Celebration of Sagaalgan, photo from the site of the Center for Culture of Indigenous Peoples of the Baikal Region, etno.pribaikal.ru

In general, in the international family of residents of Irkutsk and the region, many people celebrate and celebrate the New Year according to the lunar calendar. Sagaalgan - the holiday of the White Month is a symbol of the renewal of man and nature, and its ideals of peace, good neighborliness, respect for elders are shared by representatives of all nationalities.
Sagaalgan begins from the first spring new moon. Unlike our usual New Year, which we celebrate at midnight from December 31st to January 1st, Sagaalgan comes early in the morning, just as the sun rises.
On the eve of the celebration of the white month Buryats clean up the house, renew their clothes, get rid of old things. Thus, people seem to say goodbye to the past, to that which is gone.

It echoes the Russian customs of celebrating the New Year, doesn't it? We, too, are generals, getting rid of the shabby, broken, old and unnecessary.

At about 4-5 in the morning the Buryats are already awake, and at dawn they greet the Sun and the eternal blue sky.
According to legends, it is at dawn, with the rising of the sun, a deity, Palden Lhamo, the patroness of Tibet, enters every house and counts everyone in the house. It is believed that Lhamo counts only those people who are awake, who are awake, dressed up and ready to meet the new day. If someone oversleeps, they will not be taken into account by the deity and, accordingly, misses their luck for a whole year.

Maybe the Russian proverb: "He who gets up early, God gives him" was born for a reason?

According to the rules of the meeting of Sagaalgan you must first introduce yourself to the Sun and thank you for the year that has ended well. Gratitude includes not only warm words of gratitude, but also offerings (treats) for the spirits. It can be milk, sweets, tea, vodka.
Then you need to introduce the Sun and the eternal blue sky, as well as the spirits that a person worships, all members of his family. Only then ask for what you want for the next year. Basically, this is the well-being of the family and the health of all relatives and friends.

Celebration of Sagaalgan, photo of the administration of Agin district, aginskoe.ru

The shaman, who gave a lecture on the traditions of celebrating the white month, said that among the wishes of the Buryats in Sagaalgan, there are usually such as health of livestock, a good harvest, prosperity for a family business, meeting with his soul mate, the birth of children.
As it turned out, the dreams of all peoples are the same.

On the first day of Sagaalgan do not go to visit. This day is spent exclusively with the family.
In the foreground are such universal values ​​as reverence for elders and respect for each other, strengthening the family, introducing young people to the cultural heritage of their ancestors. This seemingly simple folk philosophy is passed on by the holiday from generation to generation.
For example, in the ceremony of presenting gifts to each other, the youngest in the family are the first to congratulate and give gifts. That is, children go to their parents, parents to their parents, etc. This is a sign of respect and reverence for elders. Parents, having accepted congratulations and gifts from their children, congratulate everyone by seniority in response, while first congratulating men (boys), and then women (girls).
Significance is attached to the very message of the gift, while its form, high cost, prestige do not matter. In the gift exchange ritual, attention is key.

On other days of Sagaalgan celebration it is customary to visit guests and treat guests at home. The more guests visit the house during the celebration, and the richer the table, the luckier and more satisfying the coming year will be.


In the Buryat tradition there is such a rule - never to answer the question “how are you?”, “How is life?” That “everything is bad”. For example, when the Buryats ask: "How are you?" He must answer that "everything is fine", or that "everything is on the sly." But never answer - "everything is bad", "no money", "depression", "bad luck."
Even if, in fact, his affairs are not important, he will answer:
- "How are the cattle?"
- "Growing slowly" (even if he has a case).
- "Are the cows fattening?"
- "There is little, we feed, we try" (even if it was a dry year and there is nothing to feed the cattle with).

It's a good tradition, because thought is material)

Ancient times it was not customary for the Buryats to memorize their birthdays, and even more so to celebrate them. With the onset of the White month, each Buryat added a year to himself. In this case, the year was counted from the year of conception, and not from the year of birth. That is, for example, you are now 30 years old and + a year in your mother's belly, that is, 31 years old.
Even if you were born on the eve of Sagaalgan, then in ancient times you would have added a year and + year in the stomach, so a month-old baby could be 2 years old.
The same was done with the age of the cattle. All cows, horses, pigs, and rams were added 1 year by the advance of Sagaalgan.
They say that even now in some villages this custom is still observed.

