Chagaan Sar
Happy New Year! Or as they say here in Inner Mongolia, Sain Xinelvuu!
Chagaan Sar is the most important festival of the year for Mongolian people. It literally translates to “White Moon” or “White Month” in the Mongolian language and it is the first day of the New Year according to the Lunar Calendar. Here in Inner Mongolia, China, Chagaan Sar coincides with the Chinese Lunar New Year Spring Festival. Chagaan Sar, the Mongolian celebration of the Lunar New Year, is typically celebrated by all Mongol people and some Turkic people, and it has both Buddhist and Shamanistic influences. The Inner Mongolian way of celebrating Chagaan Sar varies by region, but the main characteristics remain the same. The festival is celebrated on the first through third days of the first lunar month and focuses on important values such as peace, harmony, and family reunification.
The day before the Chagaan Sar festival is called Bitunn, which is the name of the lunar phase of a new or dark moon. On the Bituun day, families completely clean their houses so that they can begin the new year fresh and clean. In the evening the immediate family typically gathers together to have an intimate family feast consisting of buuz (mongolian dumplings) and other white dairy food items to say goodbye to the old year and welcome the new year. In Inner Mongolia, mongols also like to hang couplets outside of their door with various phrases and wishes for blessings in the new year, similar to what Chinese people do for the Spring Festival. Mongols in Inner Mongolia also often like to celebrate by setting off fireworks.
The color white (chagaan) is very central to this holiday and special attention is given to various “white foods” also known as “chagaan idee” which is made up of various dairy items and other important white colored foods. During Chagaan Sar emphasis is also placed on purity of intent or whiteness of spirit when visiting elder relatives. It is customary for the whole duration of Chagaan Sar for family members to be ready to receive guests at their home at any time, with a feast prepared that consists of items such as lamb, buuz (mongolian dumplings), lamb broth soup, candy for the children, airag, alcohol, and of course milk tea. The feast serves to feed the guests who come to visit and to wish them prosperity and happiness in the coming year.
When someone arrives at the house, it is customary for the family to go outside to greet them with hands open and extended in front of them to receive them into their home and give them a new year greeting. Once the guests enter the house, it is customary for the eldest person in the room to sit down first and all the younger people form a line to greet them with a “hadag” which is a long silk, often blue in color. Using the hadag, the younger person will bow to the older person who is seated and place their hands under (depending on the region- in some places the older person places their hands under) the older person’s hands, who is also holding a hadag. As the younger person respectfully bows to the older person, both people will say a greeting such as “Zaa Sain Xinelvuu” (Happy New Year). This process of greeting is performed by every person in the room right down to the youngest person. Some elder people will also give the traditional Mongolian "sniff-kiss" to both cheeks of the younger person as they embrace. Once the greetings have been completed, the host family will serve bowls of Mongolian milk tea to each guest, serving the oldest person first. Airag (alcohol) is also offered to the guests, again with the oldest person being offered first. Everyone eats together and enjoys the new year spirit.
During these family visits, it is customary for Mongolians to wear their traditional Mongolian robes and in some regions it is also compulsory to also wear a hat, such as in Xilingol. Gift giving is also central to Chaagan Sar and in Inner Mongolia, money is often given to children by the adults who visit the house, similar to the red envelopes that are customary to the Chinese Spring Festival. Different regions and families have their own distinct customs and variations to Chagaan Sar.
This Chagaan Sar Ariela was invited by Qige, a teammate and fellow female wrestler, to Bayannur, located in the western region of Inner Mongolia and neighboring Mongolia the country to the north. In the Mongolian language Bayannur means “abundant lakes” as the region is known for its numerous dates and the freshwater lake Ulansuhai Nur. Qige’s family’s grassland is located about two hours from 中旗, the middle banner of Bayannur. It’s so close to Mongolia the country that you can actually see the border and watch tower when you drive to her ranch. Many of her family members share the grassland- it is split between her mother, her mother’s older brother, and her mother’s younger sister. Each has their own ranch within the grassland. Because Qige’s family is Buddhist, they have their own special Buddhist additions to Chagaan Sar. Her family as has an Urhxi, which is a wooden structure with a spirit banner at the top of it, built alongside the small country road that leads to her grassland. This structure is a representation of her family’s Himur, or “flying horse” spirit. During Chagaan Sar they build a small fire at the Urhxi to sacrifice milk, meat, alcohol, and other white products. They also walk around the Urhxi three times, wishing for blessings and prosperity in the new year, and tie silks to the structure as well. They pray in front of the Urhxi and hope that their Himur can be strong, healthy, and prosperous in the new year.
Lavell and Oyuntana spent the Chagaan Sar festival in Hohhot with Oyuntana’s father’s family. Together they ate buuz, drank alcohol, and had a great time laughing and enjoying the family time together. They also visited DaZhao Temple to wish for blessings and prosperity in the new year.
So from all of us at Bokhin Ayin- Sain Xinelvuu!!! CLICK HERE for our Happy New Year video.
Written by Ariela
