The Mongolian people called the Spring Festival"Grand Year"and"White Festival"in ancient times.Nowadays,people call January in traditional Chinese calendar"white month",because the Mongolians deem white as the lucky color,which has something to do with the white milk product they eat every day.White is color for celebrating the New Year and bringing in good luck."White month"is also for parties.People make beautiful Mongolian robes,prepare mutton,milk products and wine and begin to"train the horses".In the New Year's Eve,the whole family would sit in the center of the Mongolian yurt and a banquet begins in the midnight.People will eat and drink more than in ordinary days.They will propose a toast to the elders for"farewell to the old year",have some jiaozi,which is also called"yellow steamed bread"and"bianshi",play"galaka"(chess)and have some artists telling stories.They stay up all night,intoxicated in the spirit of the festival.On the first day of the New Year,people in colorful robes will ride horses to"Hotton"(villages and towns)and visit the Mongolian yurts one by one.They knock head on the ground and bless the elder before the son-in-law of the yurt owner proposes a toast to the guests.You cannot refuse this kind of toast.Singing and dancing could be seen as well.The yurt visitors hold a horse race taking full advantage of the opportunity.The young men and women,unwilling to give in,begin the race between"Hottons".
The White Festival is still the grandest festival for the modern Mongolian people today.The whole family,all dressed in their holiday best,will get together and stay up all night celebrating the New Year.They burn incense to worship the god first,and then the children present hada and propose toasts to the elders.In the morning of the first day of the New Year,people begin to pay a New Year call to the relatives,which will be ended until the 15th or the end of White Month.During the whole White month,youths,with brand-new hada and wine,will ride to"Hotton"(residential area)and pay a New Year call to the relatives.
