Nepali New Year: April 14
Nepali New Year is celebrated as a public holiday in Nepal
The New Year is celebrated by the Nepali people and is also known as Navavarsha which is based on Nepal’s lunar calendar called Nepal Sambat. The first day of the Nepal Sambat usually falls around the 11th to the 15th of April. The Navavarsha is one the many festivities of Nepal celebrated with parades, parties, family gatherings and a lot of food.
History of the Nepali New Year
The Nepali custom celebrates their religious merriments on a varying date because it is based on the lunar calendar as opposed to their national holidays that are observed on fixed dates.
The Nepali New Year or the Navavarsha according to the locals is a religious holiday celebrated with great significance and is observed with deep respect and devotion. Just like many other countries, they commemorate the event with the hopes of having a lot of blessings and prosperity as they face the New Year.
Nepali New Year Traditions, Customs and Activities
The celebration of the Nepali New Year comes with joyful activities that include street dances, parades and reunions. The occasion has always been enthusiastically participated and fully funded by the organizations and individuals.
The Navavarsha usually falls during the 2nd week of April which is considered by the Nepalese as the first day of Baisakh, the first month of the Bikram Sambat calendar. It’s a time of the year where the entire country rejoices with colorful ornaments and social activities as they welcome the New Year.
The major part of the event is centered to their religion. According to their rituals, the locals spend their time early in the morning with prayers and worships inside their temples and offer Puja which is a ritual devoted for their gods. After they present the Puja, they would walk around the temple opposing the direction of the clock as they ring bells.
Parts of the event are the traditional games and sports that the people organize during this day. Most of the youth participate in pageants and contests to showcase their talents as well.
