November 6, 2024

It is an immensely colored kaleidoscope because different times of the year depict different festivals. Every other festival depicts the rich history and belief systems among many ethnic groups. This is a reflection of a unique combination projected inside the country between Hinduism, Buddhism, and indigenous traditions.

From the color of joy in Holi to the spiritual observance of Buddha Jayanti, it is in these festivals that one catches glimpses into the heart of Nepali culture. Now, here in this article, we are going to learn about 20 major festival names in Nepal that one should know.

Nepali New Year – Bikram Era (Biska Jatra)

Biska Jatra is considered the Nepali New Year and falls in April. Consequently, it was celebrated with great fanfare throughout the country, with most traditions related to food lying, gathering, and feats of cultural display.

Besides these, different masked dances form part of the procession, together with the ceremonial erection of the lingo, or the ceremonial pole. This is thus a period of introspection, rejuvenation, and resolve for better resolv¬ions in the new year henceforth and hence one of the most favorite festivals of all Nepalis.

Buddha Jayanti

Buddha Jayanti commemorates the birth, enlightenment, and death of Siddhartha Gautam founder of Buddhism. This festival falls on the full moon day in April or May.

Thousands of devotees throng these places of worship. Especially in Lumbini, prayers and paying obeisance are not all activities going on within the confines of the stupas and monasteries-lighting lamps, and meditation being a few.

It represents a day of harmony and peaceful compassion. It attracts not only Buddhists but also visitors who come to pay homage to the teachings of Buddha and reflect on the importance of being mindful.

Nag Panchami

Nag Panchami falls in July or August. The serpent deities generically called “Nagas” are believed to come and protect the yield and hence the fertility of the land. Images of snakes made of clay or wood are kept in houses and temples and worshipped with milk and prayers to get their blessings.

It is on this festival that respect for nature and interlinking come forward with all the living forms. This is generally characterized by gathering family members and visiting any holy site. Drawing from the rich mythology with serpents, this is also a time to reinforce social bonds within the communities in Nepali culture.

Gai Jatra

The Cow Festival or, as more popularly known, Gai Jatra usually falls in August. According to it, this is a function to be carried out to let peace be bestowed upon the souls of the dead.

It is flower-adorned and taken as part of the procession by the families in whose homes some family members had died in the last year. It is believed that the cow leads the soul to the afterlife.

Colorfully parading people, comic shows, and stories shared amongst the community coming together in memory yet also in celebration of life and death mark festivities.

15 Asar: Rice Planting Day

15 Asar also became known as Rice Planting Day, which falls in June or July according to the Gregorian calendar. This marks the beginning of the rice planting season in Nepal.

Quite an energetic ritual, much singing, and dancing is part of this festive agricultural day when communities come together to carry out this particular task. Farmers worship the plow and fields to have a good yield in their fields.

Yet another example of how important agriculture is in Nepalese society because it helps keep unity and cooperation among villagers when preparation for the year’s crop is needed.

Krishna Janmashtami

Krishna Janmashtami is one of those festivals that marks the birth of Lord Krishna, the reincarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu. It falls in August. It includes fasting, holy singing, and acting out the antics of childhood Krishna.

Temples and houses are given a decorative look. Devotees get together and sing hymns narrating stories. The significance of the Janmashtami night is that it is the birthtime of Krishna, which is midnight.

The good defeated evil and love and commitment reflected well deep inside the ideology of good Hindus.

Teej

Teej is one of the major festivals that fall around August or September and is celebrated by Hindu women in Nepal. It is a dedication to the goddess Parvati upon her union with Lord Shiva. The women keep fast and wear red dresses.

They get together to tell tales of love and loyalty through singing and dancing. Teej symbolizes marital fidelity and family welfare. Hence, this is a time for gay companionship and the expression of cultural verbosity.

The festival invokes community bonding where women come together into shared celebration.

Indra Jatra

Indra Jatra is one of the festivals in praise of the rain god, who is the god of harvest. This festival is usually celebrated in September. Special colors of this festival can be seen in Kathmandu, where a huge procession is done along with traditional music and dances showing the raising of the lingo.

It also encompasses the worship of the living goddess Kumari. Mainly, this is the Indra Jatra, which ushers in the end of the monsoon and the gratitude of the communities for such a season of rain and good harvest.

Janai Purnima

Janai Purnima falls in August, a sacred festival of Hindus where men change their sacred thread known as “janai” on the occasion of the full moon day. It is celebrated as a relationship between brother and sister when sisters bind threads on the brother’s wrists for protection from evil spirits.

Protection, purity, and family are the themes that this festival emits. Most of them go to the sacred rivers for purification, and hence, it is one day of spiritual renovation and bonding within the community.

Dashain

Dashain is one of the greatest festivals in Nepal, normally falling in either the month of September or October. It is celebrated for fifteen consecutive days. The occasion commemorates the victory of goddess Durga over the buffalo demon Mahishasura, symbolizing triumph over evil.

The family gets together, worships together, feasts together, and receives blessings given by the elders in the form of a tika (mixture of rice, yogurt, and vermillion).

