tsagaan

Tsagaan is a Mongolian word meaning "white." It functions as an adjective in the Mongolian language and is widely used in place names, personal names, and cultural terms. In everyday language it describes color and whiteness in landscapes, snow, or light.

One of the most prominent uses of Tsagaan is in Tsagaan Sar, the Mongolian Lunar New Year. The festival is the country’s most important traditional holiday, traditionally associated with the end of winter and the welcoming of spring. The celebrations typically include family visits, traditional food, and ceremonial customs such as exchanging greetings and giving gifts; the date is set by the lunar calendar and falls between late January and February.

Beyond Tsagaan Sar, tsagaan appears as a descriptive element in many proper names and toponyms, signaling whiteness or light. It can appear in personal names and in place names, reflecting the landscape or symbolic meanings of purity and new beginnings.