Did you know that Nepal is the only country in the world that enjoys five New Year days in a single calendar year, with three of them proper holidays.
On Jan 1, Nepal celebrates the start of each year with the rest of the world.
Around February-March, the Tibetans celebrate their New Year, Lhosar.
In April- some Nepalis celebrate their New Year according to the old lunar calendar that is shared with our neighbours, India.
The Bikram Sambat calendar, which is the calendar used for all official work in Nepal, will help Nepal once again zip ahead of the rest of the world as it starts the year 2066.
Four months later, it will be time for the Newar community, the first residents of Kathmandu valley, to celebrate their New Year, which, according to the Nepal Sambat calendar they use, will be the year 1130.
My Favourite New Year’s Celebration
For the New Year that is celebrated using the Bikram Sambat calendar, we have a big two day celebration. I usually go to visit my family in Bhaktapur, near Kathmandu, where I think the celebrations are the best!
All day long, people fill up this ancient city and fun activities are planned.
One of the most fun parts is the huge chariot which has a temple on top, at least 3 stories high and lots of pictures of a god called Bhairab. It has wooden wheels that are painted with the faces of Buddha. All of the children clamour around it and try to pull it, but there is no way we can make it budge! The chariot is creakily dragged around town.
Later in the day, the chariot stops for a huge tug of war, where the village men line up and have an all out game of tug of war. The men from the East side of town compete against the men from the West side. The winning side gets to store part of the chariot until the next year’s celebration. It is really fun watching them try, chanting in Nepalese, “Pull!, Pull! Pull!”
Later in the evening, the chariot is moved by the villagers down the hill to the river, where they try to put up a 75 meter object in the middle of the square.
Did you know that all of the coble stone streets along the way were built specifically for the task of moving this chariot! They had tracks cut into the sides of the stones where the wheels would fit.
Once you enter the main area, there is a huge tree with a mast, with ropes tied to it, and people tugging the ropes trying to raise the tree. This can take a long time as the men pull and chant; the mast rises and then quickly falls down again. Unfortunately this time, although the mast got the mast up it then snapped.
During these two days, we eat our favourite foods and my mum always makes delicious treats for us on New Year’s Eve. People go for picnics, have get-togethers and celebrate the day socialising in various ways.
Happy New Year!
