What does the Mongolian name Tsagaan Sar literally mean?

The Mongolian name Tsagaan Sar literally means “White Moon.”

The name comes from Mongolian words commonly translated as tsagaan, “white,” and sar, “moon” or “month.” Tsagaan Sar is Mongolia’s Lunar New Year, celebrated on the first through third days of the first lunar month. Its date shifts in the Gregorian calendar because the Mongolian calendar is lunisolar.

White has an important ceremonial meaning. During the festival, white foods known as tsagaan idee—including dairy products and some rice-based dishes—symbolize purity, peace, and clean intentions. Families visit elders, exchange gifts, share lavish meals, and perform zolgokh, a formal greeting in which younger people support an elder’s arms.

The celebration begins with Bituun, the dark-moon day before Tsagaan Sar. Families clean their homes, settle debts, and prepare food before welcoming the New Year. The holiday has both Buddhist and older shamanistic influences, and its customs vary among Mongolian communities in Mongolia, Russia, and China. “White Moon” refers to the festival’s name and symbolism, not to a separate astronomical moon.