Festival & Holiday
Nepal follows the Bikram Sambat (B.S.) calendar, which is approximately 56.7 years ahead of the Gregorian calendar. The country celebrates a variety of religious, cultural, and national festivals throughout the year. Here are some of the major festivals and holidays in Nepal as per the Nepali calendar:
1. Baishakh (April-May)
Bisket Jatra (Nepal Sambat New Year) – Celebrated in Bhaktapur, marks the start of the Nepal Sambat calendar.
Ram Nawami – Birthday of Lord Ram.
Mata Tirtha Aunsi (Mother’s Day) – A day to honor mothers.
2. Jestha (May-June)
Buddha Jayanti – Celebrates the birth of Lord Buddha (full moon day).
Gai Jatra (in some regions) – A festival to remember deceased family members.
3. Ashad (June-July)
Ropain (Rice Planting Festival) – Farmers celebrate the start of the rice-planting season.
Guru Purnima – A day to honor teachers and spiritual gurus.
4. Shrawan (July-August)
Nag Panchami – Worship of snakes for protection.
Janai Purnima (Rakshya Bandhan) – Sacred thread-changing ceremony for Brahmins and Chhetris.
Gai Jatra (in Kathmandu Valley) – A festival of cows and humor to remember the dead.
5. Bhadra (August-September)
Krishna Janmashtami – Celebrates the birth of Lord Krishna.
Teej (Haritalika Teej) – A women’s fasting festival dedicated to Lord Shiva & Parvati.
Ganesh Chaturthi – Worship of Lord Ganesh.
6. Ashwin (September-October)
Dashain (Vijaya Dashami) – Nepal’s biggest festival, lasting 15 days, celebrating the victory of good over evil.
Fulpati, Maha Asthami, Nawami, Vijaya Dashami – Key days of Dashain.
Kojagrat Purnima – The full moon night marking the end of Dashain.
7. Kartik (October-November)
Tihar (Deepawali) – The festival of lights, spanning 5 days:
Kag Tihar (Crow worship)
Kukur Tihar (Dog worship)
Gai Tihar & Laxmi Puja (Cow & Goddess Laxmi worship)
Goru Tihar & Mha Puja (Ox worship & Newari New Year)
Bhai Tika (Brother-Sister bonding day)
Chhath – Sun worship festival, mainly in the Terai region.
8. Mangsir (November-December)
Yomari Punhi (Newari Festival) – Celebrates the harvest of new rice and yomari (rice dumplings).
Christmas (25 Dec) – Celebrated by Christians and increasingly nationwide.
9. Poush (December-January)
Udhauli & Ubhauli (Kirant Festival) – Celebrated by the Kirant community.
Maghe Sankranti (January 14/15) – Marks the sun’s transition into Capricorn (Makar).
10. Magh (January-February)
Basanta Panchami (Saraswati Puja) – Worship of Goddess Saraswati.
Maha Shivaratri – A major festival for Lord Shiva devotees (especially at Pashupatinath).
11. Falgun (February-March)
Holi (Fagu Purnima) – The festival of colors.
Shree Panchami (Basanta Panchami) – Celebrates the arrival of spring.
12. Chaitra (March-April)
Ghode Jatra (Horse Racing Festival) – Held in Kathmandu.
Ram Nawami – Repeats in some regions.
Chaite Dashain – A smaller version of Dashain.
National Holidays (Non-Religious)
Prithvi Jayanti (11 Jan) – Birth anniversary of King Prithvi Narayan Shah.
Loktantra Diwas (Democracy Day – 24 April) – Marks the restoration of democracy.
Republic Day (29 May) – Celebrates Nepal becoming a republic.
Constitution Day (20 Sept) – Marks the adoption of Nepal’s constitution.
Nepal’s festivals reflect its diverse culture, religions (Hinduism, Buddhism, Kirant, etc.), and traditions. Many dates vary yearly based on the lunar calendar.