Holidays and festivities are an important part of the Nepalese culture - and there are many to celebrate. Most of the celebrations involve quite a bit of dancing, music, and merry making. Dates for religious holidays and festivals are often based on the phases of the moon so they do not fall on the same day, or even in the same week, every year. Three of the most interesting holidays are: Holi, Dashain, and Tihar.

Holi

The ancient Hindu festival of Holi falls in late February or early March. The holiday is named after the mythical demoness Holika and is celebrated with a week of festivities, during which the Nepali people drink and dance in the streets. However, the last day is usually the most festive, as people throw water balloons and colorful powders on each other. People can be seen wandering through the streets with a variety of colors smeared over them. For all people, young and old, Holi is a time for fun and frolic.

Dashain

Dashain (also known as Dasain or Dahsera) is the longest and the most important festival of Nepal. It is a two week festival that usually takes place in September and/or October. This festival celebrates the triumph of virtue over evil; it is time when families gather together to give gifts, hold big feasts, and perform various rituals. The final day of the festival is known as 'Tika', a day on which the elders place a tika (a red dot or smear placed one's forehead as a symbolic blessing) on younger people and on other relatives who come for their blessings.

Tihar

Tihar, the "Festival of Lights," is one of the most beautiful of all Hindu festivals. During Tihar (three days in October and/or November), rows of lights are displayed on every building in worship of Laxmi, the Goddess of Wealth. During the festival all the houses in the city and villages are decorated with lit oil lamps. At night nearly every village or city looks like a sparkling diamond.

The first day of Tihar is known as Kag Tihar, or crows' day. In Nepal, crows are the messenger of death. They are honored on the first day of Tihar by receiving offerings of food on a plate made out of leaves. In Nepal, crows are not killed because legend has it that one crow had happened to drink the water of life. Thus you can see crows everywhere sitting without fear of humans.

The second day is called Kukur Tihar - dogs' day. A dog plays many roles in Nepalese society, from pet to guardian of the house; legend has it that there is also a dog guarding the gate to the underworld. On Kukur Tihar, a big red tika is put on each dog's forehead and a beautiful garland around its neck; after this, it is given a very delicious meal. On this day, the old saying, "every dog has his day" rings true; even stray dogs are looked upon with respect.

The third day is the most important day of the festival. It is called Laxmi puja, the day when Nepalis worship the goddess of wealth - the cow. A tika is put on each cow's head and a garland around its neck; then they feed the cow a special meal. In the evening, the goddess Laxmi is worshipped when people throughout the country decorate their homes with oil lamps, candles, or electric lights. Everyone sings and dances in the streets, gambles with friends, or shoots off fireworks to celebrate.

On the fourth day, the celebrations are bit different. On this day, people worship different things, depending on one's specific cultural background. Normally most of the people perform Guru puja, ox worshipping. The ox is worshipped by giving it a tika, a garland, and a meal. The Newar people perform Mha puja, which literally means worshipping yourself. The Newar community people worship life by worshipping themselves. On this very day the Newar New Year also starts.

The last day of Tihar is Bhai Tika, which involves girls putting tikas and garlands on their brothers and giving them sweets. Even the king receives a tika from his sisters.

For more information on Nepalese festivities and holidays, you can visit: http://www.nepalhomepage.com/society/festivals/