Celebrating Losar In 2022

Losar is sometimes called the Tibetan New Year. It’s based on a lunar calendar, so it’s not the same date every year. Last year it was February 14th. This year it’s March 3^rd We are ushering in the year of the water tiger.

I said above that it’s March 3^rd and that’s not totally correct. It’s celebrated for 15 days, but the first three are considered the most important.

Losar is considered the most important holiday in the Tibetan calendar. It’s a time for people to visit temples and make offerings. Not unlike our new year, it’s a time to reflect on the year that has gone by and to resolve to do better in the new year.

People celebrate with feasts and dancing. But people also do activities designed for purification and getting ready for the new year.

My community, the Rime Center, is doing a Black Hayagriva Puja on March 2^nd, for the end of the year.

Puja means ritual. This is a ritual designed to clear away obstacles for the new year. It’s a time to let go of the things that weren’t working. To put down our old struggles and step into a new opportunity. This is called a sadhana, which essentially means a spiritual practice. The point of doing a sadhana like this is it’s said to help us overcome our obstacles, whether they are physical, mental, or spiritual. Through it we are trying to replace our old patterns and thoughts with new ones. We are trying to turn our minds so we see things in a more awakened way.

It is through practices like this that we are working to attain enlightenment.

Other communities are doing other things. I just wanted to share with you what my community is doing. It’s a new year and it’s time to stop letting the old year hold you back, and to put down all the things that weren’t serving you.

And our event is online.

If you’re interested in attending (from home) you can sign up by clicking here: