Metro Vancouver ranks as one of the most diverse metropolitan regions in Canada with more than half identifying as visible minorities.

That’s why Lunar New Year is among the largest holiday celebrations in Metro Vancouver each year.

For Andy Otgonbayar, it’s the biggest for himself and his family.

Lunar New Year marks the end of winter and the beginning of a new year according to the lunar calendar, which is different than the Gregorian or “solar” calendar typically used in most parts of the world. It’s celebrated by many East and Southeast Asian cultures, including Chinese, Korean, Japanese, and Mongolian communities.

As a Mongolian Canadian, Andy celebrates Tsagaan Sar, or Mongolian New Year. Tsagaan Sar means “white moon” and starts on the first day of the Tibetan Lunar Calendar.

Like Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese new year, Tsagaan Sar typically falls between late January and early February. Since Tsagaan Sar follows the Tibetan Lunar Calendar, celebration dates typically differ each year by a few days. This year, Mongolians are celebrating about a month later on March 1 because of intercalation of the Tibetan Lunar Calendar, which aligns the lunar calendar with the solar year.

While the timing may slightly differ, the essence of the celebrations remains deeply rooted in cultural heritage and familial bonds.

A spring festival

Tsagaan Sar is not just a New Year celebration but also a spring festival. It is entrenched in Mongolia’s nomadic traditions and livestock-based lifestyle.

“It signifies the end of the harshest winter periods and the start of spring, and the arrival of a more prosperous season,” explains Andy.

He works as a Performance Reporting Coordinator at British Columbia Rapid Transit Company, which operates the SkyTrain’s Expo and Millennium Lines. In his role, Andy’s responsible for data analysis, visualization, and producing periodic internal and external reports.

For Mongolians, this period is a time of plenty, where families gather to enjoy abundant food and reconnect with their extended relatives. Traditionally, Tsagaan Sar also served the purpose of ensuring non-consanguineous marriages as the nomadic lifestyle of Mongolians meant limited opportunities to meet relatives outside of the new year.

Gathering and greeting the family

The celebration typically begins with family members gathering at the home of the eldest relative.

“Traditionally, for our family, everybody usually gathered at the oldest person’s place,” Andy shares. “We gather at either the parents, or the oldest brother or sisters’, and then everybody brings gifts to celebrate.”

There, they greet each other with a silk scarf, called a khadag, and offer each other gifts such as money.

The greeting ritual involves the older person placing their hands above the younger person’s hands, while the younger person places their hands under. The celebration is auspicious and optimistic, and the exchange of greetings and wishes are always very positive.

A feast to remember

With the formalities of greeting out of the way, it’s then time to eat.

The centrepiece of the celebration is a long table filled with traditional foods, including milk products, meat, and dumplings.

A significant highlight is the full boiled mutton, with the eldest person cutting and distributing the tail fat to symbolize prosperity. There’s also an assortment of milk products, which symbolize the “white” in “white moon.”

“There’s a hierarchy in how you sit on the long table,” Andy describes. “The heads of the tables are reserved for the head of the families or the older siblings.”

Tsagaan Sar lasts about two weeks until the full moon, which happens on the 14th or 15th day of the new lunar cycle.

The first day of the New Year is reserved for immediate family, while the following days are for visiting friends and extended family. After the third day, families downsize the centrepieces but are always expecting guests until the full moon.

Connecting with family and culture

For Andy, Mongolian New Year is a time to reconnect with family and celebrate cultural heritage.

Despite living away from Mongolia, Andy continues to uphold these traditions, setting up a festive table and involving family members in the celebrations.

“My mom is actually coming and she’s going to celebrate Lunar New Year with us,” Andy shares. “We’re definitely going to have a table set up with the centrepiece.”

Tsagaan Sar is a vibrant and meaningful celebration that highlights the importance of family, tradition, and the changing seasons.

It offers a unique perspective on how different cultures celebrate the Lunar New Year, emphasizing the rich cultural diversity within East Asia.

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