Nepali New Year, also known as ‘Nepal Sambat’ or ‘Nepal Era,’ is celebrated by Nepali communities worldwide. It typically falls around April 14, during the month of Baisakh in the Nepali, or Bikram Sambat, calendar. The Nepali calendar is approximately 56 years and eight months ahead of the Gregorian calendar, meaning we are now at the beginning of the year 2081. Unlike the Gregorian calendar, the length of Nepali months varies year by year.
Nepali New Year is traditionally a time of joy, introspection, and cultural revelry. People celebrate by thorough housecleaning, donning new attire, decorating their surroundings, and exchanging heartfelt greetings and good wishes with loved ones. Special culinary delights are prepared, while diverse cultural festivities, including dances, musical performances, and religious ceremonies, take place among Nepali communities around the world.
At Himalayan Leaky Foundation (HLF), the Nepali New Year offers a moment of reflection on the past year’s endeavours and an opportunity to chart our course for the year ahead. Bino and I felt incredibly fortunate to spend the last Nepali New Year in Kathmandu with our whānau. It marked our first trip back in five years, and we cherished every moment. You can read more about our visit in our Year in Review diary entry, looking back on all of our achievements over the past year.
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