Nepal follows a lunar calendar and most festivals as well as personal auspicious ceremonies and weddings are determined by the lunar calendar every year.

Sweta Machhendranath Snan, January.
Sweta (white) Machhendranath enjoys a week-long festival in which he is bathed, oiled, perfumed and painted. The Goddess Kumari visits him at his elaborate temple near Asan Tol. If he is pleased by the music and offerings of his devotees, the people of the Valley can look forward to satisfactory rainfall in the planting season.

Maghe Sankranti, January.
On Maghe Sankranti (the first day of Magh) people take an early morning bath in the holy river, visit the shrines of Vishnu and offer flowers, incense and food to him. They read the Bhagwad Gita, also known as The Dong of the Gods, rub mustard oil over their bodies and enjoy feasts of yams, laddu (ball made from sesame and a sugarcane paste) and rice cooked with lentils.

Basanta Panchami and Saraswati Puja, January.
Basanta, or spring, ushers in the loveliest time of the year. Crowds gather at Kathmandu's Durbar Square while His Majesty the King and other dignitaries welcome the season with the band playing the traditional music of spring. Also Saraswati, the goddess of learning, arts and crafts, is worshipped at her temples. Artists, musicians, teachers and students bring flowers, unbroken rice and other gifts to offer her.

Swasthani, January-February.
Goddess Swasthani's three eyes burn like the sun. She is the ultimate gift grantor. If insulted, she can make life miserable. By worshipping Swasthani, Parbati attained Lord Shiva as her husband. In the worship rites of Goddess Swasthani, outlined by Parbati, the Swasthani scripture is read every evening for a month. Worshipping Swasthani will bring wealth, health, unite parted relations and remove curses.

Maha Shivaratri, February.
Lord Shiva is one of Nepal's most popular gods. During Maha Shivaratri, "Great Shiva Night", followers throughout the Indian sub-continent crowds the Pashupati temple to worship him. On this occasion, "there is no space even for a sesame seed". Colorful sadhus, the wandering sages who emulate Shiva, rub ashes over their bodies, give sermons to disciples, meditate, or practice yoga. Devotees pray to Shiva's image inside the temple at midnight and may queue for up to six hours to get a glimpse of the holy image. Bonfires are lit, neighbors and friends share food, and devotees enjoy two days and a night of music, song, and dance throughout the Pashupati complex and in the streets.

Losar, February.
Sherpas and Tibetans welcome their New Year with feasts, family visits and dancing. Families don their finest clothes and jewelry and exchange gifts. Buddhist monks offer prayers for good health as well prosperity, and perform dances at the monasteries. Colorful prayer flags decorate streets and rooftops. The colors seem especially brilliant at the Bouddha and Swayambhu stupas. Crowds of celebrants at Bouddha bring in the New Year by throwing tsampa (roasted barley flour) into the air.

Holi or Fagu Purnima, March.
Fagu Purnima is one of the most colorful and playful festivals of Nepal. The chir pole, decorated with colorful flags and erected on the first day of Fagu at Kathmandu's Durbar Square, is a formal announcement to all: hide your good clothes for throughout the week, you may be splashed with colors and water balloons. The last day is the most wet and wild. Youths covered with red vermillion powder and colors, roam the streets as inviting targets.

Chaitra Dasain, March - April.
Red vermillion powder, family blessings, and animal sacrifices are essential to celebrate the victory of Ram, hero of the epic Ramayana, over the evil King Rawan. Mother Goddess Durga, the source of all power, must be supplicated too, for overcoming evil demons.

Ghode Jatra, April.
Visitors are often amazed by the fine horses of the Nepalese army and Ghode Jatra is a time for the most graceful of these animals to perform before the public. Legends relate that this' 'horse festival" was begun after the Kathmandu people buried a demon under the soil of Tundikhel show grounds. They say that he may rise again and cause worry to the world if he is not trampled on by horses each year. So every spring, this victory over evil is celebrated in the Valley by organizing palanquin processions and a grand display of show-jumping, motorcycling feats, and gymnastics. Their Majesties the King and Queen, and thousands of people from all over the country are a part of the jatra audience.

