Every year, the Shagaa holiday gathers more meaning for the residents of Tuva. People strive to celebrate it with observation of all the rules. Representatives of the middle generation, who had to forget about the celebrations of folk holidays during the Soviet era are only now beginning to remember the traditions of their ancestors. Today, respect for national customs is obtained in kindergarten. Today, on the last day of the old year, the head of the republic Sholban Kara-ool visited a morning celebration in "Rucheyek" kindergarten, of the Kaa-Khem village, and convinced himself personally that even the smallest children  understand the deeper significance of Shagaa.

Today is the eve of Shagaa, the Lunar New Year, - buduu. As the scholar-ethnographer Mongush Borakhovich Kenin-Lopsan writes, children up to 13 years of age may sleep during the "buduu' night, but the adults did not sleep, and spent the night telling and listening to stories and playing games. Early in the morning, between 3 - 5 a.m. ,  is when the New Year comes.  In Tuvan this time is called  "Shagaa bazhy chalarady",  - "Shagaa is showing its head". "The first day of Shagaa is definitely the greatest day of the year. People's age is determined by Shagaa, people would say "I have met so-and-so many Shagaa." A newborn would be considered to be one year old, and a baby born on the eve of Shagaa would be two."

During this time, when the sun is rising, everybody would put on their best traditional clothes, would go outside, and carrying trays "despi", wooden platters with boiled mutton ribs and various delicacies, would ascend to a hill, where they would perform the "san salyr" ritual - lighting of the sacred fire.