It can be seen by foreigners when you come to learn Chinese in China that Tibetan New Year is called “Lothar”, in the ancient times, the Tibetan people used to take the harvest time of wheat as the beginning of the new year, which is usually in summer and autumn, according to the records, before 100B.C, the Tibetan people used to have its own calendar system, which was according to the phases of the moon to reckon the day, month and year.
And after you come to study Chinese in China, you would discover that about several hundred years later, the Ben follower succeeded in calculating the specific dates for the winter solstice, which was taken as the beginning of a new year as well as the basis for the prescriptions for numerous rites and religious ceremonies. Foreigners who’d been to China to study Mandarin in China would discover that it is probably well known that during the 7th century, when the two princesses of the Tang Dynasty went to Tibet for marriage alliance, the mainland calendar system started to be introduced to Tibet.
Thereafter, the ancient Tibetan calendar had been integrated with the Han calendar and the Indian calendar, and had evolved into a unique calendar system combining heavenly stems, earthly branches, as well as five elements during the Yuan Dynasty. During the 13th century, the Sakya kingdom scheduled the January 1st as the starting of a new year, which had been followed up till now, as can be seen as quite an enjoyment for people who’d like to learn Chinese in China.
It is easily apprehensible for readers who’d like to study Chinese in China that there are various Tibetan festivals, among which the most grand and national festival should be the Tibetan New Year, the Tibetan New Year is equivalent to the Chinese Spring Festival, which is the biggest festival in throughout a year.
Readers who’d like to study Mandarin in China would wonder about preparation work for the Tibetan New Year, the Tibetan people usually start to get prepared for the celebration of the New Year from the mid of December, thousands upon thousands of Tibetan people would swarm into the Lhasa city buying all types of special purchases, such as foods, clothes, and other festive supplies, and this period of the year is the busiest season of the whole year.
It is therefore well-known by friends who’d like to learn Chinese in China that the Tibetan New Year dated from the December 29th of the Tibetan calendar, during that night, each family get reunion again in sharing the “gutu” with an aim of bidding farewell to the past year and brings in the peaceful New Year, after taking “gutu” in a cozy and gay atmosphere, family members of come out of the house with a torch at hand, set off firecrackers, and shout “come out” at a crossroad to wish for the bringing of good luck for the coming year.
When people come to study Chinese in China it is not hard to discover that the Tibetan New Year’s eve is a very busy day, on that day, apart from cleaning houses and does personal sanitary and hygiene work, each household would fill a bamboo bucket with a butter food, mixed up with roasted qingke barley flour, fried wheat, ginseng fruit, etc.
Then they would place the fried fruits, highland barley wine, sheep head, tea, butter, and salt on the cabinet of the hall, after which, people starts to paint auspicious eight figure motifs on the doors with zanba and white flour, as a benediction for the good harvest and booming live stocks of the next year. Which activities can be joined when foreign students had assigned for the Mandarin courses to study Mandarin in China.
As can be seen by friends who’d like to learn Chinese in China that on the first day of the Tibetan New Year is usually started with a rap singing and talking, there is a “water fetching competition” held on that day, with each household sending one young man to take part in the competition.
After coming to study Mandarin in China, one can see that according to the Tibetan tradition, the one who had fetched the first bucket of water is known to possess “gold water”, while the second bucket of water is known to be “silver water”, which symbolizes auspiciousness, luckiness and the multiple streams of income. When the sun rises, after taking the festive foods in seniority order, the neighbors would start to hold up “qima” and propose toasts while singing the songs representing auspicious, health, cheerfulness and harmoniousness.
In addition, foreign friends who’d like to study Chinese in China need to understand that on the first day, some Buddhist herdsmen also go to the temples for worshipping, praying for the good health and safety of the coming year.