📅 holiday

Govardhan Puja

Sunday, November 8, 2026

— days to go

Tihar Festival in Nepal is, essentially, the equivalent of Deepavali in India and other Hindu lands. In fact, some Nepalese even refer to it as “Deepawali”. Its timing is based on the new moon of the Hindu month Kartika, but extends two days before and after that event. Thus, it is a five-day festival. On the Western calendar, it comes in either November or October, varying year to year. While each Hindu ethnic group in Nepal celebrates Tihar in slightly different ways, the main outlines remain the same everywhere. The season is called “the Festival of Lights” after the clay lanterns (“diyas”) that are lit and stacked around houses every night. People use pigmented rice, flour, sand, and flower petals to make “rangoli,” which are decorative patterns on the floors of homes and outdoor areas. They are meant to honour and welcome various Hindu gods and goddesses to the home. Also of high importance is the honouring of various animals during Tihar, which will be mentioned in more detail just below. On the five days of Tihar, the following traditions are commonly practiced in Nepal: Day One: On this day, crows and ravens are worshiped and fed sweet foods and delicacies, which are left for them to find on Hindu roof tops. The caw-caw of the gathering crows is a symbol of sadness to Hindus, and feeding the crows is thought to prevent various calamities. Day Two: Day two is the day of the dogs. Dogs are thought to be messengers of the god of death and are worshipped on this day every year. You will see dogs wearing wreaths, and bearing red or white dots (“tika”) on their foreheads. Day Three: In the morning of day three, cows are worshipped. They are thought to be symbols of prosperity, and so wreaths and tika are also placed upon them. On the evening of the third day, the Hindu goddess of wealth is honoured by lighting up oil lamps in doorways and windows of homes. Music, singing, and dancing are also done door-to-door in exchange for tips. Those tipped spend the night counting up their new-found wealth. Day Four: On the fourth day, oxen are worshipped in much the same way as the cows and dogs. Some, though not all Hindus, worship toward Goverdhan mountain on this day and make a “mini-mountain” of cow dung to represent it. Wasting nothing, even dung is commonly made use of in Nepal. Day Five: The final day of Tihar has sisters putting tika on their brothers’ foreheads to secure for them a long and happy life. This tradition is based on the story of a Hindu goddess who did the same to her brother. At special ceremonies, sisters encircle brothers and put seven-coloured tika on their foreheads, and gifts are also exchanged. Those who find themselves in Nepal during Tihar may wish to take part in the following activities: Nepal is an amazing land to discover, and there are few other times more well suited to exploring its people and culture than during the five days of Tihar Festival. Expect to see new sights, learn new things, and form memories that will last a lifetime.

History

Its timing is based on the new moon of the Hindu month Kartika, but extends two days before and after that event. On the Western calendar, it comes in either November or October, varying year to year. While each Hindu ethnic group in Nepal celebrates Tihar in slightly different ways, the main outlines remain the same everywhere. On the five days of Tihar, the following traditions are commonly practiced in Nepal: Day One: On this day, crows and ravens are worshiped and fed sweet foods and delica

How It's Celebrated

Tihar Festival in Nepal is, essentially, the equivalent of Deepavali in India and other Hindu lands. Its timing is based on the new moon of the Hindu month Kartika, but extends two days before and after that event. Thus, it is a five-day festival. While each Hindu ethnic group in Nepal celebrates Ti

Other Years

2026 Sun

8 Nov

2027 Fri

29 Oct

2028 Wed

18 Oct

2025 Mon

20 Oct

2024 Fri

1 Nov

Countries

🇳🇵 NP

View all →

📅 holiday Nov 30

St Andrew's Day

Saint Andrew’s Day is celebrated every 30 November in Scotland. The day celebrates the Feast of Saint Andrew and is also considered Scotland’s National Day. In 2026, Saint Andrew's Day falls on Monday 30 November. The holiday will be on Tuesday 30 November in 2027. *Please refer to this note for Scotland-specific information. This patron saint day was declared a bank holiday in 2006 by the Scottish Parliament although banks are not required to close if they do not wish to. If 30 November occurs on a weekend, the bank holiday is moved to the following Monday. Saint Andrew is notable in that he was one of the original twelve disciples of Jesus Christ and was also the brother of Saint Peter. Before following Jesus, Andrew was a fisherman. He was born at Bethsaida on the Sea of Galilee. The main colour you will see in Scotland on Saint Andrew’s Day is the white diagonal cross on blue background of the Scottish flag – the Saltire. This is the Saint Andrew’s cross, and represents the shape of the cross on which Saint Andrew was said to have been crucified. The history of the Scottish link to Saint Andrew goes back as far as 832AD when Óengus II promised God that if the Scots and Picts were victorious in battle against the Angles he would make Saint Andrew the patron saint of Scotland. And they were. Saint Andrew’s Day’s amazing menus include cullen skink (haddock and potato soup), highland venison casseroles, potted hough (shin) with mustard sauce and Scottish tablet (a very sweet treat). Events around Scotland include flag ceremonies, the Shindig in George Square of Glasgow that features live music, and local celebrations in the town of Saint Andrews in the Kingdom of Fife. There is also free entry to many of Scotland’s castles and attractions on the day. Scotland has a free Saint Andrew’s Day app available for iPhone and Android with Scottish and worldwide events, menu ideas and much more.

