Reveling in the Anarchy
February 6th, 2008 Posted in TibetI knew Tibet’s lunar new year, Losar, would be something special, but nothing could prepare me for the spectacle that ensued. I can still feel the echo of adrenaline coursing through my veins.
Sarah and I had waited patiently in the Barkhor Square with some fellow travelers and Tibetan friends for evening to fall. There were squads of jing cha patroling the area, as well as a fire truck clearly on stand by, yet all was quiet. Then, according to some unspoken cue, Lhasa erupted.
Throughout the city’s maze of alleyways, small sparklers and hand shells were being fired. We ducked into a narrow street to get a closer look - just as things got interesting. One after another, the rat-tat-tat machine gun of chains of firecrackers rang virtually non-stop in our ears. Someone had set a small pile of rubbish ablaze in the middle of the street. Tibetans emerged from their homes to add fiery armfuls of cardboard and straw - attempting to burn away their troubles in the coming year. More lengths of firecrackers were tossed into the mix, violently exploding within the raging inferno.
The heavier ammunition was slowly brought out, and Lhasa lit up in a riot of colors. Fireworks as impressive as any I’ve seen in the US blanketed the sky in every direction. The smoldering remains of exhausted explosives were now steadily raining down, forcing observers to seek cover. Billowing smoke from both fire and fireworks were making it difficult to breath. So this is what a war zone is like.
Yet a war zone this was not. We could just make out beaming Tibetan faces through the haze, and every now and then a delighted scream would pierce the cacaphony when a child danced too close to the pyrotechnics. The atmosphere was simply electrifying and you couldn’t help but be swept up in this unbridled expression of joy.
Perhaps most amazing, is that this is only the first night of the festivities. I can’t fathom what other kinds of new experiences the remainder of Losar has in store.
One Response to “Reveling in the Anarchy”
By Gene on Feb 6, 2008
Dan/Sarah:
Your article brought back a lot of memory about the chinese new year.
“Year” - 年 (nian) - was a big monster, according to the Chinese folklore. This “year” came to the village every new year to damage the crops and hurt the people. That is why the villagers light up the fireworks to scare the “year” away. The spring festival, 春节, lasts at least 15 days; starting from the new year eve and ended at the Lantern Festival.
When I was young, my father used to tell me the story about how their family celebrated the Chinese new year back home in a rural area in the northern Canton. His house is a traditional farmer’s house, big, rectangular in shape, surrounded by rice fields. Those rice fields are rented out to the local farmers to care. A little stream runs in front the main gate of the house. My father, your grandpop, used to take a raft running up and down of the scream near the end of year to collect the rental fees from the farmers, or sometimes just the chickens, eggs or hams.
The house is divided into several courts. Once enter the house, you will see corridors, storages, barns, rooms aligned along the sides of the house for the crops, animals and servants. The center open dirt field is used for sun dry the corns, the cucumbers and other fruits or crops.
Three days before the X’mas is the beginning of the winter according to the lunar calendar. It is the day when the Chinese family sent away the house god to the heaven to report to the King in heaven what the family has done in the year. Since then, no field work no more. The entire family spent the time to clean up the house, including sharpen the butcher’s knife and clean up the stuff collected on the bottom of the fry pans or woks to make them shining again. They are also busy cooking. You are not supposed to kill or cook during the new year celebration.
Right after mid-night sharp, the elder in the family will open the front gate and light up the fireworks - a cluster of fire works which have framed the gate. Then open the second gate with fireworks, the third gate so on so forth, until the last gate which leads to the ancesters’ shrine. The grand-grand father and mother who were the oldest in the family will lead the ritual praying and offering. They will then sit in the front of the offering table. The parade of younger generation starting from the grandpop and mom will knee down three times in front of the elder. The grand-grand father was supposed to give the blessings and say encoraging words and then give out the red envelop to each of those who bow down before him. The red envelop - “hong bao” - has money in it. Whoever receives it is supposed to place it under his/her pillow to sleep over the Chinese new year. Once it is done, the grand-grand parents will leave to rest. Then it is the grand-grand uncle and aunt’s turn, who will sit in front of the offering table to receive the courtesy. The whole excercise will be repeated many times for grand-parents, parents, uncles etc. When it finished, the day is already bright. Though very tiresome, the youngest are the happiest because they can receive a lot of Hong-Bao.
Lantern festival is another special day. That is the day the Chinese receive the house god from the heaven who will guard the house for another year. Each house will light up different kinds of lanterns, hanging up high. And people, particularly, children will carry lighted lanterns around. It is a fun time as well.
Have fun - enjoy viewing your photos and reading your articles.