Tsagaan sar is a family festival, which is celebrated on the first day of the Lunar new year to put some cheer in the endless winter months and mark the beginning of spring.
This could be any date from late January to early March depending on Lunar calendar.

The celebration happens over several days, with feasting on the night of the new moon.

Everyone dresses in their best clothes to visit family members. Throughout the ages the festival has been celebrated in the traditional way- family ties are renewed and in particular it is a time to honor the elderly. As a sign of respect the younder adults greet their elders in a certain way, with a special arm-hold embrace, which symbolises both support and esteem. The gesture is accompanied by the exchange of a ceremonial pale blue or white silk scarf. Gifs are usually given and received with both hands.

Whole carcasses of a fat lamb are cooked in advance, and there is lot of food including steamed dumplings, fermented milk,vodka, milk tea, salads and sweets. Traditionally after lon bouts of festing , the mongols settle down to hours of story – telling and wisdom sayings, and in this way, oral histories have been passed on from one generation to the next.

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