On January 31st, 2014 the Bloomington community celebrated Tsagaan Sar, the Mongolian Lunar New Year. Tsagaan Sar is one of the two most important holidays in Mongolia and is celebrated for three days, where friends and relatives visit each other’s homes to exchange blessings for the new year, small gifts, and lots of food. Because of Indiana University’s robust Mongolian language program, faculty, students, and visiting scholars all contributed to the cultural performances, planned by Senior Lecturer Tserenchunt Legden and Mongolian FLTA Oyungerel Puntsagdulam. With opening remarks from Susie Drost, Executive Director of the Mongolia Society, and Professor György Kara from the Department of Central Eurasian Studies, the performances showcased Mongolian poetry, songs, instrumental pieces for the horsehead fiddle and Mongolian zither, and the Yokhor circle dance. Guests enjoyed such traditional foods as buuz (dumplings), aaruul (dried curds), and berees (rice with raisins). Over one hundred people participated in this event to welcome in a prosperous year of the Wooden Horse.
Co-hosted by: The Mongolia Society, Pan Asia Institute, Inner Asian and Uralic National Resource Center, the Department of Central Eurasian Studies, and the Bloomington Mongolian Community
All pictures courtesy of Nathan Montgomery, Indiana University.
