At the various time of the year, Bhutanese in towns and villages congregate to witness the masked dance festivals known as Tshechus. These colorful events draw thousands of locals, some of whom walk for days in order to attend. While the underlying purpose is spiritual, dance are more often like plays where good triumphs over evil or depict significant historical events, especially surrounding the life of Bhutan's patron saints, Padmasambhava (also known as guru Rimpoche). There is inevitably a great deal of socializing; it is an opportunity for people to relax and forget the daily routine, to dress in their finest clothes and jewelry but, more importantly, it is an occasion for prayer and blessings.
Tshechu mainly comprise of mask dances in addition to some folk dance entertainment in between. Festivals are not entertainment events and definitely not held as tourists' attraction. They are genuine manifestations of religious traditions thousands of years old, which outsiders are given the privilege to attend.