Losar is also known as Tibetan New Year. It’s celebrated in various countries over various days with specific food, beverages, dances, and spirituality.
Queens joins the mix with a Tibetan Losar Festival Market at the Yarlung Center in Long Island CIty from Friday, Feb. 21, to Tuesday, Feb. 25.
It entails four days of Tibetan clothing, cuisine, decorations, games, music, and performances. Members of the community will come from all over the TriState Area to participate.
The schedule is 10 am to 5 pm every day. Admission is free with products for sale.
Losar is an ancient tradition that predates Buddhism’s arrival in Tibet. It might derive from a harvest festival or a winter incense-burning ritual. (Or both.) Common practices include making offerings to nature spirits, drinking a beer-like barley beverage called “changkol,” and performing the Gumpa mask dance.
It’s also a time to resolve ongoing conflicts, forgive debts, and even buy new clothes.
Located at 47-10 32nd Pl., the Yarlung Center is a community space that promotes Tibetan culture via educational and cultural programs.
Images: Yarlung Center