Tsagaan Sar
BC Mongolian
Feb 5th
Virtual Program
Tsagaan Sar is one of the most significant events for Mongolian people. According to the Lunar Calendar, at the beginning of the year, Mongols celebrate a New Year called White Moon, or
“Tsagaan Sar” in the Mongolian language. From the beginning when Chinggis Khaan reigned as a King of all Mongols, a New Year called White Moon Day has been enriched with state and official content.
The lunar year holiday means the beginning of spring. Mongols celebrate this as the season when everything natural earns a life. Tsagaan Sar is listed on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List.
Several times a year, Mongolians had to look for better pastures to feed the livestock, migrating throughout the country. Because of this, they often did not have much time to spend with their family. The main purpose of this festival is to greet and meet each other, know more about each other’s lives, see each other’s happiness, respect the elders and love the young, learn about the pastures of other regions, and so on. And so, this holiday has become a longstanding cultural ceremony among Mongolian people.
About the Community
The BC Mongolian Community Society was founded in 1998. The BC Mongolian Community Society (BCMCS) is a non-profit organization that has the mission to strengthen the Mongolia-Canada relations and to contribute to the future development of Mongolia by preserving our language, culture, and traditions through our youth, and by promoting the Mongolian traditional culture, its history, and its distinguishing features into the mosaic culture of Canada.
The BC Mongolian Community Society aims to serve as a network of Mongolians, including Mongolian alumni of BC universities, nurturing personal and professional links between members, and encouraging the sharing of skills and knowledge. They celebrate the long-term friendship and on-going cultural link with Canada, sustained through a diverse program of activities, such as events to commemorate Canada Day, Victoria Day, and Family Day. The society also shares news, information and resources with its members and the wider Mongolia-Canada community. They organize major Mongolian holidays, including Naadam, Lunar Festival, Child and Mother’s Day, and sport activities, as well as promote any initiatives to preserve Mongolian language and cultures among Mongolians.