Biska Jatra, April.
During this important festival, the old kingdom of Bhaktapur and its neighboring areas replay a drama passed on over the centuries. Images of wrathful and somewhat demonic deities are placed on tottering chariots. They are offered blood sacrifices, flowers, and coins. Men brimming with youthful vigor and rice beer, drag the chariots across brick-paved streets of the town. Wherever these raths stop, lamps are lit and devotees overflow into the surrounding alleys. Other gods and goddesses, too, are put on palanquins and carried around for public display. At Bode village, there is a tongue-boring ceremony by which the dedicated may reserve a place in heaven.

Red Machhendranath Jatra, May.
Until a few decades ago, before the Kathmandu Valley became a purely commercial hub, it was an agricultural land which depended upon the rainy monsoon for its important rice crop. Today, though traditional farming practices have disappeared. Red Machhendranath - a rain god – is very much worshipped during the pre-monsoon season. Women are busy cooking feasts as men gather strength to pull the chariot of their red deity. As Lord Machhendranath views his followers from the high seat of his chariot, its four wheels - representing the powerful Bhairab - receive rice and vermilion powder. The king of serpents is asked for blessings, and his jeweled vest is exhibited to the public atop the holy chariot.

Buddha Jayanti, May.
The ever-benevolent Buddha was born in Nepal and the religion he preached is the second most popular in the kingdom. On the full moon day, the Lord's birth, enlightenment and salvation are applauded throughout the valley with celebrations. Swayambhu and Boudhanath Stupas are prepared for the oncoming festivities several days in advance. Monasteries are cleaned, statues are polished, bright prayer flags waft in the breeze, and monks prepare to dance. On the Jayanti day, people reach the stupas before dawn, walk around them and make offerings to the many Buddha images there.

Gunla, July-August.
The monsoon has arrived, and the fields have been planted. It is time for Kathmandu Valley Buddhists to observe Gunla. The month-long festivities celebrate a "rains retreat" initiated twenty-five centuries ago by the Buddha. It is a time for prayer, fasting, meditation and religious music.
Worshippers climb past jungles, stone animals, great statues of the Buddha and begging monkeys to Swayarobhu's hilltop where daily prayers begin before dawn. Oil lamps, prayer flags, religious statues, and scroll paintings adorn the monasteries as temple bells chime and powerful aroma fill the air. Important Buddhist statues and monasteries are on display at the monasteries and the teachings of Lord Buddha are remembered as the rains nurture the rice fields.

Janai Purnima and Raksha Bandhan, August.
On Janai Purnima, a full moon day, high-caste Hindus chant the powerful Gayatri mantra and change their Sacred Thread (janai), while a raksha bandhan, a red or yellow protection cord, is tied around the wrists of other Hindus and Buddhists. Pilgrims journey to the mountains north of Kathmandu where they emulate Lord Shiva by bathing in the sacred lake of Gosaikund. Those unable to make the trek celebrate at Shiva's Kumbheswar Mahadev temple. Here, a pool with an image of Shiva at its center is filled with water believed to have come from Gosaikund.

Gai Jatra, August.
The gai, or cow, is holy to Hindus. She represents Laxmi, the goddess of wealth and guides the souls of the departed to the gates of the netherworld. But Gai Jatra is not a somber occasion. Satire, jokes, fancy costumes and colorful processions are the order of the day as people recall how an eighteenth-century king rallied his people to cheer his queen upon the death of their son. Those who have experienced the death of close ones during the past year share their sorrow and take comfort in the fact that the cow has safely transported the departed souls on their after-life journey. Young men dressed as women, children dressed up as cows, and whimsical characters of all sorts fill the streets.

Teej, September.
Pashupati, the temple of Shiva, is drenched in crimson during Teej as women in their fine red wedding saris crowd the temple grounds. This unique women's festival is marked by fasting, folk songs, and dancing as the women recall Parbati's devotion to her husband Shiva. Married women visit their fathers' homes. All daughters and sisters receive gifts from their male kin, and an elaborate feast is prepared for them. It's a loud and cheerful celebration until late at night, when strict fasting begins. Unmarried women who fast on this day, will be lucky in finding suitable husbands. Married women who fast will find their husbands faithful and will see the bond of love grow. The blessings of Shiva and Parbati ensure that family life will be joyous for all.

