AKIPRESS.COM - Ochmaa Escue learned how to play the yatga, a Mongolian string instrument, when she was in middle school. After moving from Mongolia to the United States 14 years ago, Escue said her instrument still provides a connection to her culture and her home, reports The Indiana Daily Student.

Escue, who works in the IU Office of Diversity, Equity and Multicultural Affairs, performed during Saturday’s Mongolian Lunar New Year celebration in the Indiana Memorial Union. The new year celebration, also called Tsagaan Sar, featured music and poetry performances by Mongolian students, faculty and Bloomington residents.

“There are not very many of us, but we are very close,” Escue said. “Here we get to celebrate one of our biggest holidays in our own way and introduce our culture to other people, too.”

The celebration was organized by the Mongolia Society and the Department of Central Eurasian Studies. They have been sponsoring the celebration for 30 years, said Susie Drost, executive director of the Mongolia Society.

“Right now, IU is the only university where you can get a degree in Mongolian studies,” Drost said. “So it’s very important for us to continue doing this celebration and continue promoting Mongolian history and culture.”

According to the zodiac system used in many Asian countries, including Mongolia, 2016 is the year of the fire monkey.

Tuesday night, the official start of the Mongolian lunar year, Mongolian members of the community will visit each other to celebrate other Tsagaan Sar traditions. Many Mongolians clean their houses and wear new clothes to symbolize a fresh start to the year.