Traditional Day of Offering in Bhutan Date in the current year: January 12, 2024

Traditional Day of Offering is the holiday of thanksgiving. On this day, Bhutanese people express their gratitude to Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, a Tibetan Buddhist lama who unified Bhutan as a single country due to his victory in the Battle of Five Lamas in the early seventeenth century.

Ngawang Namgyal was respected as an intelligent and compassionate ruler. He built some of the first dzongs (fortresses that served as the administrative, religious, military, and social centers of districts) and established the dual system of government (Cho-sid-nyi) whereby the country was ruled by an administrative leader and a spiritual leader. This policy exists to this day, although it has been slightly modified.

Traditional Day of Offering not only celebrates Ngawang Namgyal, it also puts a focus on charity. For example, people are encouraged to give food to the poor. Traditional Day of Offering is a public holiday therefore government offices, institutions and most businesses are closed for the day. People celebrate the holiday with feasting and traditional sports such as degor (digor) and archery.