We wish all of our supporters a Happy Losar! At Jhamtse Gatsal, for Losar, our hall is filled with extra decorations. In front of Buddha, we place three beautifully molded center-pieces of monks, surrounded by mandalas and flowers, all in breathtaking colors.
The fifteen-day long celebration involves eating sweet Tibetan biscuits and generally celebrating. It is custom to go around to people’s houses, bringing offerings which are then blessed with Yak butter. A Khata, a Tibetan white cloth with auspicious symbols on it, is wrapped around the offerings and given to the host.
Of course, during this time of Covid, our celebration looked a bit different this year. The children were sent home on a government-mandated holiday. They are safe at home thanks to strict government Covid-19 protocol adherence in the villages. No outside people are allowed to enter the villages without a negative Covid test or required quarantine. Thankfully, Covid cases are decreasing in our district.
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