📅 holiday Dec 26

Shaheed Udham Singh Jayanti

The birth anniversary of freedom fighter Udham Singh, called “Shaheed Udham Singh Jayanti”, is a public holiday in the Indian state of Haryana. In 2026, Shaheed Udham Singh Jayanti falls on Saturday 26 December. The holiday will be on Sunday 26 December in 2027. From the British perspective, Shaheed Udham Singh was an assassin who killed their lieutenant governor of Punjab province on 13 March 1940. He shot Michael O’Dwyer to death at a meeting in London. He did not try to escape and was immediately arrested. In jail, he went on a hunger strike for over 40 days but was force fed to keep him alive until his execution on 31 July, 1940. In India, he is sometimes called “Shaheed i Azam”, which means “The Great Martyr”. The reason is that Michael O’Dwyer had supported a massacre of over 1,000 people over 20 years before he was assassinated. In 1919, riots broke out against British rule in Punjab, which were ultimately put down by firing on civilians, including women and children. There had been riots a few days before that had killed four Europeans and burned down some British banks, but the crowd fired upon is considered to have been a group of peaceful protesters. Mahatma Gandhi condemned the assassination, but many others, especially in his native province of Punjab, approved of it. There is a national memorial in the garden of Jallianwala Bagh in the Punjabi city of Amritsar, where the 1919 massacre took place, which mentions him honourably.

📅 holiday Aug 15

Assumption Day

Assumption Day is also known as the Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and is observed every 15 August in Lithuania. Assumption Day celebrates the day when, according to Catholic tradition and doctrine, the Virgin Mary was assumed bodily into Heaven. In 2026, Assumption Day falls on Saturday 15 August. The holiday will be on Sunday 15 August in 2027. The Assumption of Mary has been a church tradition since at least the 4th Century A.D., but it was not an officially recognised Catholic dogma until the 1950 declaration of Pope Pious XII. Over three-fourths of Lithuanians consider themselves Roman Catholic, so it’s no surprise that they have made Assumption of Mary a national holiday in their country. In Lithuania, however, ancient traditions are mixed in with Assumption Day teaching and practices. The day is called “Zoline” by many, a Lithuanian word meaning “Meadow Grass Day”. It became an official holiday only in 2000 but has been celebrated much longer. Flowers and wheatears are taken to churches on Zoline. It is a harvest tradition that has pagan roots but is now associated with Mary as the first of the Church, other than Jesus himself, to be given a glorified body. Thus, she is like the first of the new harvest in a spiritual comparison according to Roman Catholic teaching. There is a festival for Zoline in the town of Pivasiunai, which is the biggest such celebration in all Lithuania. It goes on for eight straight days. A painting of Mary with the baby Jesus is at the centre of the celebrations.

LTYTFR +42

📅 holiday Feb 25

EDSA Revolution Anniversary

The EDSA People Power Revolution Anniversary occurs every 25 February in the Philippines. It commemorates the peaceful demonstrations that occurred in 1986 and led to the overthrow of the corrupt rule of President Ferdinand Marcos. In 2027, EDSA People Power Revolution Anniversary falls on Thursday 25 February. The holiday will be on [Error: Data not found] in [Error: Data not found]. Note: Since 2010,The EDSA People Power Revolution anniversary has been a school holiday in the Philippines. This means that both public and private schools close down, while businesses remain open. In previous years, 25 February was a work holiday, but today, the Monday nearest that date is a holiday only for schools. The revolution is also known as the “Yellow Revolution” and the “EDSA Revolution” due to the colour worn by the original protesters and the street, Epifanio Delos Santos Avenue, where the protests took place. The demonstrations celebrated by this day were the culmination of unrest that began years earlier in 1983 and were immediately triggered by the assassination of opposition senator Benigno Aquino, Jr., and the widespread belief that elections had been rigged to keep Marcos in power. At the time, these were the largest non-violent demonstrations in the world, and they succeeded in toppling an oppressive autocrat without shedding a drop of blood. Today, the EDSA People Power Revolution Annversary is celebrated to remember when democracy was restored in the Philippines and as “the revolution that surprised the world”. The name of Marcos has remained synonymous with corruption to the present time, though there have been some efforts at historical revisionism. There are also those who decry the revolution as an example of “Imperial Manila” at work because few from outside the capital took part in the overthrow of Marcos. It is true that most People Power Revolution celebrations take place in and around Manila, but there are also celebrations throughout the country, showing that the Imperial Manila criticism is not held by all who live outside the capital. Many celebrate People Power Revolution by gathering in EDSA, wearing yellow, and attend concerts and church services in the vicinity to commemorate the 1986 events. The political party that led the revolution is known as “LABAN,” which means “fight,” and the crowds hold their hands up in an L-shape while gathered in EDSA to show support. Television and other media cover the event profusely each year, and documentaries on 1986 and general patriotic programming abound.