Earlier than school college students journey residence to rejoice Tsagaan Sar, the Mongolian Lunar New 12 months, Dagdansengee Delgersaikhan, Secretary Normal of IFES Scholar Ministry in Mongolia, discusses with college students strategy the nation's greatest vacation with their new Christian religion.
It's good to respect your mother and father, Delgersaikhan tells them, however there are specific rituals steeped in Buddhism and shamanism that they’ll now not take part in, akin to bowing to household idols or strolling in a sure course for good luck. He guides them on preserve good relations with their household, whereas kindly explaining that as a result of they’re Christians, they’ll now not take part in sure traditions.
Delgersaikhan speaks from private expertise. She remembers one morning in Tsagaan Sar 20 years in the past when she nervously approached her father and instructed him that she wouldn’t be becoming a member of the remainder of the household once they went out to carry out prayers. As an alternative, she stayed residence and made scorching milk tea for them once they acquired residence. He agreed.
For Christians within the majority Buddhist nation, the celebration of Tsagaan Sar – which begins on Saturday – seems to be totally different than it did earlier than they got here to the religion. Some Christians don’t take part within the vacation in any respect due to its religious roots, whereas others discover methods to embrace the optimistic points of spending time with household and respecting elders whereas refraining from practices that battle with their religion.
The gathering of so many individuals additionally makes it “a very good time to witness to Jesus,” Delgersaikhan mentioned. Conversations about religion might come up throughout preparation Gents, stewed meat dumplings, or when visiting kin.
“We encourage them that it is a good time to witness about ourselves, about Jesus,” she mentioned. “Go residence and serve them and present them good hospitality, shock them they usually'll say, 'Why is he so hospitable?' After which share the gospel.”
Assembly household and discovering happiness
Tsagaan Sar, which suggests “white moon”, is Mongolia's greatest vacation, marking the tip of the lengthy Mongolian winter – which may attain -28 levels C (-20 levels F) – and the start of spring. Whereas Genghis Khan instituted the vacation within the thirteenth century, it was not till the seventeenth century that Buddhist leaders started to include Buddhist components into Tsagaan Sar. When communism took over Mongolia in 1924, the leaders banned the vacation as a result of it was thought of spiritual. Nonetheless, many Mongolians continued to quietly rejoice, mentioned Bolortuya Damdinjav of the Mongolian Evangelical Alliance. When democracy got here within the Nineteen Nineties, Mongolians started to extensively rejoice the Lunar New 12 months once more.
“Most Christians see it as a cultural or conventional vacation,” mentioned Damdinjav, “we've eliminated the spiritual elements, however we nonetheless see it as a time to fulfill household and present respect.”
Households start making ready for Tsagaan Sar weeks prematurely, cleansing the home, shopping for components, and making and freezing a whole bunch of booze for friends visiting inside three days of Tsagaan Sar. The day earlier than New 12 months is named Buy, which suggests “to shut” as folks clear home, repay money owed, and feast to finish the 12 months with full bellies. They mild candles to signify the Buddha's enlightenment and go away ice on the doorways of their houses, believing that the native dietitian Baldanlkham visits every household on a mule and the ice offers the mule one thing to drink.
The next day, households costume in conventional Mongolian clothes, often called a Share (which resembles a tunic) and the matriarch makes tea with milk. The primary cup is obtainable to the gods. Utilizing their zodiac signal, they decide which course they need to stroll out of their houses on New 12 months's morning to deliver good luck. Some Mongolians climb to the highest of the mountain to see the primary dawn of the 12 months and need for good luck.
Mongolian households then go to their grandparents or oldest residing kin. In each home, younger folks greet their elders by grabbing their elbows and asking, “Are you residing in peace?” and elders kiss each cheeks. They provide cash whereas the kids get toys and play video games. They’re consuming booze and boov st pastries stacked in an odd variety of tiers to suggest good luck, in addition to boiled lambskin, dairy merchandise and sweets. Conversations give attention to cheerful matters to deliver extra good issues within the new 12 months.
Households then transfer on to different kin and neighbors for the following three days. Individuals additionally go to the temple and ask the lama for fortune, give out meals for the family idols and supply prayers.
Celebrating Tsagaan Sar as Christians
When Amaraa Jargalsaikhan grew to become a Christian, family and friends requested: How did you change into a Christian? In case you are a Christian, you lose all of your id… you can’t rejoice Tsagaan Sar! Nonetheless, Jargalsaikhan sees Tsagaan Sar as a singular time to share the gospel.
Earlier, one of many pastors of the Amid Ug (Dwelling Water) Christian Church in Ulaanbaatar, the biggest church in Mongolia, famous that typically non-Christians didn’t need the pastor to go to. But on Tsagaan Sar, everybody was welcome in the home. As he sat within the houses of kin and neighbors as they caught up with their lives, he talked about his “cause for turning into a Christian and the variations [between Christianity from Buddhism] and good issues about it.” From these conversations on Tsagaan Sar, a number of relations ultimately visited Jargalsaikhan's church.
