More than 300 people painted a huge postcard on the ice of Lake Baikal in honor of the Buddhist New Year

The third Snow Postcard Festival was held in Buryatia on Lake Baikal. The wind and cold did not prevent the participants of the holiday from creating an image of 20x47m on ice in honor of the onset of Sagaalgan, the Buddhist New Year. This was announced by the Baikal Tourist Information Center on its website.

"The participants were treated to hot tea in the field kitchen, heated in yurts," the message says.

In the process of creating the "Snow Postcard", the participants needed 120 shovels, 20 brooms, 10 watering cans, one fire truck for pouring images, 80 liters of mulled wine, 150 liters of tea and 700 buuz (a national Buryat dish, a kind of steamed dumplings).

"In parallel with the main postcard, corporate images were also drawn by companies. The total area of all the drawings was 1600 m2," the Baikal TIC said.

The event was accompanied by a concert program, as well as a fair of craftsmen, contests, festivities in the ice town.

The holiday of the White Month - Sagaalgan - is the first day of the New Year according to the Lunar calendar. Its history goes back to the religious traditions of the Mongolian peoples. It is believed that it symbolizes the renewal of man and nature, purity of thoughts and good expectations. Sagaalgan refers to Buddhist holidays and includes elements of ancient shamanism.

The Lunar New Year is also celebrated, in particular, in Mongolia, Vietnam, China, Japan and Korea.