleavened meat pies, etc.

Be sure to serve buuzas on the table. This is the name of a meat dish similar to manti or dumplings. The whole family sculpts buuzas before the holiday, although now they sometimes cook steamed and frozen products.

Important! Alcohol on the festive table is not allowed in any form. During the celebration of Sagaalgan, people drink arsy, a national Buryat drink made from sour curd.

Before the meal, another ancient ritual is performed. The youngest member of the family approaches the oldest person and holds out his hands to him with palms up. So he shows respect and shows his willingness to provide support. The senior member puts his palms on top, showing willingness to accept the offered help.

See video with the traditions of celebrating the Buddhist New Year:

The White Moon Holiday (Sagaalgan or Tsagaan-Sar) is a Buddhist New Year, symbolizing the beginning of spring among the peoples of Buryatia, Kalmykia, the Republic of Tuva, as well as residents of certain regions of India, Mongolia, China and Tibet.

What date will Sagaalgan 2018 be and how many days will it last? How is this holiday celebrated by Buddhists? What is the ritual component of the White Moon holiday?

When is Sagaalgan 2018 celebrated?

The date of the celebration of Sagaalgan is floating. This is due to the fact that it is calculated according to the lunar calendar. Therefore, the Buddhist New Year is celebrated every year at different times. And if everything is very clear for the Orthodox - the New Year always comes on January 1st, then for the Buryats it is celebrated with the onset of the first spring new moon.

In 2018, Sagaalgan will begin to be celebrated on Friday, February 16 at sunrise. This day will become a non-working (weekend) in the following regions:

• Kalmykia,
• Buryatia,
• Tyva,
• Altai,
• Transbaikal region.

In these republics, Sagaalgan is celebrated for almost a whole month. In view of the fact that the family ties among the Buryats are quite strong and large, a month may not be enough to go around all the relatives and visit each house.

Until the 13th century, Sagaalgan was celebrated in autumn on September 22, on the day of the autumnal equinox. But, starting from 1267, by decree of the Mongol Khan Kubilai, the Buddhist New Year was moved to February - the first month of spring according to the lunar calendar.

Sagaalgan: Buryat Celebration Traditions

On the last day of the old year, which is referred to as "butuuder", Buddhists observe a one-day fast. Eating on this day is not recommended at all. This is necessary in order to cleanse the body, heart and soul of evil, envy, filth, slander and negative emotions.

It is also not recommended to sleep on the night before the holiday. You can occupy yourself in the dark half of the day by reading mantras. At the same time, it is necessary to wait for the early morning (4-5 hours), when Baldan-Lkhamo, the deity who gives happiness and good luck to all residents for the next year, enters the house.

The Buryats have one interesting custom, which is referred to as the "rule of measure and sufficiency." And this is the only rule from the ethics of everyday life of representatives of the Buddhist faith, which can be ignored in Sagaalgan. Its meaning is that you can not take more than you need and eat more than you want. On the Buddhist New Year, it is allowed to break this rule: you can buy everything you like and overeat at the festive table.

Ritual component of the holiday

Dishes quite rare for everyday life appear on the rich festive table in Sagaalgan. At the same time, the white color must necessarily dominate in the dishes. Even vodka must be white, that is, cooked in milk.

Meat, in particular lamb, is also served on the table in various variations of dishes and technologies for their preparation.

In addition to treats, Sagaalgan has some more traditions and rituals that are typical only for this holiday.

Greetings on this day are different from traditional daily etiquette. The youngest person stretches out his hands first, while doing this with his palms up. In response, the elder lays his hands palm down on his. This form of greeting speaks of respect, help and support from the older generation to the younger one.

The tradition of exchanging gifts on the Buddhist New Year also has its own characteristics. The cost, form and prestige of the gift in this case are not dominant. The main respect and attention. Gifts are presented on a long ritual cloth called a khadag. The recipient of the gifts must wear a headdress and be face to face with the one who gives the gift.

Just like holiday food, gifts should be white, or at least packaged in white boxes.

Visiting begins only on the second day of the festivities. Children visit their parents, nephews and nieces visit their aunts and uncles, and grandchildren visit their grandparents. The first day is traditionally dedicated to the family.

Basic Truths of Buddhist Teachings

On the eve of the White Month holiday, it is important to listen to some Buddhist truths, which are somewhat reminiscent of Orthodox biblical commandments.

