09–14 DEC 2026
Losoong and Namsoong
Sikkim's harvest new year, with cham masked dances at the monasteries and archery contests, from 9 to 14 December 2026.
Losoong is the Sikkimese new year of the Bhutia community, celebrated at the end of the harvest season, and the Lepcha community marks Namsoong at the same time. Both fall in the tenth month of the Tibetan calendar, and the Sikkim government lists 9 to 14 December 2026 as the holiday period.
Monasteries such as Rumtek, Tsuklakhang in Gangtok and Phodong hold cham, the masked dances that symbolise the victory of good over evil, in the days before the new year. Villages host archery competitions, feasts and the burning of effigies to send off the old year, and families gather to share chhaang, the local millet brew, and festive dishes.
Gangtok is cold and clear in December, a good time for views of Kanchenjunga. Ask locally or at your hotel for the exact cham dates at each monastery, as they vary, and carry warm layers for early morning prayers.
Losoong is the Sikkimese new year of the Bhutia community, celebrated at the end of the harvest season, and the Lepcha community marks Namsoong at the same time. Both fall in the tenth month of the Tibetan calendar, and the Sikkim government lists 9 to 14 December 2026 as the holiday period.
Monasteries such as Rumtek, Tsuklakhang in Gangtok and Phodong hold cham, the masked dances that symbolise the victory of good over evil, in the days before the new year. Villages host archery competitions, feasts and the burning of effigies to send off the old year, and families gather to share chhaang, the local millet brew, and festive dishes.
Gangtok is cold and clear in December, a good time for views of Kanchenjunga. Ask locally or at your hotel for the exact cham dates at each monastery, as they vary, and carry warm layers for early morning prayers.
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