A Losar Celebration

March 30, 2022

I always enjoy learning about other cultures and customs. Losar Tashi Delek is a Nepali phrase meaning blessings and prosperity for the New Year - this, the year of the water tiger 2149 according to the Tibetan lunar calendar.

The Sherpa members of my Bedford, New York farm staff, celebrate the Tibetan Losar. In Nepal, Sherpas are those who lead mountaineering expeditions in the Himalayas. They are highly respected mountaineers, known for their physical strength, endurance and for their resilience to high altitude conditions. New York is home to a large community of Sherpas - in fact, my foreman, Chhiring, is the president of the Upstate Sherpa Community chapter in New York. Last weekend, the community gathered for a New Year's celebration filled with traditional foods, clothing, and dance.

Here are some photos, enjoy.

: This year, the Upstate Sherpa Community held their New Year’s Celebration at the Moses Taylor Jr. American Legion Post 136 in nearby Mt. Kisco.

: Chapter president, Chhiring Sherpa, dressed in his traditional Sherpa formalwear. Behind him is his wife, Ang Pema. Above are Tibetan prayer flags – each hue signifies an element — and the flags are always arranged in a specific order of yellow, green, red, white and blue. Blue represents the sky, white represents the air, red symbolizes fire, green symbolizes water, and yellow symbolizes earth. All five colors together signify balance.

: Many attendees wore traditional Sherpa clothing. Married women tie a multi-colored striped apron of woolen cloth called “pangden” around their waists.

: Chhiring’s son, Mingmar, also works at my farm as part of my security team. Here he is next to his sister, Alina, welcoming guests at the entrance.

: Dolma, in the center, helps me care for my horses, donkeys, and pony. Here she is with her sisters – Sanu on the right, who worked for me for many years, and their eldest sister, Jangmu, on the left.

: Pasang is our resident tree expert at the farm. He was at the venue since early morning helping with preparations.

: Dolma and her son, Jamling, stop for this photo before enjoying some of the celebratory dishes.

: Popular New Year’s appetizers include chana. Chana masala, also known as channay, chole masala, chhole masala, chole or chholay, is a dish originating from India. The main ingredient is a variety of chickpeas called chana or kala chana.

: This is pakora – a spicy fritter often sold by street vendors and served in restaurants in South Asia. It consists of vegetables such as potatoes and onions, coated in seasoned gram flour batter and deep fried.

: This is called beaten rice – a flattened rice dish made from raw, toasted, or parboiled rice grains pounded into flat flakes. They are eaten as is, toasted and fried.

: The dough in the middle is called momo – made of white flour and water. This one is plain; however, it can also be filled with meats or vegetables as dumplings.

: Phurba, another member of my outdoor grounds crew, was also there. And look who else attended – Fernando. It was a very fun event for everyone.

: Fernando brought his daughter, Fernanda, and his five year old granddaughter, Emily.

: Here’s Dawa just before taking his first sip of Sherpa beer. Sherpa beer is called chhaang and made with brewed barley, millet, or rice grains. You may recognize Dawa from this blog – he oversees the care of my chickens, peafowl, pigeons, and geese.

: At the front of the auditorium, a table is set for several Sherpa community leaders – Chhiring is on the far left.

: Here, Phurba stands with his wife, Chhoti, also wearing a traditional dress for formal cultural events.

: In this photo, the president of the United Sherpa Association welcomes a member with a Buddhist scarf. Also known as Khata, Khada, Khadag or Hada; this traditional ceremonial Tibetan scarf symbolizes prayer, purity, goodwill, auspiciousness, compassion, and sincerity.

: More than 200 guests attended the celebration that lasted more than 12 hours.

: Chhiring, his wife, Domi, and their group perform a traditional Nepali dance. On the far left is Mingma Sherpa Paldorche, and on the far right is Mingmar Chhiri Sherpa – two Mt. Everest climbers. Sherpas are well-known for their endurance and climbing abilities. In fact, Mingmar Chhiri completed seven climbs without added oxygen.

: Pasang, Domi, and Chhiring receive Buddist scarves on stage.

: Children of all ages also performed. Here, the daughters of Pasang and Sanu danced for the audience while younger children watched.

: Dawa joined in the fun performing a dance that was more comical than customary. Everyone watching enjoyed it. Here he is after receiving his scarf.