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Nepal is considered the land of festivals. Nepalese festivals are essential to every citizen of the country. Not every community celebrates specific festivals, but since Nepal is a secular country, we get national holidays on every auspicious festival.
Even though we don’t celebrate all the festivals, we mesmerize the culture and tradition of other communities. At times, people of different ethnic groups partake in the celebration with their fellow Nepali brothers and sisters.
Here, we have listed some of the major festivals that all the Nepali citizens celebrate and acknowledge:
Dashain is considered the main festival of Hindus in Nepal. It is celebrated for 15 long days, and every kid to adult gets excited about this auspicious celebration. Playing kites when the festival comes near is a unique part of this occasion.
You can see hundreds of kites in the sky of every city and village in Nepal. Older adults typically play card games and get together for a good time. Besides, some people even celebrate with foods and drinks in the name of Dashain.
People clean and decorate their houses with new colors and flowers. It symbolizes welcoming the Hindu “mother goddess” to come home and bless the house with good luck and prosperity.
It is when people buy new clothes, jewelry, decorations, and design items to celebrate the days of Dashain.
For a better festive mood, people make temporary bamboo swings on open grounds, where anyone can come and play. Moreover, they also organize events signifying Dashain, like dancing and singing.
Thousands of animal sacrifices are made in the name of Goddess Durga, like goats, buffalos, hens, and ducks, on Dashain’s 8th and 9th days named Ashtami and Navami.
This festival is when young people get blessings from their family and relatives by putting Tika and Jamara on their foreheads. They also get some allowance as “Dakshina” from the older relatives and family members. in the form of blessings.
Tihar is the festival of lights, and it comes right after Dashain. It is celebrated for five days and is mostly about worshipping certain animals and birds. For the first two days, people celebrate Tihar by honoring crows and dogs as good omens.
They feed them and put on tika and mala to worship them. On the third day, they worship cows similarly, considered “Laxmi Puja.” In the evening of the third day, people excitingly burst crackers and lit small earthen lamps in their houses.
On the fourth day, they worship Oxen in the morning, and during the evening, you can watch the unique Govardhan Pooja. On the same day, the people of the Newar community celebrate their New Year called “Mha Puja.”
The last day is called “Bhai Tika,” where brothers and sisters celebrate their bond. Sisters put colorful tika on their brother’s foreheads and beautiful flower garlands and give them a plate full of food items and gifts. Similarly, brothers touch the feet of their sisters and provide them with money in the form of affection.
Buddha Jayanti is the celebration of the birth anniversary of Lord Buddha. As the founder of Buddhism, Lord Buddha holds a special place in the hearts of Buddhists and Nepali people. He was born in Lumbini of Nepal, so Nepali people have preserved his birthplace to honor him.
Many religious sites like Boudhanath, Swayambhunath, and others lit butter lamps to celebrate this occasion. Lumbini is the leading destination to visit during this festival. Millions of tourists visit Lumbini every year to spot the birthplace of Lord Buddha.
You can watch many colorful and exciting parades of Nepal monks and nuns. People also take part in story recitals, where elders enjoy reading stories about Lord Buddha. The beautiful Jatra is worth watching.
This parade is a long procession, which takes from one city to another, usually in the valley regions. During this procession, the devotees take many chariots with mascots, which links to the theme of the parade.
Lhosar is the new year of the Buddhist people. However, there are three different Lhosars celebrated in Nepal. They are Tamu Lhosar for Gurungs, Sonam Lhosar for Tamangs, and Gyalpo Lhosar for Sherpas.
All the three Lhosars occur consecutively for three months of the Nepali Calendar. Tamu falls in the month of Poush, followed by Sonam Lhosar in Magh, and Gyalpo Lhosar in Falgun. The main dish for Lhosar is Khapse, a type of cookie made by communities of Nepal who celebrate Lhosar.
People celebrate this festival by gathering around their family, friends, and relatives to feast on delicious delicacies. The elders also provide the young ones with money as blessings.
Chhath is a four-day celebration occurring in November or October, according to the lunar calendar. The Mithila natives typically celebrate this festival, which is the iconic celebration of the Terai community of Nepal.
The celebrations of the Chhath festival are mainly focused on paying respects to the Sun God for his mercy and light over the people on Earth. The locals fast during the daytime and pray for the prosperity and wealth of their families.
Once they worship the sunset, they sit down for a lavishing feast. There are other important rituals of this festival like a holy dip in the river, water diving, preparing unique delicacies for Sun God, and many more.
After the fasting ends, you get to taste those delicacies. The top dishes to try during this festival are Anarasa and Thekuwa. You can also try Anarasa during the celebration of Tihar.
There are many more festivals celebrated in Nepal. These include Jatras celebrated by Newars, Eid by Muslims, Christmas by Christian, Holi by Hindus, Ubhauli and Udhauli by Kiratis, and many more.
The common thing about this variety of festivals is that we get a national holiday for each celebration, signifying respect for every community. If you visit Nepal during times of these festivals, you will be amazed by the crowd celebrating all the festivals. Of course, you will have equal fun and blend in with the group.