Codex of FaithsAn illustrated atlas of belief

Buddhism

Losar

When is Losar in 2027, the Tibetan New Year: its Buddhist and older roots, the cleaning and offerings before it, and how it is celebrated in Tibet, Bhutan, Nepal and the diaspora.

Next date

Sunday, 7 February 2027

In brief

  1. I.Losar is the Tibetan New Year, celebrated by Tibetans, Bhutanese, Sherpas and other Himalayan peoples.
  2. II.Its customs blend Buddhist practice with older Tibetan traditions.
  3. III.The days before are for cleaning, settling debts and driving out bad luck.
  4. IV.Families visit monasteries, raise new prayer flags and share food.

Chapter I

What it celebrates

Losar, “new year”, is older than Buddhism in Tibet, linked with winter rites of the Bön tradition. As Buddhism spread, the festival took on Buddhist meaning: a time to purify, to make merit and to begin the year with blessings.

Chapter II

How it is kept

In the days before, houses are cleaned, and on the eve a ritual drives out the bad luck of the old year. Monasteries perform masked cham dances. On Losar itself families rise early, make offerings on the household shrine, visit monasteries and greet each other with Losar tashi delek. Barley flour and butter offerings, chemar, and sweet fried pastries, khapse, are shared, and new prayer flags are hung on roofs and hills.

Chapter III

Around the world

Tibetan communities in Dharamsala, Kathmandu and across the diaspora celebrate Losar, often with the Dalai Lama’s blessings. In Nepal the Sherpa, Tamang and Gurung peoples keep their own forms of Losar at different times of year.

Questions people ask

Is Losar the same day as Chinese New Year?

Often it is the same or a day apart, but the Tibetan calendar sometimes differs by a month.

What is guthuk?

A soup with dumplings eaten two days before Losar. Some dumplings hide objects, like chillies or wool, that tease the finder about their character.

Sources and further reading

  1. Toronto Metropolitan University, “2027 Calendar of Religious, Indigenous and Spiritual Observances”
  2. Robert Beer, The Handbook of Tibetan Buddhist Symbols (Serindia, 2003)

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