Tsagaan Sar, one of the most significant holidays in the country, will be celebrated next Wednesday, February 18. How are you preparing for this event? How well are you stocked with goods for the holiday? MiddleAsianNews has published information about the prices of essential products for this important event for Mongolians.
?Rising expenses continue to grow
Tsagaan Sar is considered the most expensive holiday for Mongolians. Ten years ago, the average expenses for a family celebration were about ₮742,000 (at the 2017 exchange rate of $1= ₮2455 or about $302), and now this amount has more than tripled, reaching ₮2.2 million (about $620). During the pandemic years of 2020-2022, when celebrations were less grand, expenses ranged from ₮1 to ₮1.5 million (at the 2020-22 exchange rate of $1= ₮2850 or approximately $320 to $520). With the expected economic recovery in 2024, household expenses for this holiday are increasing.
?Data analysis
Comparing to 2017, it can be observed that prices for traditional dishes on the table during Tsagaan Sar, such as uuts (mutton back), hevyeen boov (Mongolian cookies for decorating the festive table), and aaruul, khuruud (traditional dried curds), have significantly increased. For example, the price of uuts has risen by 150% over the last 10 years and now ranges from ₮300 to ₮850 thousand (from $85 to $240), the cost of 2 kg of aaruul has increased by 179%, ranging from ₮34 to ₮100 thousand (from $10 to $28), and the price of hevyeen boov has risen by 299%, varying from ₮100 to ₮252 (from $28 to $71). This means that the price of hevyeen boov has nearly tripled, uuts has increased by 2.5 times, and aaruul has risen by 1.8 times.
? Don't forget about the costs of preparing buuz, salads, sweets, and fruits. The rise in prices for food and goods has been felt in our wallets for the last 5 years.
? Empty pockets, but full souls...
The rise in food prices has sparked discussions about the feasibility of celebrating the traditional and unique Tsagaan Sar. Nevertheless, according to the latest economic report "Tsagaan Sar" for 2020, prepared by the National Statistical Committee, 64% of households celebrated this holiday. At that time, total expenses amounted to ₮1.2 trillion (approximately $565 thousand). Given the current rise in prices, it will be interesting to see how much money circulates in the market during the Tsagaan Sar celebrations.
Even among the poorest Mongolians, there is a tradition of celebrating this holiday with grandeur. Perhaps this tradition will persist even for thousands of years.
