On this page of Sherpa-Times you will find information on traditional sherpa festivals and dress. Our information came from Through a Sherpa WindowBy:Lhkapa Norbu Sherpa Published in 2008.
Traditional Sherpa Culture
Traditional Sherpa clothing was normally made of thick yak and sheep wool. Women wore long robes called tongkok. Engi was a sleeveless form of a tonkok. Women also wore colorful aprons called gewe and metil. Gewe were front aprons and metil are back aprons. The mozha was a triangular skull cap worn by women. The corners of the cap were lined with brocade. The cap was pinned to the hair with pins or needles. Other kinds of hats were seshing bogta and sogsha. A seshing bogta was a yellow beret that looked like a pancake and was tied under the chin. A sogsha was a wide-brimmed sun hat worn by the bridegroom during a marriage ceremony. Warriors who rode horses in Mongolia and Tibet also wore it. Women also wore jewelry. A lot of jewelry was made from gold and other precious metals. A tiktik was a gold necklace, and a sortup was a finger ring made of gold or other metals. Women wore bracelets called matil, which were made of many materials including gold, silver and glass. Sherpas wore boots made of felt called zompa. Kosil were zompa molded with hide. A kacha was a leather moccasin made from buffalo hide and worn for normal work By: Sara Wada Traditional Sherpa women's dress
There were many festivals though out the Sherpa year such as Mani Rindup, Losar, Phagnyi and Dumchi. During all the festivals people wore their best costumes and jewelry. Children and adults got very excited for Losar, which is their new year. On New Years Eve families would stay home, cook and decorate the house. Then they would celebrate the next day. Parties were hosted by every house in the village so Losar goes on as long as there are houses left. Phagnyi is a festival called the day of the pig. It is a time to recover from the hard agricultural work of the spring and to eat like a pig. Mani Rindup is a religious ceremony dedicated to Chyenrezigthe god of compassion. Another festival is Yarchang the summer festival. In this everyone in a village would eat and drink together and do different rituals for livestock. One more festival is Nyungne the festival for fasting. It was held at a monastery and the people who did it take part in several days of fasting and silence. Those are some of the Sherpa festivals. By: Caroline Richardson Sherpa people celebrating Losar (New Years festival)
In the 1970's Sherpa men wore traditional Sherpa clothing. A Chhuba is a traditional men’s robe made from spun wool. The wool is made from sheepskin called lokpa. The chhuba is tied with a sash called a Kara and has long sleeves. They would also wear a tetung, a men’s jacket with a high collar. These were also made out of sheep or yak wool. A tentung would either be worn with a chhuba and with or with out kanam, which means trousers. The style of clothes came from Buddhist tradition, their main religion. The colors, which are mainly used, are blue, read and yellow. The blue is from India, and the red and the yellow are from Tibet. On their feet they would wear lhaams, monks boots. These are made of leather, with pointed toes. By: Catie Burkhart
Khumjung Today
Questions:
1. Do you still wear traditional clothing or westernized clothes? Please ask: a 30+ yr. old person
2. Did any festival changes and are they all still celebrated the same? Please ask: a 50+ yr. old person
3. Do you still make the clothes at home and if not where are they made? Please ask: a 50+ yr. old woman
Traditional Sherpa Culture
Traditional Sherpa clothing was normally made of thick yak and sheep wool. Women wore long robes called tongkok. Engi was a sleeveless form of a tonkok. Women also wore colorful aprons called gewe and metil. Gewe were front aprons and metil are back aprons. The mozha was a triangular skull cap worn by women. The corners of the cap were lined with brocade. The cap was pinned to the hair with pins or needles. Other kinds of hats were seshing bogta and sogsha. A seshing bogta was a yellow beret that looked like a pancake and was tied under the chin. A sogsha was a wide-brimmed sun hat worn by the bridegroom during a marriage ceremony. Warriors who rode horses in Mongolia and Tibet also wore it. Women also wore jewelry. A lot of jewelry was made from gold and other precious metals. A tiktik was a gold necklace, and a sortup was a finger ring made of gold or other metals. Women wore bracelets called matil, which were made of many materials including gold, silver and glass. Sherpas wore boots made of felt called zompa. Kosil were zompa molded with hide. A kacha was a leather moccasin made from buffalo hide and worn for normal work
By: Sara Wada
Traditional Sherpa women's dress
There were many festivals though out the Sherpa year such as Mani Rindup, Losar, Phagnyi and Dumchi. During all the festivals people wore their best costumes and jewelry. Children and adults got very excited for Losar, which is their new year. On New Years Eve families would stay home, cook and decorate the house. Then they would celebrate the next day. Parties were hosted by every house in the village so Losar goes on as long as there are houses left. Phagnyi is a festival called the day of the pig. It is a time to recover from the hard agricultural work of the spring and to eat like a pig. Mani Rindup is a religious ceremony dedicated to Chyenrezigthe god of compassion. Another festival is Yarchang the summer festival. In this everyone in a village would eat and drink together and do different rituals for livestock. One more festival is Nyungne the festival for fasting. It was held at a monastery and the people who did it take part in several days of fasting and silence. Those are some of the Sherpa festivals.
By: Caroline Richardson
Sherpa people celebrating Losar (New Years festival)
In the 1970's Sherpa men wore traditional Sherpa clothing. A Chhuba is a traditional men’s robe made from spun wool. The wool is made from sheepskin called lokpa. The chhuba is tied with a sash called a Kara and has long sleeves. They would also wear a tetung, a men’s jacket with a high collar. These were also made out of sheep or yak wool. A tentung would either be worn with a chhuba and with or with out kanam, which means trousers. The style of clothes came from Buddhist tradition, their main religion. The colors, which are mainly used, are blue, read and yellow. The blue is from India, and the red and the yellow are from Tibet. On their feet they would wear lhaams, monks boots. These are made of leather, with pointed toes.
By: Catie Burkhart
Khumjung Today
Questions:
1. Do you still wear traditional clothing or westernized clothes?
Please ask: a 30+ yr. old person
2. Did any festival changes and are they all still celebrated the same?
Please ask: a 50+ yr. old person
3. Do you still make the clothes at home and if not where are they made?
Please ask: a 50+ yr. old woman
Interview with Dawa Yangii Sherpa: Holidays and more. from Dream Flag Project on Vimeo.
Interview with Dawa Yangii Sherpa: Introduction and on spcial clothes from Dream Flag Project on Vimeo.