You know the holiday when you slab red tika on your forehead or the one where you throw water balloons at your friends (and enemies, of course!)? Why exactly do Nepali women fast for three days? Who are the Gods and Goddesses of wealth and prosperity that we give a special holiday to?
The four following datas I have are the diminutive inklings out of the millions of other things that unite us with a history from Nepal here in this big country. The men, women, and children who perform these events are blessed with a lifelong forgiveness from God. All of us here are an iota of great things still left to happen. Who knows, maybe one of you reading this will be the first Nepali astronaut to get to the moon, or something even bigger and better. We live in the land of opportunity. There are many wonderful things to achieve here, and I believe we have the capacity to make sure all of them are fulfilled.
Dashain
When: Late September to mid October.
Purpose: A day to celebrate victory over demons.
Other Names: Dasara, Bada Dashain, Vijaya Dashain, and Durga Puja.
Food: Goat meat, sheep, buffalo, duck, chicken, other meat products, sweets, and fruits.
Teej
When: August or early September.
Purpose: Married women observe Teej and fast to honor Lord Shiva and pray for a respectable life for their husband, while unmarried girls observe fast on this day for a good husband.
Other Names: Teej lasts for three days, each with a name of its own, where a special task is performed. The three days are: Dar Khane Din, Fasting Day, and Rishi Panchami.
Food: Dar, mostly fasting.
Holi
When: Late February or early-mid March.
Purpose: Lord Krishna started the tradition of play with colors by applying color on his beloved Radha and other gopis.
Practices: A ceremonial pole called ‘chir’ is installed on the first day. The festivities and worship commences for the week. At the end of the festivities chir is taken to a bonfire. All over the streets people can be watched having fun, throwing colors and water-balloons, locally called ‘lolas’ on each other.
Diwali
When: Late October or early November.
Purpose: To honor the Goddess of Wealth and God of Prosperity, Lakshmi and Ganesh, respectively.
Practices: Lights and lamps are lit to illuminate the entire surrounding and some of the specialty items are prepared to mark the third day of the festival. Fireworks, Lamps and crackers are widely used.
Other Names: Tihar. Tihar lasts for five days, each with a different dedication; first day is dedicated to cows, second day is for dogs. On the third day, lights are illuminated. For the fourth day, dedication is saved for Yama, the God of Death, and the fifth for brothers.
Word of the Week
zany (adj.)
1. ludicrously or whimsically comical; clownish.
Fun Days
What holidays are in January 2010, you ask? Here’s some of the wackier ones:
Here’s more at: http://www.holidayinsights.com/moreholidays/january.htm and http://www.gone-ta-pott.com/weird_january_holidays.html.
