Zhoima, a Tibetan woman who came here six years ago with her parents, got married recently. She told Xinhua that though she is not keen on some Tibetan traditions, she is still serious about the Tibetan New Year, the most important festival for people of the Tibetan ethnic group.

She prepared "gutu," doughy meat porridge, for a family dinner on New Year's Eve. Tibetans believe this type of food will bring happiness and luck.

Northwest Nationalities School students from Tibet held parties, with girls putting on traditional costumes and boys drinking grain wine.

Tibetan herdsman in the Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Gannan busied themselves cooking sheep heads and cereal porridge, and putting up scripture streamers on the roofs of their houses. They also prepared colored cloth to cover the cows and sheep they have raised as a prayer for good luck.

The Gansu provincial government will invite some Tibetans from all over the province to a tea party for the Tibetan New Year Saturday.

(Xinhua 02/24/2001)