Losar

Losar, meaning New Year, is celebrated throughout Bhutan and Tibet, and mostly any other Buddhist country. It falls around February in the Christian calendar. Losar is celebrated for fifteen days, most with different rituals and customs. Losar usually falls near the Chinese New Year, but don't confuse them! Losar and Chinese New Year are completely different and are celebrated differently.

The first day of Losar is celebrated by drinking a customary alcoholic "beer", changkol.

Dances are performed by monks wearing specially made costumes with tall, (usually) yellow, spreading hats.

A Follower of the Gautama

Have you heard of the Buddha (also called the Gautama), Guru Rinpoche, or Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel? All these three auspicious characters in the Bhutanese history have: either killed all the demons in Bhutan, or saved Bhutan from the armies of other countries, or did auspicious deeds for many famous kings, or... Well, I guess you got the idea. Monks in Bhutan follow either of these leaders. Monks in Bhutan follow Buddhism, the teaching of Zhabdrung, Buddha and Guru.

Anyway, don't be too surprised to see a monk with his mobile phone clasped to his ear, or a monk enjoying a leisurely ride in a car (or even driving one!). Monks now don't have the serious sense of religion that I think monks back then had.
Bhutanese citizens can be very touchy about their religion, so a bit of teasing or a hot debate about religion may be enough for you to end up without any friends... or get thrown into jail.