The Holiday of the White Month, Sagaalgan (or Sagaan) is, roughly speaking, the Buryat New Year . It does not coincide with the standard "our" New Year a little, as the Buddhists consider the beginning of the year the moment when spring comes and necessarily a new moon . Calculated by the lunar calendar Sagaalgan is a holiday with a floating date that does not necessarily coincide with the canonical Chinese (Buddhist) New Year: the earliest option is the end of January, the latest is March . Naturally, Sagaalgan is already hundreds of years old, but officially the first mass holiday B The first month of the month was organized in Buryatia only in 1990 . The name of the holiday explains the color that distinguishes all its attributes: the color of purity and novelty . And yes, it does last almost a calendar month .
The holiday was revived purposefully, to remind the Buryats of their roots, and in the first, "unofficial" time, he went in 1989, the KGB did not like it, but still did not prohibit anything. Today the first day of Sagaalgan is considered to be a state holiday in Kalmykia, Tuva, Altai and Buryatia
Historically, the time of Sagaalgan celebration in early spring Buryats are obliged to the Mongols. Tradition to celebrate the coming of the New Year in autumn, moved to the end of winter in accordance with the Chinese calendar grandson of Genghis Khan. It was because of its "autumnal" origin that the month was called "White": in the autumn the domestic cattle calved and the milk was full.
The Buddhists observe a strict daily fast before the offensive of Sagaalgan, during which the evil accumulated for the year is symbolically burned. In Buryatia, this custom is not very common. But what needs to be done on the first day of the White month is to welcome all the cross-members in a special way. At the greeting, the hands are bent at the elbows and stretched with the palms facing up: the older one puts his hands on top, the younger one is on the bottom.
According to tradition, three days before the White month in Buddhist temples there is a service in honor of the Dharmapal (patrons), and in one day a round-the-clock divine service begins, which ends only early in the morning. . Like the traditional New Year, Sagaalgan for Buryats is a family holiday . On the eve, in the evening "Buta" at home, driving away all the dark we Whether . And the next morning you can already go to the guests, such walking and continues the whole festive month . Which is not surprising, considering the fortress of family ties with the Buryats and the large number of family members who need to visit and congratulate .
To Sagaalganu prepare a treat of white color: that is, basically all kinds of dairy products. This is the usual food for us, and something more traditional: for example, kefir-like kurunga. Buryat buzzy, a close kind of steam mantle, can also be called "white food", and they often decorate the festive table. Another traditional dish is salamat, stewed in the stove of flour soup with the addition of fat.