Gyalpo Lhosar – The New Year of the Sherpa Community

Nepal is home to different ethnic groups and different ethnic groups have their own language, culture, traditions, and festivals. Gyalpo Lhosar is one of the festivals that will be celebrated by Sherpa, Hyolmo, Tamang, and Tibetan ethnic groups. This traditional festival is celebrated in Nepal, Tibet, and all over the world; where the Sherpa, Tamang, and Hyolmoli people live.

Various types of traditional rituals will be performed in the monasteries; representing the fight between God and demons. Different kinds of mantras will chant and give blessings to the observers in the monastery. And young people will get the blessing from the old people by putting Tika and Khatas on this occasion.

This is a two-week-long celebration but the most important one is the first three days. On the first day, everyone drinks the local beverage called Chhang, and in the celebration called Changkol. The second day is Gyalpo Lhosar, which means the new year and this is the most essential day. Lho means year and Sar means new so Lhosar means a new year. And on the third day, everyone gets together and celebrates the festival.

Especially for the new year, people will clean and decorate their houses. They paint the house hang the prayer flags, and do pujas in the homes. To wish for a better year ahead for the whole family members and the whole world. Not only do they do Puja they celebrate Lhosar by eating delicious cuisines. Cuisines like Khapse, MoMo, and a special soup.

Khapse is a deep-fried item and the special soup Gutung that will prepared with nine different types of beans. MoMo is a kind of dumpling and for the Gyalpo Lhosar as the fun factor; people will fill the dumplings with salt, wood, coal, and strong times. These people will celebrate this festival by singing and dancing to traditional songs and eating delicious food.