When is New Year? Baisakh first, January first, or Magh first?
In Nepal, you never know which one to pick. But then why settle for one when you can celebrate so many? We embrace our differences and celebrate them in harmony.
Here are some of the prominent New Years observed in Nepal.
Nepali New Year (Bikram Sambat)
Nepal follows the unique Bikram Sambat calendar, setting it apart from the rest of the world with a distinct schedule and even a different New Year celebration, which arrives early to mid-April on the 1st of Baisakh.
It is believed that how we celebrate the New Year reflects how the entire year will unfold. This is why people gather with friends and family to celebrate, share meals, and enjoy their day, hoping that the rest of the year will be equally delightful. Besides, devotees visit temples and holy sites like Pashupatinath and Swayambhunath to pray for another prosperous year.
These celebrations include various festivities and Jatras, with Bisket Jatra being one of them. It is one of the major festivals celebrated in Bhaktapur. The term “Bisket” is believed to originate from “bi-sika”, meaning “snake slaughter”, referencing a local legend involving the death of serpents. It starts 5 days before the new year and ends 4 days after it, lasting up to 9 days and 8 nights. The festival concludes with prayers at Bhairab Temple, marking the end of the celebrations.
Gregorian New Year
Growing popular in the Nepali societies, the Gregorian calendar marks New Year on January first. People usually celebrate by going to clubs or attending concerts.
The government, media, and some universities have embraced this calendar system since its usage worldwide. Some folks oppose celebrating this new year because they don’t want Western influence infiltrating their homegrown culture.
Maghe Sankranti
Symbolism of warding off winter and embracing warmer days, Maghe Sankranti falls on the first of Magh, the 10th Nepali month, which occurs in the midst of January. Significant for farmers, the festival coincides with the paddy cultivation season.
The Tharu people celebrate it as their new year following the Yele calendar system. The rituals to celebrate this festival vary among people of different cultures. Maghe Sankranti is also known as “Ghya Chaku Salhu” in the Newa community.
On this day, Newa people prepare and eat special foods, particularly dishes made from clarified butter (ghya) and sesame seeds (til). They also follow a tradition where families gather, and elders put mustard oil on the heads of their family members as a blessing for prosperity and well-being.
People in Nuwakot celebrate it uniquely with a bullfighting competition and award the best-performing bull.
Sonam Loshar
Sonam Loshar is another auspicious occasion that marks the new year for the Tamang community. The phrase ‘Lho’ represents year, ‘Sar’ means new or fresh, and ‘sonam’ identifies the Tamang people themselves.
The festival coincides with the second new moon after the winter solstice, falling in the month of Magh (January-February). The Tamang community follows an ancient lunar calendar where each year is associated with one of 12 animals: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat/sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, or boar.
People gather at stupas and monasteries for prayer ceremonies, lighting butter lamps and performing traditional dances to ward off negative energy and welcome a new beginning.
Then, families and communities indulge in several delicacies like Aalum (buckwheat flour shaped like the year’s animal), Baabar (fried rice flour dish), various meat dishes, Furaula (deep-fried buckwheat lumps), Gundruk ko achar (fermented leafy greens), and homemade alcohol.
Gyalpo Loshar
Gyalpo Losar, meaning “King’s New Year”, denotes the start of the Tibetan lunar calendar and is typically celebrated in February or March. Initially celebrated as a spring festival, it represents the renewal of nature.
Tibetan Buddhist communities, including Sherpas, Tamangs, Bhutias, and Yolmos, observe the festival, which lasts for about two weeks, with major festivities concentrated in the first three days.
Families clean their homes thoroughly to drive away negative energies and welcome prosperity. Homes are decorated with colourful prayer flags (Dhoja), symbolic offerings like droso chemar (a wooden box filled with roasted barley), and religious symbols.
The origins of Gyalpo Losar trace back to pre-Buddhist Tibet, evolving from a winter incense-offering ritual into a grand festival during the reign of Pude Gungyal, the ninth king of Tibet.
Nepal Sambat
Nepal Sambat, also known as Nepal Era, is an indigenous lunar calendar and New Year celebration in Nepal, primarily observed by the Newa community.
Once the official calendar of the country, Nepal Sambat, was established in 879 AD to commemorate the philanthropy of national hero Shankhadhar Sakhwa, who is believed to have paid the debts of the locals. He was a merchant from Kathmandu during the reign of King Raghav Dev of the Lichchhavi dynasty.
The festival begins on the new moon day of Kachhala (October-November) and coincides with the fourth day of Tihar, Nepal’s festival of lights. This alignment makes it both a New Year celebration and part of the larger Swanti festival.
Tamu Loshar
The Gurung community celebrates Tamu Losar as their New Year. It marks the beginning of the Tamu Sambat, the Gurung calendar year, and is observed annually on the 15th day of Poush in the Nepali calendar (December/January).
Traditionally, Gurungs would gather in courtyards in villages for feasting and performing dances like Ghatu and Chudka. But large gatherings take place at venues such as Tundikhel with cultural programmes and stalls in urban areas like Kathmandu. They wear traditional clothes like bhangra (white apron) and kachhad (shorts) and ghale and gunyo-cholo (velvet blouse), embellishing them with jewellery.
So, which one’s the real new year? And the answer is all of them. Each of these celebrations holds specific meaning for its people. After all, it’s all about celebrating new beginnings and being with your loved ones.
Happy New Year to you and yours from us at Nepal Connect!
Pratikshya Bhatta is a junior editor with Nepal Connect.
