above: A traditional Tsagaan Sar table table inside a yurt.
Its that time of the year again – Happy Mongolian New Years to everyone!
Its times like this that I truly miss my family, from my mothers delicious dumplings, to my fathers warm embrace, and my sisters joyous smile. I miss the smell of incense upon waking early morning on the first day of New Year. But I rest assured that I can can now practice all these traditions on my own in my own unique ways, mostly in efforts to preserve a sense of my cultural identity, especially when living in a foreign environment away from family. Just a couple of hours ago, I celebrated Bituun, the eve of New Years with a table full of food, so you can say that my forecast has been cleared as I welcome the coming year of the dragon with a full stomach and sound mind.
above: Tsagaan Sar table essentials. In front: cooked sheep’s back, tail and ribs. In back: Homemade Biscuits Tower – on top is all kinds of candy, sugar cubes, and dairy products. Biscuit Towers may have either 3, 5, 7, or 9 layers. The odd number layers represent one layer of sadness sandwiched by two layers of happiness. The number of layers is based on a mixture of the homeowner’s age and years of marriage.
Here is some further information about the Mongolian New Years a.k.a Tsagaan Sar, meaning white moon or white month and its very peculiar customs – traditions that I will adhere to for the next two weeks, only in a very unorthodox marginalized solo fashion:
Tsagaan Sar is the Mongolian lunisolar New Year Festival celebrated in proximity to the Chinese New Year, but more culturally related to the Tibetan New Year.
The holiday is celebrated two months after the first new moon following the winter solstice. It is one of the most important Mongolian holidays and continues to be a significant tradition in Mongolian society with an intricate set of customs involved. Typically, the families meet in the home of the eldest member of the family. Mongolian friends and family visit and exchange gifts. It is the time that many people are in full Mongolian costume. ‘Amar bain uu’ is spoken to elders, and the younger person grasps the forearms (as sign of respect the younger holds underneath) of the elder and kisses or sniffs both cheeks. A monetary gift is given to the elders by each visitor.
In the countryside, on the first day of the New Year, people wake up before sunrise with their families, wear new clothes, and open the “Orkh” (ger’s top window cover) to make a fire. Although the Mongolian landscape is still covered with snow, the scent of spring is believed to be in the air. Men walk in certain directions as prescribed by the Buddhist horoscope. This ceremony is called “Muruu gargakh,” which means “Starting your footprints”. It is believed that starting your life in the right direction will bring luck for the year to come. With the sunrise, a greeting ceremony will begin with the family inside. The oldest person stays in “Hoimor” (ger’s northern-most side). The younger family members first greet him or her and then greet each other. Individuals greet their elders by extending out their arms with the palms facing upward, then holding the elder’s arms from underneath. Everybody greets each other except the husband and the wife.
People often hold “Khadag” in their arms which are long and narrow pieces of yellow, white, or blue silk with different spiritual meanings. When the greeting ceremony has concluded, everyone sits behind the table and exchanges “Khoorog” (a snuff bottle usually made of semi-precious stones, filled with finely pulverized tobacco. Exchanging “Khoorog” is expressing friendly intentions to others and is the way strangers become acquainted with one another.
All people must eat many “Buuz” (Steamed Mongolian dumplings) and drink salty milk tea. When the ceremony finishes, the hosts give presents to each person. The present symbolizes a wish for health, wealth and power. Individuals then move to the next family that has an elderly person living in the ger.
Tsagaan Sar festivities continue for one month, but the first, second and third days are the most important. They consists of “Ih idee” (big plate) and “Baga idee” (small plate). “Ul boov” (Mongolian traditional biscuits) are layered on the big plate. The number of layers must always be odd. Traditionally, grandparents have seven layers and young couple’s only three layers. “Uuts”, Sheep’s back and tail must be on the table. A larger and fatter tail is considered to be more delicious. Airag is the most important drink during Tsagaan Sar, however, “Shimiin arhi” (Milk vodka) and clear vodka also accompany the food as well.
Bituun
The Tsagaan Sar Eve (the last day of winter) is called “Bituun,” meaning “full darkness”. It is a single night, when there is no moon visible in the sky. Bituun – the name of the lunar phase of the dark moon. On Bituun, everybody cleans around the home, the herders clean their livestock barns and shades, to meet the New Year fresh. The Bituun ceremony also includes lighting candles to represent enlightenment. On this day, people eat to the point of extreme fullness. It is believed that if you are at all hungry on this eve, you will often be hungry for the year to come. In the evening, immediate families gather together and seal out the old year eating dairy products and buuz. Mongolians settle all issues and repay all debts from the old year. Tsagaan Sar is a festival of white foods (foods with white color, including dairy products and rice). All “bituun” ceremonies begin after the dark night takes over. During the day, people clean their bodies and minds from bad things and are expected to have a fresh start. During the holiday, individuals pay respect to elders and relatives, and renew friendships.
In spirit of Mongolian New Years, I present to you Munkhtsetseg Jalkhaajav, one of my most admired female Mongolian artists. I first saw her work in a Mongolian art catalog, and I was truly blown away by her intuitive and emotive sense of painting. Jalkhaajav’s concepts are also of utmost interest, depicting always, a woman, the Mongolian woman, a contemporary woman, the universal woman. Not many woman artists are admired in Mongolia, the culture still pertains to a very male dominant society and even in the arts arena, woman artists struggle to be heard. But Jalhaajav talents have catapulted her to international stardom within the span of the last few years, her woman in red gas mask sculpture/installation was recently featured in National Geographic Magazine as the forefront image and a controversial depiction of the emerging contemporary Mongolian society. Jalkhaajav is currently represented by the Teo+Namfah Gallery in Thailand.
I hope to interview Jalkhaajav in the near future, so expect to hear more of her soon…
hilite head 
elaborate?