Mongolian calendar

The term Mongolian calendar (Mongolian: цаглабар, romanizedtsaglabar or цаг тооны бичиг, tsag toony bichig) refers to a number of different calendars, the oldest of which was a solar calendar.[1] The beginning of the year was autumn. The year was divided into 4 seasons. The seasons begin at the equinoxes and the solstices of the sun. This calculation was changed in 1211, and the new year was celebrated in the spring. Spring began on March 22.

In 1282, Kublai Khan revised the Chinese calendar and began to include his homeland Mongolia in this calendar.

The traditional Mongol calendar is a lunisolar calendar based on Tegus Buyantu zurkhai[2] system developed in 1747 by monk Ishbaljir (Сүмбэ хамбо Ишбалжир, Sümbe khambo Ishbaljir; 1704–1788). The Mongol year is composed of either 12 or 13 lunar months, each beginning and ending with a new moon. A thirteenth month is added every three years, so that an average year is equal to the solar year.[3]

The Mongol traditional new year celebration is Tsagaan Sar which is celebrated at the second new moon following the winter solstice. In 2022, the second new moon was on 1 February in Mongolia. [citation needed]

In modern Mongolia, the Gregorian calendar is used, with the traditional calendar only used for traditional celebrations and events based on the calendar.

The European system of chronology is called Аргын тоолол (Argyn toolol, chronology of method) and the Mongol system of chronology is called Билгийн тоолол (Bilgiin toolol, chronology of wisdom).

Argyn toolol

Months

The twelve months of the year are referred to by their number, such as first month, second month, and so on.

English nameMongolian name
CyrillicTraditional
JanuaryНэгдүгээр сарᠨᠢᠭᠡᠳᠦᠭᠡᠷ ᠰᠠᠷ᠎ᠠ
Negdügeer sarNigedüger sar-a
Анхдугаар сарᠠᠩᠬᠠᠳᠤᠭᠠᠷ ᠰᠠᠷ᠎ᠠ
Ankhdugaar sarAŋqaduɣar sar-a
FebruaryХоёрдугаар сарᠬᠣᠶᠠᠳᠤᠭᠠᠷ ᠰᠠᠷ᠎ᠠ
Khoyordugaar sarQoyaduɣar sar-a
MarchГуравдугаар сарᠭᠤᠷᠪᠠᠳᠤᠭᠠᠷ ᠰᠠᠷ᠎ᠠ
Guravdugaar sarƔurbaduɣar sar-a
AprilДөрөвдүгээр сарᠳᠥᠷᠪᠡᠳᠦᠭᠡᠷ ᠰᠠᠷ᠎ᠠ
Dörövdügeer sarDörbedüger sar-a
MayТавдугаар сарᠲᠠᠪᠤᠳᠤᠭᠠᠷ ᠰᠠᠷ᠎ᠠ
Tavdugaar sarTabuduɣar sar-a
JuneЗургаадугаар сарᠵᠢᠷᠭᠤᠳᠤᠭᠠᠷ ᠰᠠᠷ᠎ᠠ
Zurgaadugaar sarJ̌irɣuduɣar sar-a
JulyДолоодугаар сарᠳᠣᠯᠣᠳᠤᠭᠠᠷ ᠰᠠᠷ᠎ᠠ
Doloodugaar sarDoloduɣar sar-a
AugustНаймдугаар сарᠨᠠᠢ᠌ᠮᠠᠳᠤᠭᠠᠷ ᠰᠠᠷ᠎ᠠ
Naimdugaar sarNaimaduɣar sar-a
SeptemberЕсдүгээр сарᠶᠢᠰᠦᠳᠦᠭᠡᠷ ᠰᠠᠷ᠎ᠠ
Yesdügeer sarYisüdüger sar-a
OctoberАравдугаар сарᠠᠷᠪᠠᠳᠤᠭᠠᠷ ᠰᠠᠷ᠎ᠠ
Aravdugaar sarArbaduɣar sar-a
NovemberАрваннэгдүгээр сарᠠᠷᠪᠠᠨ ᠨᠢᠭᠡᠳᠦᠭᠡᠷ ᠰᠠᠷ᠎ᠠ
Arvannegdügeer sarArban nigedüger sar-a
DecemberАрванхоёрдугаар сарᠠᠷᠪᠠᠨ ᠬᠣᠶᠠᠳᠤᠭᠠᠷ ᠰᠠᠷ᠎ᠠ
Arvankhoyordugaar sarArban qoyaduɣar sar-a

Days of the week

In colloquial usage, the first 5 days of the week are referred to as first day, second day, etc. Saturday is referred to as Хагас сайн өдөр (Khagas sain ödör, "half-good day"), and Sunday is referred to as Бүтэн сайн өдөр (Büten sain ödör, "full good day"); a result of 5 full working days and Saturday as a half working day during the communist era.