Dashain vivifies unity among family members, strengthens heritage, and gives a forceful meaning to cultural tradition in the life of Nepalese people.

Tihar

Tihar is also known as Deepawali or the Festival of Lights and falls in October or November. It is observed over five days. Each day is devoted to homage to various animals and ultimately to the worship of Laxmi, the goddess of wealth.

Houses are wonderfully lighted up with lights and oil lamps symbolizing the victory of light over darkness. Thus, Tihar epitomizes the relationship between human beings and animals and that of family and community as well. Festivals are always joyous and marked by music and glee.

Maghe Sankranti

This is the time when, in January, the sun enters Capricorn; that is, days stretch, and it is the time of Maghe Sankranti. To farmers, it is a big festival since it ushers in the beginning of warm seasons.

Traditional foodstuffs taken in enjoyment are those rituals followed, which include sesame seeds, molasses, and yam. Now it is time to be reunited with their families and enjoy those privations winter has come to an end. It is the time to thank the taken harvests and communal company.

Saraswati Puja

Sarasvati Puja falls in January or February. The people worship Saraswati the Goddess of knowledge, music, and arts. The students worship her to seek a blessing for wisdom and success in their studies. In houses and educational institutes, idols of her are kept with decoration, and books as well as musical instruments are kept for blessings.

The festival conveys the values of learning and imagination. Hence it is considered the most important day for the students and teachers teaching the feeling of growth and learning.

Lhosar

Normally, Lhosar falls in February or March and is believed to be the New Year by the Tamang, Sherpa, and other ethnic tribes in Nepal. Traditional rituals, feasting, and cultural performances were normally done.

Family reunites to pay homage so that the forthcoming year may prosper. This depicts colored attire, communal celebration underlining unity, and the importance of cultural identity in Nepali society.

Shivaratri

It falls in February or March and is the night of Lord Shiva. Devotees attend night vigils in temples, especially Pashupatinath in Kathmandu, by fasting and offering their prayers. The concept represents the meeting of Shiva and Shakti’s yin-yang principle where male and female energy is balanced.

Shivaratri depicts a representation of devotion to metanoia-to strive for spiritual growth it draws thousands into its domains of faith and rich heritage.

Holi

Holi, also called the Festival of Colours, belongs to one of the noisiest festivals in welcoming the onset of spring in March. Colored powders are thrown or colored waters smeared on each other, symbolizing joy and love in the victory of good over evil.

Holi crosses barriers of class and social status by bringing people together. The families share festive foods and sweets to reinstate the bonds within the community. It is one of the jolliest festivals.

This festival teaches unity and togetherness with its feeling, thus being one of the most joyous occasions in Nepal.

Chaitra Dashain

Chaitra Dashain falls in March or April and is an unknown version of the main Dashain festival celebrated by Goddess Durga. It rains along with the plantation time of crops; hence, farmers start this month with gaiety and zeal.

The rituals are carried out in the form of seeking blessings for protection and prosperity by the families. The festival ensures harmony and thankfulness for the blessings throughout the year.

This Chaitra Dashain is also one form of agricultural indication, and through this festival, it is reaffirmed how much the element of nature is involved in daily life as well as cultural events.

Ghode Jatra

Ghode Jatra is celebrated in Kathmandu with a splash of color usually in March or April. The literal meaning of Ghode Jatra is Horse Parade. It involves horses, and the events include parades of dressed horses with traditional dances.

It is a dramatic presentation of the triumph of gods over demons. The belief is that all the noise and gaiety keep evil spirits away. Ghode Jatra unites people in celebration as part of Nepal’s rich cultural heritage, where horses are very significant in Nepali history.

Rato Machindranath Jatra

Rato Machindranath Jatra is considered one of the biggest and oldest festivals celebrated in the Kathmandu Valley during April and May. All these monthly-long celebrations of Machindranath, the god of rains, were due to the possibility of agriculture.

Music, dancing, and vibrant celebrations precede the procession of a huge chariot carrying the deity sitting in it. These festivals create awareness about community spirit, a reflection of the cultural heritage, and convey how important rain is in the agrarian lifestyle that people lead.

Yomari Purnima

Yomari Purnima celebrated by the Newar community in general falls in December. This is a feast offered to the goddess of wealth and is marked by the preparation and sharing of yomari a type of traditional sweet dumpling filled with coconut and jaggery.

The preparation of delicacies together by the family brings under preview the aspect of community and gratitude. Hence, Yomari Purnima is an occasion that articulates the allowing of savoring this very food heritage, invoking the spirit of togetherness in Newar culture.

Conclusion

All festivals of Nepal are like the reflection of different cultures and traditions, demarcating their separate importance and customs. From boisterous Dashin and Tihar to the spiritual celebration of Shivaratri and Buddha Jayanti, it is through festivals that people get connected, whence a common identity and community flow.

In effect, it is at festival times that the true spirit of unity in diversity and the poignant tapestry of life in Nepal unfold. Understanding such studies and preparing for these festivals would make one appreciate how his heritage shapes and molds this great nation to make life’s celebration truly dynamic.