Nepal's festive calendar is hectic. Dasain, celebrated nationwide in October, is the most important of all Nepalese celebrations and features the biggest animal sacrifice of the year. Running a close second is Tihar (November), but unlike Daisan, animals are honoured rather than slaughtered. Other festivals celebrated nationally include the water-tinged Holi (March) and Chaitra Daisan (April), which is yet another bad day for animals. Hindu festivals number the Haribodhini Ekadashi (November) and Maha Shivaratri (March), both celebrated in Pashupatinath, the Gai Jatra (August) in Kathmandu and the Krishna Jayanti (August/September) in Patan.

Buddhist celebrations are just as thick on the ground, and include Mani Rimdu (November) in Solu Khumbu, Buddha Jayanti (May) in Kathmandu, and Losar (Tibetan New Year) (February) in Swayambhunath, Jawalakhel and highland communities.

Festivals and Holidays

Colorful festivals and holidays, many dating to time immemorial, characterize Nepal and particularly the Kathmandu Valley. Most holidays are scheduled by a combination of lunar and religious calendars, and so the dates are not fixed in relation the the western calendar. For the Calendar of major festival dates for 1999 and the first months of 2000, see below. For short summaries of the festivals most interesting to visitors, click here.

Festival Calendar for 2001

Short summaries of festivals of particular interest to visitors.

April-May

Nawabarsa and Bisket - Nepalese New Year and the festival of the God Bhairab in Bhaktapur. Four days of colorful parades and processions

Aama ko Mukh Herne Din - Mother's Day (literally Mother's Face Looking Day)

Rato Machhendranath - the festival of Lokeswar, one of the patron Gods of Kathmandu. A 40-foot tall chariot with the God's image installed is pushed and pulled through the streets by hundreds of worshippers.

Buddha Jyanti - Celebrating the birth of the Buddha

May - June

Kumar Sasthi - A celebration of the birth of the Hindu warrior God Kumar marks the beginning of the rice planting season. It's also celebrated by groups of boys who indulge in stone throwing fights.

June-July

No major festivals in the worst of the monsoon season.

July-August

Ghanta Kharna - A festival commemorating an ancient victory over a particularly malevolent devil, Gathemuga. Mock funerals are held and figures burned in effigy.

Gunla - A Buddhist Lent or Ramadan-like holy month of penance and pilgrimage, climaxing in a rollicking celebration.

Naga Panchami - A festival devoted to the snake gods, who most Nepalese believe ruled the Valley before the coming of people.

Janai Purna - the festival of changing of the sacred thread which every Brahmin caste Hindu male wears around his torso.

August-September

Gai Jatra - A festival to the sacred cow. Among other symbolisms of the cow, cows are believed to lead the souls of the dead to the underworld; and on Gai Jatra Newar households process around an ancient path believed to mark the city walls of times past, in honor of recently deceased members of their families. It's also a carnival celebration with practical jokes - something like Mardi Gras combined with April Fool's day.

Krishna Jayanti - Celebrating the birth of the Hindu God Krishna.

Gokarna Aunsi - Nepalese Father's Day

Tij Brata - A womans' festval . Worshippers undergo fasting and penance and seek good fortune and long life, and a ritual purification of self. The three (or four) day celebration ends with a great feast.

September-October

Indra Jatra - A Kathmandu festival celebrating the legendary capture of the King of Gods, Indra, in the Kathmandu Valley. This week-long festival is marked with many processions, street dancers, and the annual blessing of the King by the Living Goddess of Kathmandu.

Dasain - Two weeks of happy celebration and gift-giving, interwoven with bloody animal sacrifice to appease the mother goddess Durga.

October-November Diwali - A festival of lights, when homes and offices are strung with colored lights and illuminated by candles. This is also the festival of the Goddess Laxmi, goddess of wealth, and is celebrated by much good-natured gambling. November-December

Indriani Puja - Festival of the Goddess Indriana and of the carious mother goddesses which protect each village in Nepal.

Sita Bibaha Panchami - Celebrating the wedding of the Goddess Sita and the God Ram with mock wedding processions

Dhanya Purnima - A full moon festival celebrating the end of the rice harvest.

December-January

Seto Machhendranath - A cleansing ritual for the White (seto) Machhendranath, a counterpart god to the Red (rato) Machhendranath who's chariot procession is in April-May.

January-February

Lhosar - the Tibetan and Sherpa New Year, celebrated by thousands at Bodhnath Stupa and monasteries throughout the country.

February-March

Shiva Ratri - The all day and all night festival of the great God Shiva.

Holi - A rowdy festival of "colors", in which participants douse themselves (and sometimes unwary onlookers) with colored powder and liquid, and generally have a great time.

March-April

Ghora Jatra - A horse festival, celebrated with coach processions and races and displays on the main parade ground in Kathmandu.