The names of Tibetan origin are used in more formal settings, and almost exclusively in written documents, while the Sanskrit names are practically absent in modern usage.

English nameColloquialTibetan originSanskrit origin
CyrillicTraditionalCyrillicTraditionalCyrillicTraditionalMeaning
MondayНэг дэх өдөрᠨᠢᠭᠡᠳᠡᠬᠢ ᠡᠳᠦᠷДаваа гарагᠳᠠᠸᠠ ᠭᠠᠷᠠᠭСумьяаᠰᠤᠮᠢᠶ᠎ᠠChandra
Neg dekh ödörNigedeki edürDavaa garagDawa ɣaragSum'yaaSumiy-a
TuesdayХоёр дахь өдөрᠬᠣᠶᠠᠳᠠᠬᠢ ᠡᠳᠦᠷМягмар гарагᠮᠢᠭᠮᠠᠷ ᠭᠠᠷᠠᠭАнгарагᠠᠩᠭᠠᠷᠠᠭMangala
Khoyor dakh' ödörQoyadaki edürMyagmar garagMiɣmar ɣaragAngaragAŋɣarag
WednesdayГурав дахь өдөрᠭᠤᠷᠪᠠᠳᠠᠬᠢ ᠡᠳᠦᠷЛхагва гарагᡀᠠᠭᠪᠠ ᠭᠠᠷᠠᠭБудᠪᠤᠳ᠋Budha
Gurav dakh' ödörƔurbadaki edürLkhagva garagLhaɣba ɣaragBudBud
ThursdayДөрөв дэх өдөрᠳᠥᠷᠪᠡᠳᠡᠬᠢ ᠡᠳᠦᠷПүрэв гарагᠫᠦᠷᠪᠦ ᠭᠠᠷᠠᠭБархасбадьᠪᠠᠷᠬᠠᠰᠪᠠᠳᠢBrihaspati
Döröv dekh ödörDörbedeki edürPürev garagPürbü ɣaragBarkhasbad'Barqasbadi
FridayТав дахь өдөрᠲᠠᠪᠤᠳᠠᠬᠢ ᠡᠳᠦᠷБаасан гарагᠪᠠᠰᠠᠩ ᠭᠠᠷᠠᠭСугарᠱᠤᠭᠠᠷ᠎ᠠShukra
Tav dakh' ödörTabudaki edürBaasan garagBasaŋ ɣaragSugarŠuɣar-a
SaturdayХагас сайн өдөрᠬᠠᠭᠠᠰ ᠰᠠᠶᠢᠨ ᠡᠳᠦᠷБямба гарагᠪᠢᠮᠪᠠ ᠭᠠᠷᠠᠭСанчирᠰᠠᠨᠢᠴᠠᠷShani
Khagas sain ödörQaɣas sayin edür
Зургаа дахь өдөрᠵᠢᠷᠭᠤᠭᠠᠳᠠᠬᠢ ᠡᠳᠦᠷ
Zurgaa dakh' ödörJ̌irɣuɣadaki edürByamba garagBimba ɣaragSanchirSaničar
SundayБүтэн сайн өдөрᠪᠦᠲᠦᠨ ᠰᠠᠶᠢᠨ ᠡᠳᠦᠷНям гарагᠨᠢᠮ᠎ᠠ ᠭᠠᠷᠠᠭАдьяаᠠᠳᠢᠶ᠎ᠠSurya
Büten sain ödörBütün sayin edür
Долоо дахь өдөрᠳᠣᠯᠣᠭᠠᠳᠠᠬᠢ ᠡᠳᠦᠷ
Doloo dakh' ödörDoloɣadaki edürNyam garagNim-a ɣaragAd'yaaAdiy-a

See also

References