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Lomba Festival

Lomba festival is the new year festival celebrated in the Haa District (Dzongkhag)of Bhutan on the 29th day of the 10th Bhutanese month, and lasts for a week. Lomba festival is the only new year festival celebrated much earlier than people in other parts of country. http://bhutangnh.com/haa.php . During the Lomba week it is quite common to see people make flour figurines of a man and woman seated on a bull at crossroads or water heads.The figurines are part of the ceremony to chase away evil spirits and bad luck, an important aspect of the Lomba celebrations.The figurines carry the name of every male and female in the family and are taken out of the house, after much ritual. These kind of social gathering ties and keep the families togather www.accu.or.jp/ich/en/training/casestudy.../case_study_report_bhutan.pdf

The Haaps prepare a new-year specialty called hoentey, which is dumplings filled with dried spinach (“lom”),turnip and chilli mixed with fermented cheese and wrapped in a dough made of buckwheat flour. They carefully prepared delicacy is an important part of the celebration and good fortune and, therefore, is not prepared when there is death or illness in the house.

People form groups of lads and wander houses singing. They carry bags that need to be filled with hoentey during the lomba nights.The celebrations continue for a week and men play archery and women cheer and dance. Hoentey is offered to the nobility as a gesture of respect and goodwill. This tradition is maintained today by some Haaps who offer hoentey to their office colleagues. It is also cooked during special occasions or feasts to enrichen the variety in the Bhutanese cuisine apart from the lomba

http://www.tourism.gov.bt/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Western-Circuit1.pdf http://kuenselonline.com/2010/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=7874 http://www.tsheringtobgay.com/culture/2008/happy-lomba.html