Commemorating Holidays

Dixya Poudel

It was Prithivi Narayan Shah who unified Nepal and became its first monarch. Born on Poush 27, 1779 BS, he is credited for uniting small fraction of states into a fully-fledged nation. Thus, Poush 27 is an important day for Nepalis which is why Nepal Government has declared it a public holiday. Henceforth, this day will be observed to commemorate the foundation of the nation and to salute the person responsible for its unification. However, now that one more public holiday has been added to the Nepali calendar, there are debates over its string of holidays. 

As Nepal is a multicultural and multi-religious nation, it has to be equally attentive to all respective cultural and religious communities within its territory. Thus, we have Buddha Jayanti which is a festival observed by Buddhists and we have Maaghi festival which is celebrated by Tharu people. It takes a balance of tact and diplomacy to keep all communities within the nation into confidence - an act that has spawned numerous public holidays. Critics have decried that too many holidays have sapped the productivity of the nation. 

Granted the nation has only Saturday as a public holiday compared to other nations which have both Saturdays and Sundays as public holidays. But still, compared to many successful nations, Nepal has a potpourri of festivals and days of national importance that are marked as public holidays. Holidays certainly are welcome news to students who rejoice greatly at the prospects of a break from endless studies. Then there are office-goers and workers clocking in 9 to 5 routines who too enjoy the occasional respite from their work. 

Thus, it isn’t surprising that people look forward to holidays. Amid their jobs or in between the classroom lectures, they daydream of the outings, the sunny climate and the popular tourists’ destinations. People plan beforehand so that they are prepared and don’t run out of budgets in their holidays and vacations. From booking flights for their desired destinations to booking hotel rooms and checking out the popular sites, people like to plan and prepare their vacations. 

In Nepal, holidays signify a break that is used to connect with family, friends and relatives through social gatherings and to observe traditional rites and rituals in case of festivals. From the old to the young, festivals are an occasion to rejuvenate alongside religious, cultural and traditional customs. In Dashain, for example, Nepalis give and receive tikas, in Holi, they play with colours, and in Tihar, they light up their houses. 

Apart from religious and cultural holidays, there are holidays of national importance such as Poush 27 which is Prithivi Jayanti and the Republic Day which takes place on Jestha 15. Thus a plethora of holidays are scattered throughout the national calendar of Nepal. Yet there are unofficial holidays too which are observed culturally. Especially it is children who look forward to holidays. But even grow-ups enjoy the many perks that come with special holidays. 

As Nepal catches up with the rest of the world, its citizens too tend to vacation in both national and international tourists’ destinations. Holiday is thus a word that brings forth lightness in one’s step, a twinkle in one’s eyes and a delight of prospects. However, it should be ensured that it doesn’t hinder overall work efficiency.