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Prithvi Jayanti / National Unity Day
Poush 27
Commemorates the birth of Prithvi Narayan Shah and Nepal's national unification legacy.
Nepal-wide calendar
Festivals of Nepal
A structured festival archive for Nepal's national observances, Kathmandu Valley jatras, Terai and Madhesh festivals, Himalayan traditions, and community-specific celebrations across the country.
National observances
Core festivals and public days observed across Nepal
These are the anchor points of Nepal's civic and cultural calendar. Some are national public holidays and some are religious observances widely celebrated across the country.
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Martyrs' Day
Magh 16
National remembrance for those who sacrificed their lives in Nepal's democratic struggles.
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Democracy Day
Falgun 7
Marks the 2007 BS democratic revolution and the restoration of civil liberties.
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Republic Day
Jestha 15
Marks Nepal's declaration as a federal democratic republic on Jestha 15, 2065 BS.
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Constitution Day
Asoj 3
Commemorates promulgation of the Constitution of Nepal on Asoj 3, 2072 BS.
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Buddha Jayanti
Baishakh Purnima
Observed on the full moon of Baishakh; the lunar date shifts each year in the Nepali calendar.
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Dashain
Bhadra / Ashwin
Nepal's greatest festival, celebrated nationwide with family reunions, tika, jamara, and homecoming.
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Tihar
Kartik
The festival of lights, honouring crows, dogs, cows, oxen, siblings, prosperity, and household renewal.
Regions
Festivals by region and landscape
Nepal's celebrations vary by geography. The same country includes dense urban Kathmandu Valley jatras, eastern hill Kirat festivals, western Himalayan rituals, and Terai river festivals.
Valley jatras, civic processions, and Nepal Sambat traditions
Kathmandu Valley and Newar heritage
- Indra Jatra / Yenya Punhi
- Gai Jatra
- Bisket Jatra
- Ghode Jatra
- Mha Puja
- Yomari Punhi
- Sithi Nakha
- Rato Machindranath Jatra
- Seto Machindranath Jatra
- Bhairab Jatra
- Bara Mha / Newar New Year observances
Festivals shaped by Mithila, agricultural cycles, and river worship
Terai and Madhesh
- Chhath Parva
- Vivah Panchami
- Holi / Fagu Purnima
- Jitiya
- Sama Chakewa
- Nag Panchami
- Janai Purnima
- Krishna Janmashtami
- Makar Sankranti / Maghe Sankranti
- Ram Navami
- Durga Puja / Dashain traditions
Pan-Nepali festivals strongly rooted in the hills
Hill and mid-hill Nepal
- Dashain
- Tihar
- Teej
- Maghe Sankranti
- Janai Purnima
- Holi / Fagu Purnima
- Naag Panchami
- Bala Chaturdashi
- Aunsi and Tihar-related household observances
- Local Devi and village deity jatras
High-altitude observances and trans-Himalayan cultural festivals
Himalaya and mountain districts
- Tamu Lhosar
- Sonam Lhosar
- Gyalpo Lhosar
- Mani Rimdu
- Tiji Festival
- Yartung
- Dumji
- Udhauli
- Ubhauli
- Losar celebrations across Tibetan Buddhist communities
Provinces
Province-by-province festival highlights
Nepal's seven provinces share many national festivals, but each province also has distinct cultural centres and local observances that deserve their own mapping.
Sakela Ubhauli, Sakela Udhauli, Chasok Tangnam, Yele Sambat
Chhath, Vivah Panchami, Jitiya, Sama Chakewa, Holi
Indra Jatra, Gai Jatra, Bisket Jatra, Mha Puja, Yomari Punhi
Tamu Lhosar, Ghatu, Sorathi, Tiji, Yartung
Buddha Jayanti, Maghi, Dashain, Tihar, local Tharu observances
Deuda, Gaura Parva, Masto traditions, local village jatras
Gaura Parva, Deuda, Harela, Dashain, local far-western jatras
Communities
Festival traditions by community
Nepal's diversity is not only regional. Communities also preserve distinct ritual and seasonal observances, often overlapping with the national calendar.
Kirat communities
- Udhauli
- Ubhauli
- Sakela
- Chasok Tangnam
Tamang communities
- Sonam Lhosar
- local dhime and cultural jatra traditions
Gurung communities
- Tamu Lhosar
- Rhododendron-season village observances
- local rodhi traditions
Sherpa communities
- Gyalpo Lhosar
- Mani Rimdu
- Dumji
Tharu communities
- Maghi
- Jitiya
- local agricultural and river festivals
Mithila / Madhesi communities
- Chhath
- Vivah Panchami
- Sama Chakewa
- Jitiya
- Holi
Newar communities
- Mha Puja
- Yomari Punhi
- Gai Jatra
- Indra Jatra
- Bisket Jatra
Muslim communities
- Eid al-Fitr
- Eid al-Adha
- Milad-un-Nabi
Christian communities
- Christmas
- Good Friday
- Easter
Calendar notes
Nepali calendar and festival timing
This archive uses Bikram Sambat framing where possible and lunar labels where the festival date is tied to tithi, purnima, or ritual sequence.
How to read the calendar
- Festivals such as Dashain, Tihar, Teej, Janai Purnima, Buddha Jayanti, Holi, and Chhath follow lunar or ritual calendars and shift by year.
- Bisket Jatra is a notable exception because it is tied to the solar Nepali New Year and not the lunar cycle.
- Many village-level jatras, deity processions, and clan rituals are local by settlement and are too numerous to list exhaustively in a single page.
What this page covers
- National observances
- Kathmandu Valley jatras
- Terai and Madhesh festivals
- Hill and Himalayan festivals
- Community-specific celebrations
- Religious diversity across the country
Sources
References used to verify the archive
The archive is based on Nepal Tourism Board festival pages and related official cultural materials. Local observances are too numerous to be exhaustive, so this page focuses on nationally documented and widely recognized festivals.
Nepal Tourism Board
Festival directory and individual festival pages used for verification.
Festival directoryCulture of Nepal
Official culture page noting that customs and traditions differ from place to place.
Culture pageSelected festival pages
Dashain, Tihar, Janai Purnima, Teej, Mha Puja, Indra Jatra, Chhath, Holi, and more.
Festival directory