lndra Jatra, September.
As the end of the monsoon nears, farmers look forward to a rich harvest. Everyone is grateful to Indra, King of Heaven and controller of the rains for the rains. For eight days, Kathmandu's Durbar Square is the focus of a great celebration, fit to "flatter the King of Heaven." Indra's dhwaj, or flag, is erected on the first day. It is said that many centuries ago, Indra's mother needed specially-scented flowers but was not available in heaven's gardens. Indra discovered parijat flowers in the Kathmandu Valley and tried to steal them for his mother. He was caught and imprisoned by the Valley people. When Indra's mother came searching for him, the people were appalled by what they had done. They released Indra and dedicated one of the most colorful festivals of Nepal to him to soothe his anger. Masks and statues representing Vishnu, Bhairab, and Shiva are displayed to the public and the Goddess Kumari witnesses the special occasion from her chariot. Indra is thanked for the rains and assured once again that he is respected in the Kathmandu Valley.

Dahsain, October.
Dashain is the longest and most favorite festival of Nepal. Everyone stays home with their families while offices, businesses and shops remain closed. The skies of Kathmandu are filled with kites and the marketplaces are filled with farmers bringing their buffaloes, goats and chickens to sell. The animals are to be sacrificed on the night of Kal Ratri to the goddess Durga to celebrate her victory over evil. On the day of Dashami, everyone puts on new clothes and visit their family elders for their blessings, where they receive large red tikas of vermilion paste on their foreheads. In the following days of Dashain, families and friends unite, feasts are prepared, blessings are imparted and gifts are exchanged. Nepal's most beloved festival ends with the full moon.

Mani Rimdu, November.
Mani Rimdu is a Sherpa festival celebrated during the fall season at Tengboche Monastery in the Everest region. For five days, Lamas and Sherpas gather for "the good of the world." There are plays, masked dances, prayers, and feasts. Demons are quelled and the pious rewarded. The days are colorful and trips to the Everest region are very rewarding indeed if they can be organized during the days of the festival.

Tihar, November.
Tihar, known as the Festival of Lights, is a time of candle-lights, tinsel decorations and festive sweets. There are offerings and rituals for crows, dogs and cows on various days of the festival. On the night of Lakshmi Puja, garlands are hung and lamps are lighted to invite Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, into the home. Mha Puja, the New Year's Day according to the Nepal Era and followed by Newars only, is the day when everyone receives blessings through elaborate rituals and ceremonies to remain healthy and happy for the rest of the year. Bhai Tika, the last day of Tihar, is the day when sisters bless and make offerings to their brothers. The rituals of offering walnuts, garlands of makhamali (velvety) flowers and mustard oil soaked wickers become part of the mythological rituals to protect them from Yama, lord of the netherworld.

Bala Chaturdarsi, December.
This simple, festive day takes place in the ancient forest surrounding the temple of Pashupatinath. It is one of the oldest traditions of the Valley. Families who have lost a loved one in the last year keep an all night vigil in the forest, lighting oil lamps and singing songs. After a purifying morning bath, people walk through the forest, scattering seven types of grain along the paths and over the linga of Lord Shiva for spiritual enhancement of their late kinsmen as well as to cleanse the sins of a mythological man called Bala who had been transformed into a demon.

Bibah Panchami, December.
All the people of the Hindu world know the story of Ram and Sita, as told in the epic Ramayana. King Janak, Sita's father, proposed a test of strength among the eligible candidates asking for his daughter's hand. The contest was meant to lift and shoot the great bow of Lord Shiva. Warriors, kings and chieftains came from afar, but no one could even lift the bow. Ram who came to earth as an incarnation of Lord Vishnu easily lifted the bow and when he tried to string it, the bow shattered into pieces. Ram and Sita were married in Janakpur, a southern city of Nepal, and their marriage is celebrated to this day. Each year, idols of Ram and Sita are brought out in procession and their Hindu wedding ceremony is re-enacted during a week-long religious fair. Bibah Panchami reflects the devotion of Hindus to Ram, perhaps the most popular among the incarnations of Vishnu, and to Sita, the ideal Hindu woman.

Yomari Punhi, December.
As the new grain is brought in, the farmers of the Valley prepare for Yomari Punhi, an offering to the gods in thanks for the abundant harvest. The yomari is a special cake made from the new rice flour. A shell of dough is filled with melted raw sugar and sealed. The cakes are steamed and offered to the gods after which the entire family gathers around to make, cook and feast on yomari. It is eaten as blessed food.