Losar Tibetan New Year Celebration
February 18 @ 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm
Happy New Year Sangha! Tibetan lunar New Year or Losar will begin on Wednesday, February 18, 2026. We will gather to celebrate at 6:30pm with prayers and a “luckypot” celebration. Please bring a dish to share to celebrate the year of the Fire Horse on this auspicious occasion! (Perhaps we will even see some Lama dancing!)
Learn more: Tibetan New Year Traditions
2026 in the Gregorian calendar marks the transition to the year 2153, which is the Year of the Fire Horse in the Tibetan calendar.
The festival officially lasts 15 days, with the most significant celebrations occurring in the first three days:
- February 16–17 (Preparation): Families clean their homes, settle debts, and prepare traditional foods like Guthuk (a noodle soup with symbolic dumplings).
- February 18 (Day 1: Lama Losar): Focused on spiritual offerings and honoring one’s guru or household shrine. This day is typically reserved for immediate family.
- February 19 (Day 2: Gyalpo Losar): Known as “King’s Losar,” it is a day for visiting friends, neighbors, and local leaders to exchange “Tashi Delek” greetings.
- February 20 (Day 3: Chockyong Losar): People visit monasteries and stupas to hang prayer flags and make offerings to protective deities.
- March 4: The festival concludes on the 15th day with the Butter Lamp Festival (Chotrul Duchen).