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Festivals
and Dances
With over
40 ethnical groups, there seem to be festivals every week in Nepal. From dancing in
the street, god theatrical interpretations, gathering of thousands of Buddhist monks under
the full moon, and the biggest Hindu festival Dashain, which lasts for two weeks in which
most Nepali's head back for their home village to celebrate with their family.
Dances
There are many forms of popular dances, and their flavor changes as one moves up from the
lowland Terai to the doons and valleys to the high hills and mountains. Every dance is
performed for some spiritual purpose. The choreography include simple wood stick dances in
the south to the intricate details of the trance-induced dances of the Kathmandu Valley to
the furious mask dances to the north. Basically, the dances are divided into Hindu and
Buddhist cultures.
Festivals
The
dates of Nepali festivals go with a lunar calendar, so in the table below are the
corresponding dates for the Christian annual calendar.
| Name of Festival |
Date for 2000 |
Date for 2001 |
Date for 2002 |
Date for 2003 |
Date for 2004 |
| New Year |
1 - Jan |
1 - Jan |
1 - Jan |
1 - Jan |
1 - Jan |
| Yakata Divas |
11 - Jan |
11 - Jan |
11 - Jan |
11 - Jan |
11 - Jan |
| Sahid Divas |
30 - Jan |
29 - Jan |
29 - Jan |
30 - Jan |
30 - Jan |
| Losar |
5,6 - Feb |
Chinese & Tibetan New Years |
| Saraswati Puja |
10 - Feb |
29 - Jan |
17 - Feb |
06 - Feb |
26 - Jan |
| Democracy Day |
19 - Feb |
18 - Feb |
19 - Feb |
19 - Feb |
19 - Feb |
| Education Day |
24 - Feb |
23 - Feb |
24 - Feb |
24 - Feb |
24 - Feb |
| Maha-shivaratri |
04 - Mar |
21 - Feb |
12 - Mar |
01 - Mar |
18 - Feb |
| Woman's Day |
07 - Mar |
|
08 - Mar |
08 - Mar |
|
| Holi |
20 - Mar |
09 - Mar |
28 - Mar |
18 - Mar |
06 - Mar |
| Horse race |
04 - Apr |
24 - Mar |
12 - Apr |
01 - Apr |
20 - Mar |
| Chaitra dashin |
|
01 - Apr |
20 - Apr |
10 - Apr |
29 - Mar |
| Ram's Day |
12 - Apr |
02 - Apr |
21 - Apr |
11 - Apr |
|
| Nepali New year |
13 - Apr |
14 - Apr |
14 - Apr |
14 - Apr |
|
| Labour Day |
01 - May |
01 - May |
01 - May |
01 - May |
01 - May |
| Law Day |
08 - May |
09 - May |
09 - May |
09 - May |
|
| Buddha's Day |
18 - May |
07 - May |
26 - May |
16 - May |
|
| Jani Purnima |
15 - Aug |
04 - Aug |
22 - Aug |
12 - Aug |
|
| Cow festivals |
16 - Aug |
05 - Aug |
23 - Aug |
13 - Aug |
|
| Child Day |
20 - Aug |
20 - Aug |
20 - Aug |
21 - Aug |
|
| Krishnna's Day |
22 - Aug |
|
|
19 - Aug |
|
| Teej |
1-3 - Sept |
21 - Aug |
09 - Sept |
30 - Aug |
|
| Indra's Festival |
12 - Sept |
01 - Sept |
20 - Sept |
09 - Sept |
|
| Dashain Start |
28 - Sept |
17 - Oct |
07 - Oct |
27 - Sept |
|
| Middle Dashain |
4-7 Oct |
23-26 Oct |
12-15 Oct |
02-05 Oct |
|
End of Dashain |
12 - Oct |
31 - Oct |
20 - Oct |
10 - Oct |
|
| Tihar |
26-29 Oct |
14-17 Nov |
04-06 Nov |
25-27 Oct |
|
Chhad
(Terai area only) |
02 - Nov |
21 - Nov |
10 - Nov |
30 - Oct |
|
| Sambidhan Day |
08 - Nov |
08 - Nov |
09 - Nov |
09 - Nov |
|
| King's Birth Day |
29 - Dec |
29 - Dec |
29 - Dec |
29 - Dec |
29 - Dec |
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