Travel articles in Buryatia:
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The holiday of the White Month (Sagaalgan or Tsagaan-Sar) is the Buddhist New Year, symbolizing the beginning of spring among the peoples of Buryatia, Kalmykia, the Tuva Republic, as well as residents of certain regions of India, Mongolia, China and Tibet.

What date will Sagaalgan 2018 be and how many days will it last? How is this holiday celebrated among Buddhists? What is the ritual component of the White Month holiday?

The date of the Sagaalgan celebration is floating, the website reports. This is due to the fact that it is calculated according to the lunar calendar. Therefore, the Buddhist New Year is celebrated every year at a different time. And if everything is very clear for the Orthodox - the New Year always comes on January 1, then for the Buryats it is celebrated with the onset of the first spring new moon.

In 2018, Sagaalgan will start celebrating on Friday 16 February at sunrise. This day will become a non-working day (weekend) in the following regions:

• Kalmykia,
• Buryatia,
• Tyva,
• Altai,
• Transbaikal region.

In these republics, Sagaalgan is celebrated for almost a month. Due to the fact that the family ties among the Buryats are strong and strong enough, even a month may not be enough to go around all relatives and visit every house.

Until the 13th century, Sagaalgan was celebrated in the fall of September 22, the day of the autumnal equinox. But, starting in 1267, by order of the Mongol Khan Kublai, the Buddhist New Year was postponed to February - the first month of spring according to the lunar calendar.

On the last day of the old year, which is called "bүtүүүder", Buddhists observe a one-day fast. Eating on this day is not recommended at all. This is necessary in order to cleanse the body, heart and soul from evil, envy, filth, backbiting and negative emotions.

It is also not recommended to sleep on the night before the holiday. You can engage yourself in the dark half of the day by reading mantras. In this case, it is necessary to wait for the early morning (4-5 hours), when Baldan-Lhamo, a deity who gives happiness and good luck to all residents for the next year, enters the house.

The Buryats have one interesting custom, which is called the “rule of measure and sufficiency”. And this is the only rule from the ethics of everyday life of representatives of the Buddhist faith, which in Sagaalgan can be ignored. Its meaning is that you cannot take more than you need and eat more than you want. On the Buddhist New Year, it is allowed to break this rule: you can buy whatever you like and overeat at the festive table.

On the rich festive table in Sagaalgan, dishes that are quite rare for everyday life appear. In this case, the white color must necessarily dominate in the dishes. Even vodka must be white, that is, cooked in milk.

Meat, in particular lamb, is also served on the table in various variations of dishes and technologies for their preparation.

In addition to treats, Sagaalgan also has some traditions and rituals that are characteristic only of this holiday.

Greetings on this day are different from the traditional daily etiquette. The youngest person stretches out his hands first, with his palms up. In response, the elder places his hands, palms down, on his. This form of greeting speaks of respect, help and support from the older generation to the younger.

The tradition of exchanging gifts on Buddhist New Year also has its own characteristics. The cost, form and prestige of the gift are not dominant in this case. The main thing is respect and attention. Gifts are presented on a long ritual cloth called hadag. The recipient of the gifts is obliged to wear a headdress and be face to face with the one who gives the gift.

Just like holiday food, gifts should be white, or at least packed in white boxes.

Visiting begins only on the second day of the festivities. Children visit their parents, nephews and nieces visit their aunts and uncles, and grandchildren visit their grandparents. The first day is traditionally dedicated to the family.

On the eve of the White Month holiday, it is important to listen to some Buddhist truths that are somewhat reminiscent of the Orthodox biblical commandments.

1. Refrain from envy and foul language.
2. Keep your word and keep your promises.
3. Consider well everything that you want to say.
4. Show respect and attention to elders.
5. She takes care of her family and friends.
6. Do not think about the bad, because it can materialize.
7. Do the job so that you don't repent later.
8. Help those who are weaker and poorer.

The White Month Festival is not only celebrated in regions that support Buddhism. And even the capital did not ignore such an important day for Buddhists. In particular, in Moscow last year, the Buryat diaspora celebrated Sagaalgan at the Great Moscow Circus.

Solemn speeches, songs and dances, as well as the most interesting theatrical performances - all this was present at the celebration of the Buddhist New Year in the capital in 2017.

Traditions section publications

We meet the White month

On February 5, the country's Buddhists celebrate the onset of the lunar new year. In Buryatia, this holiday lasts a whole month and is called Sagaalgan, which translates as "White month".

