Tsagaan sar / Mongolian Lunar New Year event 2020

23th Feb 2020 LUNAR NEW YEAR EVE

Early in the morning our guide and driver will pick you up from a designated spot and take you to our Mongolian Secret History complex which is about an hour and a half away from Ulaanbaatar city. The camp is located in a beautiful spot surrounded by forest in the valley of Noyon Mountain. Mongolian nomads move from one location to another depending on the season and there are few herder families who move near the camp in a winter for better shelter for their livestock. The 2 days event will take a place partially at the camp and partially at the herder family's gers.

Once you are settled at the camp your guide will take you to our ger museum to introduce you about Mongolian music instruments and brief introduction of Mongolian culture to give you background information on the activities of the event. Afterwards enjoy the following performances by Mongolian artists:

- Traditional music concert

- Mongolian traditional dress show

Then visit herder’s family to take part in preparing traditional food and enjoy local culture on “Lunar New year’s Eve. The most important tradition of the new year's eve for Mongolian nomads is cleaning their ger and surroundings and preparing feast for themselves and friends and families who will come by on the new year's day. With help of your guide learn how to make Mongolian traditional dumpling "buuz" and have traditional cuisine for dinner. Afterwards join the herder family for some new year's eve tradition of playing sheep ankle bone games /shagai/ such as:

- “Colored turtle” (sheep or goat knuckle bones arranged into turtle shape)

-“Horse racing” (win the race with your knucklebones

-"Ankle bone catch” (test your speed and skill in this exciting game

-“Ankle bone flicking” (show off your aim by flicking knuckle bones)

24th Feb 2020 THE FIRST DAY OF THE LUNAR NEW YEAR
Today take your predetermined, personal first steps of the New Year before the sun rises according to Mongolian traditions relating to your individual birthday and year. You will be given individual instructions on which directions to head out and come back and what rituals to do (e.g. lighting a small fire or breaking small peace of wood etc) depending of your date of birth.

After taking the first step of a new year, have a delicious breakfast to fuel you for a full day of activities with the local herders to welcome the Dog year of 2018 on a right note. Today's activities include

- Visit a herder’s family on the first day of the Lunar New Year

- Learn traditional greeting, “Zolgoh”

- Prepare and eat traditional meals

- See the new calves

- Give and receive your new year present

- Ride horses and camels

- Try your hand at archery

- Photos with traditional dress

- Learn Mongolian traditional ballroom dances “Zadgai tsagaan”, “Khumuun turlukhtun”

- Enjoy watching a winter horse race

In the evening retire to one of our comfortable deluxe or standard rooms or if you wish to complete the event in true Mongolian style, stay at one of our winter gers.

Please contact us with your inquiry by e-mail at info@mongoliansecrethistory.mn