When is Nepali New Year?
Nepali New Year is a national holiday in Nepal.
This holiday marks the first day of Bikram Sambat, the official calendar of Nepal. New Year in this calendar usually falls on 14th April.
Traditions of Nepali New Year
The official calendar used in Nepal is the Bikram Sambat or Vikram Samvat calendar, which is 56 years and 8 months ahead of the western calendar. To convert a Nepali date to a Gregorian date: Subtract - 56 Years - 8 Months - 17 Days. There are 12 months, but the number of days in each month changes each year and can go up to 32. This means there is no need for a leap year.
Did you know?
Like the western calendar in the past, New Year's Day call fall in different months based on local traditions. For instance, in Gujrat, India, the new year begins on the first day in the month of Kartik - which is the famous festival of Diwali.
It is a solar calendar and based on ancient Hindu traditions. It gets its name and starting date from the legendary king Vikramaditya of Ujjain.
Each year begins on the first day of the month Baisakh, which usually falls on April 13th or 14th in the western calendar.
The Bikram Sambat calendar is mostly used in Nepal and India but some other countries also use it, such as Sri Lanka (Tamil New Year is April 14th), Indonesia, Bangladesh, Thailand, Malaysia and Bhutan.
Nepali New Year is the solar new year, and it is worth noting that Nepal also celebrates the lunar new year (Sonam Lohsar) with a public holiday as well.
Similar to the traditions of a new year festival, Bikram Sambat is celebrated parties, family gatherings, the exchange of good wishes and participation in rituals to ensure good fortune in the coming year.