From Mongolia to Russia

Photo: asiarussia.ru

Sagaalgan is rooted in the ancient national traditions of the Mongolian peoples. It was originally celebrated in the fall as a festival of dairy products. Later, under the influence of Chinese astrology, the grandson of Genghis Khan Khan Kublai moved him to the end of winter. Over time, the meaning of the White Month ceased to be only "milk": now Sagaalgan is associated with the renewal of man and nature, cleansing from all bad and the hope for happiness and prosperity.

In Russia, the White Month is widely celebrated in Buryatia, Kalmykia, Tuva, in the Altai and Trans-Baikal Territories. For residents of these regions, the first day of the Eastern New Year is traditionally declared non-working, and the entire next month is accompanied by folk festivals, music and gastronomic festivals.

But it was not always so. In the 1930s, celebrating Sagaalgan, like other religious holidays, was banned in the USSR. Despite this, the rituals were secretly carefully observed and passed on from the older generation to the younger. This continued until the early nineties, when the ban on the celebration of the White Month was lifted in Buryatia, and then in other Buddhist regions.

Don't oversleep your luck

Photo: newbur.ru

According to legend, on the first day of the White Month, the deity Baldan-Lhamo enters every house, who counts the inhabitants of the house and brings everyone happiness. Therefore, it is customary to get up very early so as not to oversleep your luck for the next year. After awakening, Buddhists pray, make offerings to the gods and go to a solemn prayer service.

On holidays, visiting is a must. With congratulations and gifts, you need to go around all relatives, starting with parents and older relatives. On these days, the greeting is special: the younger stretches out his hands to the elder, palms up, he in response puts his hands in them, palms down. This gesture conveys respect and a promise of help and support. By the way, if it is not possible to determine seniority by external signs, then the question "How old are you?" is not considered bad form on holidays.

In the days of Sagaalgan, another rite is traditionally performed - the launch of Khiy Morin, or "horse of winds". Flags made of fabric with the image of patron animals are tied to the roof of a house or to a tree so that they flutter in the wind. According to popular beliefs, Khi Morin protects household members from misfortunes and illnesses, brings happiness and prosperity.

Buuz and "white" food

Photo: selorodnoe.ru

Meat and dairy foods become obligatory on the festive table. At the head of the table are buoys. A dish that resembles manti or large dumplings is steamed. Externally, buuz are very similar to a yurt - the traditional dwelling of nomads. The whole family usually takes part in the modeling, and the stocks of the finished product sometimes amount to thousands of pieces.

Also on the table you can see blood sausage, bukheleer (lamb in broth), sharbin (unleavened belyashi), khushuur, which is molded in the same way as buuz, but then fried in boiling oil.

Special attitude during the celebration of Sagaalgan to "white" food. Here and everyone is familiar with sour cream, cottage cheese, cheese and yogurt, and traditional dishes like salamat (porridge made from sour cream, flour and butter), and aarsy (fermented milk drink). Alcoholic beverages are not welcomed in Buddhist culture, and in the White Month it is generally recommended to avoid them.

Order in the house - order in the head

Photo: bezformata.ru

Preparation for Sagaalgan begins long before the onset of the holiday. Housewives put the houses in perfect order, trying to get rid of everything unnecessary. For the same reasons, they try to finish unfinished business, distribute all debts, fulfill the promises made in order to enter a new life cycle with a clear head and pure thoughts.

Two days before the onset of the White Month, a ritual of purification - Dugjuuba - is held in Buddhist temples. Believers bring and burn small pieces of dough to a large ritual fire, in which they mentally wrap everything bad.

The next day is considered "closed". It is advisable to spend it at home with loved ones, pray and do only good deeds.

Resolute Fire Rooster

Photo: vstretim-prazdnik.com

Unlike the usual meeting of the New Year, Sagaalgan does not have a fixed date. Every year it has to be re-calculated according to astrological tables. This time, the first day of the White Month will come on February 5, when the Yellow Earth Pig will become the full owner of the year.

There is a legend according to which the Buddha, before leaving the earth, summoned all the animals to him. But only 12 of them responded to his call to say goodbye. In gratitude, the Buddha gave each animal a year of reign. So in the 12-year cycle of the lunar calendar, the Rat, Bull, Tiger, Hare, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig appeared. It is believed that they all bring personal traits to their year.

