Losar in the UK

I write this in the middle of Losar, the Tibetan New Year, the biggest and most important festival of the Tibetan year. It’s a time of family and visiting, a time of preparing the home and one’s self for the new year, spiritually and physically.

In the Tibetan homelands (Tibet, India, Nepal) Losar is a 15-day event, but only 3 days here in the UK. There are special rituals, and then a big celebration with food and cultural performances: 1 ½ hours, with children, youth and adults performing music and traditional dances, videos of youth speaking Tibetan, and speeches. Of the approximately 2000 Tibetans in the UK, about 700 were at the celebration. It was a time of reconnecting with friends and relatives, and reinforcing their culture and identity. The Dalai Lama was often referenced.

Most Tibetans in the UK are professionals. They are a hidden people in many ways, though their continued activism for justice at the Chinese takeover of Tibet is well known. Many grew up in refugee camps in India and Nepal, but now there is a global diaspora. Reinforcing their Tibetan identity through culture and religion (Tibetan Buddhism), is a key focus for this community.

Article by:

Jane Holloway

SAC Trustee