“I believe it's a very good time to share the gospel,” Jargalsaikhan mentioned. “We [tried] don't spoil the temper as a result of some folks get offended if you happen to say one thing about one other faith.”
When Tsagaan Sar fell on a Sunday, Jargalsaikhan's church continued to carry companies, though they discovered that the attendance – which normally numbered 1,000 for 3 companies – had dropped considerably. The pastors took turns main totally different companies so that everybody had the chance to go to kin. Jargalsaikhan usually preached from the pulpit about how Tsagaan Sar was a possibility to share the gospel and instructed others how God had labored of their lives.
Right this moment, Jargalsaikhan and his household reside in Chicago, the place he serves at Antioch Mongolian Christian Church. Regardless that he and his household don't have kin to go to, they nonetheless have a conventional one Shareprepare dinner booze and boov st and video chat together with your mother and father in Mongolia. They then go to members of their church, particularly older members of the congregation – though in America they should request a go to, not like in Mongolia, the place folks present up unannounced.
Stand agency and respect your mother and father on the similar time
IFES's Delgersaikhan additionally famous that Tsagaan Sar is a chief alternative for Christians to speak about their religion as a result of persons are usually reverent in the direction of one another throughout the vacation and since they see so many family and friends. Some Christian households give their friends small Bibles or stationary units with Bible verses. There may be additionally a possibility to do them “superb hospitality and to be type…to share a private testimony.” She famous that these days, some folks now not see the vacation as a option to serve each other, or use Tsagaan Sar solely as a option to showcase their wealth. Christians may be totally different by being humble.
Earlier than college students go away for the vacations, IFES additionally hosts a Tsagaan Sar celebration on campus. Christian college students invite their mates to decorate up Shareconsuming, consuming, enjoying video games and studying in regards to the Christian religion. He reminds the IFES college students that there can be many rituals that they need to now not take part in. For instance, they need to not go together with their households to climb a mountain to see the rising solar and pray for blessings. “Our God, we are able to pray to him anyplace and anytime, not simply on New 12 months's morning,” he reminds them.
A few of the Christian college students who return residence to the countryside for the New 12 months – particularly in areas the place Buddhism nonetheless has a powerful affect – face extra stress to hitch spiritual rituals. She famous that once they come again from a break, some are completely happy as a result of they may choose out, however others are unhappy as a result of they couldn't. If the mother and father are very insistent that they be part of them in any of the spiritual rituals, Delgersaikhan tells them they’ll pray silently to God.
But most often, she discovered that younger Christians at this time face much less backlash than these of a era in the past. She mentioned at this time's college students are extra trustworthy and open about sharing their conversion and religious journey with their mother and father, and lots of mother and father aren't upset that their kids don't need to take part in rituals. Typically mother and father additionally see optimistic adjustments of their kids's habits – akin to stopping smoking, consuming or cursing – in order that they have a extra optimistic view of Christianity.
“In my time we had been very afraid [of] our mother and father, however now college students are very open to share what they imagine in,” mentioned Delgersaikhan. “Some folks within the nation say it's a extremely good factor.”
Speaking about Jesus whereas packing booze
Bolortuya Damdinjav of the Mongolian Evangelical Alliance mentioned her favourite reminiscence of Tsagaan Sar rising up was on a regular basis spent together with her relations, whether or not it was making ready for the vacations by cleansing and making. booze or visiting aged kin and seeing prolonged household they not often see.
Damdinjav, alongside together with her mom and sister, grew to become Christians in 1993, a number of months earlier than Tsagaan Sarem, and he or she recollects that the vacation was an enormous step of braveness. The day earlier than the New 12 months, her grandmother, who lived with them, grew to become very unwell, so the household started to hope for her. At the moment, they nonetheless had some idols in the home, however Damdinjav felt God telling her to eliminate the idols and different spiritual objects in the home. She instructed her mom they usually each threw the issues into the hearth.
The following day, her grandmother started to really feel higher. When her different grandmother and kin came visiting, they instantly went to the place the idols stood to pay their respects, however had been shocked to seek out nothing there. Damdinjav was afraid that they might be offended, however as an alternative they mentioned nothing about it; they sat and ate with them after which left. They by no means introduced it up once more.
“In some households [the removal of idols] it may be an enormous debate and other people can argue with one another,” she famous. “However I believe God in some way protected us and since then our home has been clear, free [of idols].”
Damdinjav discovered that the very best time to speak in regards to the gospel with the household is whereas packing booze. Everyone seems to be relaxed and chatting to move the time whereas making a whole bunch of scrumptious dumplings. Throughout these conversations, she had the chance to inform her kin why she believes in Jesus, why she reads the Bible and what Christianity is.
“So I imagine we're simply planting seeds each time we now have a possibility to share our religion.