Tsagaan Sar, one of the most significant holidays in Mongolia, will be celebrated next Wednesday, February 18. Have you completed your preparations for this event? What are your forecasts for the prices of goods? Experts from MiddleAsianNews have assessed the cost of a number of products for this important holiday.
👆Expenses continue to rise
Tsagaan Sar is considered the most expensive holiday for the residents of Mongolia. Ten years ago, the average costs for celebrating it for one family were approximately ₮742,000 (at the 2017 exchange rate of $1= ₮2455 or about $302). Today, this amount has tripled, reaching at least ₮2.2 million (around $620). From 2020 to 2022, when the celebration took place under pandemic conditions, expenses ranged from ₮1 to ₮1.5 million (at the exchange rate of $1= ₮2850, which corresponds to a range of $320–$520). With the expected economic recovery in 2024, household expenses for this holiday are also increasing.
🧮Data analysis
Compared to 2017, prices for traditional dishes for the Tsagaan Sar table, such as uuts (lamb back), hevyeen boov (Mongolian cookies used to decorate the festive plate), and aaruul, khuruud (traditional Mongolian dried cheese), have significantly increased. Over the past ten years, the price of uuts has risen by 150%, currently ranging from ₮300 to ₮850 thousand (from $85 to $240), while the price for 2 kg of aaruul has increased by 179% and varies from ₮34 to ₮100 thousand (from $10 to $28). Prices for hevyeen boov have skyrocketed by 299%, now ranging from ₮100 to ₮252 (from $28 to $71). Thus, to date, the price of hevyeen boov has nearly tripled, the price of uuts has increased by 2.5 times, and the price of aaruul has risen by 1.8 times.
🥴 Don’t forget to account for expenses on buuz, salads, sweets, and fruits, which also add to the overall costs. Over the past five years, the rise in consumer goods prices has significantly impacted citizens' wallets.
🥹 Empty pockets, but full souls…
The increase in prices has sparked discussions about the feasibility of celebrating the traditional and unique Tsagaan Sar. According to the latest economic report on the holiday published by the National Statistical Committee in 2020, 64% of households celebrated this holiday. At that time, the country spent ₮1.2 trillion (about $565 thousand). Given the current price increases, it will be interesting to see how much money will be in circulation during the Tsagaan Sar celebrations.
Even in the most difficult financial conditions, Mongolians continue to follow the tradition of celebrating this holiday with grandeur. This practice is likely to persist for many generations.
