Tibet Festival – Greeting Bird Festival

For local Tibetans, bird is their mascot and also the representative of the holy animals. Tibetans worship the birds highly and there is also a festival related to bird on the Tibet festival calendar – the Greeting Bird Festival, which would be celebrated on March 15th according to the Tibetan calendar. On this day, the local Tibetans would bring some herbs, Tibetan drinks and desserts to the forest to greet the cuckoo bird. They hold that the cuckoo bird could bring them wealth and good luck.

Tibet Festival Calendar – Brief Introduction of Greeting Bird Festival

The bird enjoys a high status in the legend on Tibet Plateau. It is regarded as an important carrier of Tibetan culture and civilization. In the primitive society with poor productivity, Tibetans ate feared of the changeable nature. To relieve themselves from the restlessness, local Tibetans start to take the free bird as their spiritual ballast. The bird is always free and never being afraid of the unknown future. Hence, the bird is highly respected as a holy animal in the Tibetan legends and stories.

Bird is the regarded as the major role of the few religious festivals related to bird on the Tibet festival calendar. Bird is highly respected by the ancient Tibetans and the bird carries certain complicated emotion of the Tibetans. It reflected the ups and downs of the Tibetan society. The ancient Tibetans found that the bird could tell them the change of the season since it always acted regularly. So the bird did do some contribution to the agricultural production and the animal husbandry. Hence, the Tibetans would express their thanks to the bird on the Greeting Bird Festival. They would always prepare some food favored by the cuckoo bird and would not leave the forest before they hear the voice of the cuckoo bird.

Tibet Festival Calendar – Greeting Bird Festival of Reting Monastery

The Greeting Bird Festival is an important festival on Tibet festival calendar for the Buddhists in Reting Monastery. Reting Monastery would celebrate this festival on April 15th according to the Tibetan calendar. It was called Khuyag Mchodpa in Reting Monastery. More than one hundred Buddhists in Reting Monastery would prepare numerous offerings and hold solemn religious dancing activities for praying for blessings.

Reting Monastery was built by the founder of Gadam Sect in 1057. It is an ancient monastery with a history of more than 900 years. It is only about 80 kilometers away from Lhasa. Except for the Greeting Bird Festival, the Pakbang Tangkhor Festival is also an important festival on the Tibet festival calendar for Reting Monastery. Some unalloyed religious activities, such as the circumambulation activity attracts a large number of pilgrimages and tourists every year.