Losar — December to March (date varies by community)
Losar means simply “new year” in Tibetan, lo for year, sar for new, and across the Himalayan world it is celebrated not once but many times over, each variation belonging to a different community with its own calendar and its own way of marking renewal.
The festival’s roots predate Buddhism itself, traced back to the ancient Bon religion when Himalayan communities offered incense and prayers to mountain spirits at the turn of the agricultural year. When Buddhism arrived, the timing shifted to align with the lunar calendar, but the spirit remained: cleansing the old, welcoming the new, and gathering together.
In Ladakh, Ladakhi Losar falls in December, among the earliest of the celebrations, observed with monastic prayers, Cham masked dances, and traditional foods like khapse, a fried pastry prepared in homes and monasteries. In Nepal, three distinct celebrations follow in sequence: Tamu Losar in December or January, celebrated by the Gurung community; Sonam Losar in January or February, observed by the Tamang and Hyolmo communities; and Gyalpo Losar in February or March, the Tibetan New Year observed by Sherpas and Tibetan Buddhist communities across Nepal, Sikkim, and Darjeeling. In Sikkim, Losar is a regional public holiday, marked with monastery rituals, community feasts, and colourful processions.
Across all its variations, the festival shares a common thread: tsampa flour tossed into the air with prayers for an auspicious year, butter lamps lit against the cold, and the warmth of people who have gathered to begin again.
For visitors, arriving in the Himalayas during Losar means being welcomed into a celebration that is as intimate as it is ancient.
FESTIVAL ARCHIVE
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