Nepalese New Year is where age old calendars, religious traditions, and contemporary global trends live side by side without any clash. It has two New Year celebrations which are very different from each other in terms of culture and feelings. Something, even you cannot guess.
Nepal celebrates New Year twice. April’s Nepali New Year is based on the Bikram Sambat calendar, marked by rituals, fairs, and renewal, and January 1st is observed with Western style celebrations in cities, hotels, tourist spots, illuminated by fireworks and countdowns.
Knowing about the two New Years in Nepal helps one to see how traditions and modernity find a place in each other together and coexist in the country. This also gives the people freedom to choose from a wide spectrum of celebrations, from spiritual rituals to modern parties.
The Two New Years of Nepal
Nepal has two New Year celebrations, due to its multiple calendar systems. Bikram Sambat is the official calendar of Nepal which is about 56-57 years ahead of the Gregorian calendar.
The Nepali New Year is celebrated from the very first day of Baisakh, which is a day in the middle of April most of the time. This day is very important from the cultural point of view and is closely related to natural cycles, astrology, and Hindu, Buddhist traditions.
January 1st has become a socially popular celebration of New Year, especially among the younger generations and in those areas which are attractive to tourists, although it has not been traditionally relevant in Nepal.
The Western New Year co-exists beautifully with the traditional one and not as a substitute, which shows Nepal’s openness and adaptability.
For both local market purchases during Baisakh or modern celebrations in Kathmandu, securing Nepalese Rupees (NPR) in advance ensures you can fully participate. Using a trusted currency exchange service or a convenient 0 forex card allows you to embrace both of Nepal’s New Years with ease.
Communities and Public Celebrations
The Nepali New Year in various towns and villages can be felt through the local fairs, music, and sharing of food. Such socializing brings the essence of social circles and also ties the people of similar or different social and cultural identities together.
Places like Patan Durbar Square enjoy lively gatherings and traditional Newar cuisine. The sounds of traditional music, folk dances and cultural performances not only add to the spark but also serve as a reminder of a beautiful heritage and culture.
Planning your currency exchange in advance allows you to participate freely in these vibrant community events, ensuring you can contribute to the festivities and honor local traditions without hesitation.
Bikram Sambat
The Nepalese New year, Bikram Sambat is celebrated in April that colors the entire country in culture and tradition.
It is also considered a festival of renewal, cleansing and new beginnings. Homes are washed, people wear new clothes and everyone visits temples carrying new things and they ask for good health, fortune, and peace.
This corresponds to the seasonal change of spring in Nepal. As the winter season bids a farewell, the agricultural activity resumes, and the celebration symbolizes hope and growth.
Among the noisy and loud types of celebrations, the Nepali New Year is a very quiet one that is worthy of togetherness and harmony with nature, family, and spiritual life.
Bisket Jatra of Bhaktapur
Bhaktapur is home to one of the most colorful Nepali New Year celebrations. The Bisket Jatra festival has been around for hundreds of years.
It features huge chariots with gods being taken to the alleys of the town, with different teams of people dragging the chariots in a tug of war that opposes each other. This is a fight that is performed as a ritual that is meant for renewal.
The festival ends with the setting up of a ceremonial pole, symbolizing the leaving of the old year and the coming of the new one. By attending Bisket Jatra, tourists get a chance to see how Nepal does not only view time as a sequence of events but also as a transformation.
Temples and Spirituality
Throughout Nepal, the New Year is popularly celebrated with a visit to the temples. You’ll find faith oozing out in every corner of holy places.
Pashupatinath, Swayambhunath, and Boudhanath, are the most popular places to find the devotees offering prayers, lighting oil lamps, and doing purification rituals.
By these deeds, people want to get rid of the bad influences that have been with them during the past year and to call the good ones in the new year.
Buddhist communities likewise celebrate the New Year with prayer and meditation, focusing on qualities like compassion, mindfulness, and moral living.
Such a common spiritual way is a sign of religious co-existence in Nepal, where Hindu and Buddhist traditions intertwine in the most magnificent way instead of proving one religion superior than the other.
January 1st in Nepal
January 1st is not marked by any kind of traditional or religious celebration in Nepal but it is widely popular, mainly in cities like Kathmandu, Pokhara, and Lalitpur.
Various events such as countdowns, live music, and theme parties are organized by hotels, restaurants, and clubs and these are the same kind of celebrations going on all over the world for the New Year.
Places that are popular with tourists like Thamel in Kathmandu and Lakeside in Pokhara are packed with international tourists and Nepali youth.
Western New Year in Nepal is a sign of the transformations of the social structures. Among the youth, exposure to the mass media and travel makes them celebrate New Year on January 1st as a social occasion rather than a cultural one. This is a way to connect to the wider world.
It is worth mentioning that this does not lower the importance of the traditional New Year. Lots of people in Nepal may celebrate January 1st as a party day while keeping the April New Year for the emotional and spiritual side of their lives.
Such an intricate blend is an example of how Nepal can still be culturally rooted while accepting international customs and traditions.
While you carefully plan your itinerary, make sure to taste delicacies like Sel Roti, Gundruk, Yomari, Kasaar, Sekuwa, and Aloo Tama during your trip to relish the true Nepali cuisine.
January 1st brings the tourists who want to experience the nightlife, take a rest from trekking, and attend social gatherings. On the other hand, the Nepali New Year in April is chosen by the ones who are deeply interested in cultural immersion and festivals.
New Year in Nepal is not so much about spending time but it is about setting a proper intention, focus and renewing oneself. From temple prayers, communal festivals, to quiet family gatherings, each of them teaches us to stay firm on gratitude and balance.
Those travelers who are thinking about a trip to Nepal during these times will do well if they prepare in advance because everything gets booked very quickly during the peak seasons.
And by this we mean your forex too. Even if it gets too late for you to figure out, BookMyForex can be the service you can use to arrange your foreign currency prior to your travel, imagine what a relief.
About the Author
Bhawna Nijhawan is the Content Manager at BookMyForex and the go-to person for creating engaging, informative content that resonates with the platform’s diverse audience. With over 8 years of experience in content writing and more than 4 years in the forex industry, she knows exactly how to simplify complex forex topics into something everyone can relate to.
