While the rest of the world gears up to usher in the new year with celebrations from Thursday night, Nepal is probably the most festive country in the world that will enjoy new year merrymaking virtually throughout the year.
New Year Eve celebrations already started in earnest Tuesday by the ethnic Tamu community, also known as the Gurungs, whose new year starts from Wednesday.
The Gurungs are a warlike people from central Nepal, who form over 2 percent of Nepal’s 27 million population and have their own culture and language.
Now scattered worldwide, the new Tamu year or Lhochhar — which is also the year of the tiger –is being celebrated in Nepal.
In Nepal, the government has declared Wednesday a public holiday for the community and the President, Ram Baran Yadav, issued a message.
Two days later, Nepal will march with the rest of the world to usher in 2010, as per the Gregorian calendar, with parties and festivals.
However, while the parties will stop in the rest of the world soon after that, Nepal has its traditional new year coming up in April.
On April 14, Nepalis will celebrate the start of the Nepali new year 2067, as per the Bikram Sambat calendar, an eastern calendar founded by an Indian ruler and still observed by the traditional people in both countries.
Nepal has cultural ties with both its southern neighbor India and northern neighbor China.
In February ever year, it also celebrates China’s Tibetan new year.
Hundreds of Buddhist monasteries in Nepal will usher in the Tibetan new year on Feb. 14, an event marked by lighting butter lamps and prayers.
Around October-end, Nepal will have another New Year bash when the Newar community, the original inhabitants of the capital Kathmandu Valley and a people famed for their business acumen and artistic skills, celebrate the Newari new year.
It will be the beginning of the Newari year 1131, following the Nepal Sambat calendar that was founded by a respected trader, Sankhadhar Sakhwaa, who, according to legend, transformed sand into gold by alchemy and paid off the collective debt of the nation to the king, thus liberating them.
Sakhwaa is regarded as a national hero and Nepal hails the calendar with great pride since it was drawn up by a commoner and marks the age of liberation.
Last but not the least, the Newari new year festivities will be followed by more partying around December-January when the Kirantis, an indigenous community from eastern Nepal, usher in Yele Sambat — the Kiranti new year.
There are about 1.5 million Kirans who will celebrate the calendar named after their first king, Yelamber Hang.