Sagaalgan (White month, Tsaagan Sar) is a cult holiday among the Mongol-speaking peoples, which marks the onset of the Buddhist New Year according to the lunar calendar. This holiday is associated with many rituals, customs and ceremonies that arose in ancient times, but are still observed. When is Sagaalgan in 2019? What nationalities in Russia celebrate it? Features of the celebration of the Buddhist New Year in Moscow: where, when and how?

When is Sagaalgan 2019?

The New Year among the representatives of Buddhism is calculated according to the lunar calendar, therefore it is always celebrated at different times. The European calendar does not play any role in this case. It is possible to determine what date Sagaalgan will be, knowing the date of the first spring new moon. In 2019, it comes on February 5th. It is this day that kicks off the celebrations that will last a whole month.

But why so much time is devoted to celebrating the Buddhist New Year? This is due to the fact that earlier the yurts of the nomadic Buryat peoples were at a great distance from each other. And in order to get to their relatives and become a participant in the festive feasts, it took more than one day.

In Buryatia, according to republican legislation, this is an official non-working day. Also, the day off on the first day of the celebration will be in the following regions of the country:

1. Kalmykia
2. Transbaikalia
3. Buryatia
4. Altai

In addition, Sagaalgan is celebrated at the state level in China, India, Mongolia and Tibet. It is noteworthy that in Asian countries the Buddhist New Year begins earlier than in Russia.

Celebration traditions

Preparations for the White Month began long before the start of the celebration. The hostesses cleaned the house and prepared white food: milk, cottage cheese, sour cream and kefir. The men cooked mutton. It was smoked, fried over an open fire, baked in an oven, or boiled.

Particular attention was paid to gifts, on which it was impossible to save. After all, if you regret something else during this period, you can live in poverty for the entire coming year. Gifts were bought in white, which symbolizes happiness and well-being. Alternatively, they can be wrapped in white paper.

Treats on the tables should also be white, at least nine dishes, for sure.

Traditionally, visiting guests began on the second day, but, nevertheless, special importance is attached to the one who first enters the house on the first day of the celebrations. It is desirable that this be a man who, according to legend, should bring happiness to the house. Orthodox Christians also have this custom on the Christmas holidays, when a boy should be the first to cross the threshold of a caroling company’s house.

Sagaalgan begins the night before with a prayer service (khural) in the datsan, which lasts until six in the morning of the first day of the celebration. At this time, one cannot sleep, as one can sleep through the good fortune that the deity Baldan-Lhamo brings to the house. And then, with the sunrise, a long period of celebrations begins.

Celebration rites of the White month

Certain traditions and rituals are associated with the celebration of Sagaalgan , who are jealously revered in the families of the Mongol-speaking peoples of Russia and other countries. Here are the main ones:

table: the main rituals of Sagaalgan and their description:

Gutor	It begins in three days and symbolizes the cleansing of a person and his dweller from the old and obsolete under ritual prayers of the lama invited to the house
Dugjuuba	Starts two days before the New Year. It is a ceremonial bonfire to cleanse the body and soul from everything that has accumulated over the year
Burha Delgehe	Worship of the keepers of the home
Sojong	One-day fasting in honor of the coming of the holiday
Dalga	Offering treats to the owner of the house before the start of the meal
Zolgoh	A form of greeting people of different ages. The younger stretches out his hands to the elder, palms up, and he, in turn, puts his outstretched hands, palms down
Hadak	Offering silk scarves as a token of reverence
Goro	Ritual tour of holy places

The sacred ceremony on the second day of the celebrations is "launching the horse of the wind of fortune." A colored canvas of A4 format, with the image of a horse, is hung near a tree house or on the roof of a building so that it develops in the wind.

It is believed that this canvas serves as a reliable protection of the family from misfortune and the evil eye.

Celebration of Sagaalgan in Moscow

Every year, people from Buryatia who live in the capital celebrate Sagaalgan on a special scale. In 2017, the celebrations took place at the Bolshoi Moscow Circus. For three thousand invitees:

• Russian pop stars performed,
• contests were held,
• tasting of Buryat cuisine was organized.

The concert program was not without circus performances, the highlight of which was the performance of trained polar bears and the show "The Snow Queen" from the Zapashny brothers. Also, the largest ekhor (round dance) was organized in a closed room.