1. Refrain from envy and profanity.
2. Keep your word and keep your promise.
3. Think carefully about everything you want to say.
4. Show respect and consideration to elders.
5. Take care of your family and friends.
6. Do not think about the bad, because it can materialize.
7. Do the work so that you don't regret it later.
8. Help those who are weaker and poorer.

The White Moon holiday is celebrated not only in regions that support Buddhism. And even the capital did not ignore such an important day for Buddhists. In particular, in Moscow last year the Buryat diaspora celebrated Sagaalgan in the Great Moscow Circus.

Solemn speeches, songs and dances, as well as the most interesting theatrical performances - all this was present at the celebration of the Buddhist New Year in the capital in 2017.

Partner news

On February 16, Buryatia will celebrate the first day of the White Month, the New Year will come according to the Eastern calendar, the Year of the Yellow Earth Dog.

Buddhists prepare for the holiday in advance, for the day of the new year you need to put in order both your inner state and clean your house well. Food for the holiday is also bought in advance, according to tradition, there should be “white” food on the table - buuzy, milk, kefir, sweets, etc.

Two days before Sagaalgan, the rite of "Dugzhuuba" is held in datsans. Believers bring pieces of dough with which they first wipe the body and place them in special places, where they will then kindle a ritual fire. So, rubbish will burn in the fire - the problems and hardships of the past year. The next day after "Dugzhuuba" - the thirtieth day according to the lunar calendar - there comes a "closed day", its believers try to spend in peace and reading mantras, for example, it is no longer possible to clean the house.

On the first day of Sagaalgan, you need to get up very early, namely before sunrise, when the protector Palden Lhamo flies around the earth, which gives protection and blessings for the year to all who are awake. Then the Buddhists light the zula, smoke incense, make offerings to the buddhas and the masters of the area, and then congratulate their loved ones. Also, on the days of Sagaalgan, a ritual is performed with a “khy morin” flag, which is consecrated by a lama and then tied to a tree in a holy place or on the roof of a house.

On the eve of the Khambo holiday, Lama Damba Ayusheev published on his page on the social network an explanation of the meaning of the words "Sagaalgan" and "Sagaalha". The head of the Buddhist Sangha explained that the second option is historically more correct:

« Sagaa alhahaa”, or briefly “Sagaalha”, translated from the Buryat language means “to step over time”. Earlier in my childhood, I always heard people ask: “Sagaalha hezee bolokhobi?” - “When will Sagaalha be?”, “When will Sagaalha begin?”, - people came to each other’s houses and said: “Bi sagaalzha yabanab” - “I stepped over a year”, which once again confirms that historically the holiday was called that way. Now it’s as if everyone is drugged, they constantly say, congratulating, “Sagaalgaanaar”, and this means that we regret the lost year. Whoever celebrates "Sagaalgan" will lose time and everything else after him, and whoever celebrates "Sagaalha", let him keep walking».

Also, the Buddhist Sangha of Russia previously published
The schedule of khurals on the eve of holidays and on February 16 in Sagaalgan in Ivolginsky datsan and in Ulan-Ude datsan on Verkhnyaya Berezovka can be found at the link.

Recall February 16 will be an official holiday in Buryatia. On this day in Ulan-Ude The festival of national traditions "Buuzin Bayar - the Holiday of Buuza" will be held on the square of the Soviets. It starts at 14:00. The guests of honor of the holiday will be fairy-tale characters, guests of the White Elder - Sagaan Ubgena, Finnish Santa Claus from Joulupukki Lapland and Baikal Father Frost from the city of Slyudyanka, Irkutsk Region.

The stage will host a folklore and theatrical performance with the participation of artists, as well as dance and folklore groups.

Each guest of the festival will be able to take part in master classes in ekhor, Evenki dance, Russian quadrille. Also, those who come are invited to play Shagaai Naadan dice and Shatar Buryat chess.

During the holiday, public catering enterprises will provide trade services. Citizens will be able to taste and purchase festive dishes of Buryat cuisine.

There will also be a number of sporting events dedicated to Sagaalgan: a judo tournament (February 17), a sports festival "Sagalgan-2018" in the Tulunzha microdistrict (February 20), a mini-football championship of the Zagorsk microdistrict (February 19-21).