Tsagaan Sar, also known as the Mongolian Lunar New Year, is Mongolia’s most important traditional festival and marks the beginning of the new year on the Mongolian calendar. It is deeply rooted in the rich heritage of nomadic grassland culture.
The Mongolian people revere the color white, which symbolizes purity and good fortune. During Tsagaan Sar, white is seen everywhere across the steppe — white yurts, white clouds, white khadag (ceremonial scarves), white dairy products, white milk wine, and the graying hair of mothers — all evoking a sense of warmth, respect, and blessings.
Before the festival, people flock to supermarkets to buy gifts and holiday goods, making thorough preparations for the arrival of Tsagaan Sar.
During the celebration, Mongolians prepare a wide variety of traditional foods to mark the occasion and welcome guests. These include roast lamb, Mongolian buuz (steamed dumplings), steamed pastries, milk tea, traditional Mongolian sweets, airag (fermented mare’s milk), and yogurt.
On the first day of Tsagaan Sar, families rise early and dress in their finest attire to celebrate the New Year together. Younger family members pay their respects to elders, who in return offer them gifts and “lucky money”.
After the family celebrations, people leave their homes, mount their horses, and set off to visit relatives and friends. In small groups, they make their way to other yurts, offering well-wishes to elders, receiving toasts from hosts, singing, dancing, and enjoying traditional foods together. Before guests depart, the hosts present them with gifts as tokens of heartfelt blessings.
On the way to their next destination, people often seize the opportunity to hold horse races. Galloping across the vast steppe in the festive spirit of Tsagaan Sar, the riders cut through the winter chill like a warm current, carrying with them the hopes and excitement of the grassland people for the new year.
With the development of modern cities, some Mongolians now live in urban areas. For these families, New Year visits have shifted from traditional yurts to apartment buildings. While the living environment may have changed, the bonds between relatives and friends—and the warmth of the holiday spirit—remain as strong as ever.