In 2019, no less large-scale celebrations are planned in Moscow to celebrate the Buryat New Year. Where it will be celebrated in the capital this time is not yet known.

Until 1990, Sagaalgan was banned and only with the collapse of the Union was it revived. Today Buddhist New Year is celebrated everywhere in all regions inhabited by representatives of ethnic groups. It is celebrated on a grand scale, with an abundance of delicacies on the tables, with visiting guests and observing all other traditions that have been preserved since antiquity.

Visually, the entire central tribune of the main indoor sports arena of Buryatia was filled with spectators. These are residents of the capital of the republic, representatives of the largest ethnic group of the Buryat people - Khori-Buryats, members of the communities of the Khorinsky, Kizhinginsky, Yeravninsky, Bauntovsky, Zaigraevsky, Mukhorshibirsky, Bichursky districts of Buryatia, guests from the Aginsky Buryat District of the Transbaikal Territory, the eastern Bur'yatyats from Mongolia, Mongolia China.

In the photo: the orchestra of Buryat folk instruments of the State Theater of Song and Dance "Baikal"

In the photo: the organizers of the Khori-Buryat Sagaalgan declare about 1200-1300 guests attending this holiday

Among the guests there are many famous people in Buryatia and beyond its borders, politicians, cultural and art workers.

A native of the Khorinsky region, a former minister of education and science of Buryatia, and now a deputy of the State Duma of Russia, Aldar Damdinov, was spotted. He came to the event in a stylized black oriental jacket, refused the status of an honored guest, bought a ticket for the holiday along with the usual guests and participated in it, being in the midst of the people on the podium and communicating in a friendly manner with everyone - acquaintances and strangers.

Another well-known politician and businessman, deputy of the People's Khural Bato Semyonov, a native of the Mukhorshibirsky district, said in his speech that the already accomplished unification of the Khori-Buryats, who have been celebrating the Buryat New Year together since last year (and not in regional communities, as before), is the basis for the future unification of all ethnic groups of the Buryats.

in the photo: speech of the deputy of the People's Khural Bato Semenov

The chairman of the People's Khural of Buryatia, Tsyren-Dashi Dorzhiev (representative of the Yeravninsky district), who was present at the holiday, was dressed in a suit and tie this time. Unlike last year, he behaved emphatically officially, did not participate in the folk fun "breaking a lamb bone" and did not claim to receive prizes from the trade network "Absolute" and OJSC "Milk".

In the photo: Chairman of the People's Khural Tsyren-Dashi Dorzhiev and other guests of honor

Among the honored guests of the holiday was a whole delegation of Khongodors (another ethnic group of Buryats) from Tunka, headed by the chairman of the regional Council of Deputies Alamzhi Syrenov. The latter, as you know, last year initiated the construction on the territory of Russia (in the Tunkinsky region of Buryatia) of a grandiose monument to the ancestor of the Mongols, the Khori-tumat queen Alan-goa, which is a symbol of the unity of all Mongolian peoples.

In the photo: a delegation from the Tunkinsky region and Alamzhi Syrenov, the initiator of the construction of the monument to Queen Alan-Goa

The festive performance, directed, as in the previous year, by the director of the Buryat State Theater of Song and Dance "Baikal" Dandar Badluyev, included performances by theater artists and other masters of Buryat art, folk games, yurools - the guests' wishes.

In the photo: Soelma Dagaeva, General Director of the Informpolis Publishing House, demonstrated her ability to speak in the Buryat language and a new dress in oriental style

In the photo: festive concert program of the Khori-Buryat Sagaalgan

The audience especially warmly received the dance performance "Dance of the Swans" of the "Baikal" theater, dedicated to Khun-Shubuun (the swan princess, the progenitor of the Hori-Buryats and Khongodors). This number was recently successfully shown at a charity ball at the famous Dresden Opera House, where the Baikal Theater once again glorified Buryat art in Europe.

on the video: "Dance of the Swans" at the Dresden Opera

The concert festive program was completed by the star of the Buryat stage Madagma Dorzhieva.

The sponsors of the holiday "Khori-Buryat Sagaalgan-2017" were the deputy of the State Duma of Russia Aldar Damdinov, the head of the Shenehen community Dashitsyren, businessman Baatarzhab Balzhinimaev, deputy of the People's Khural of Buryatia Arkady Damdinov, as well as the TV presenter and editor-in-chief of the newspaper "Ulan-Ude" Batodalay Bagdaev.