Whoever stays in Nepal for any reasonable length of time knows festivals play a large role in the life of the people. Few realize just how rich a source the festival is for discovering all about the living patterns and attitudes of the country. The varieties of cultural expression demonstrated in the Nepalese festival cycle cover every aspect here of life, thought and behavior. By knowing even a little bit of background about what one sees, the spectator will not only be better entertained but better informed, and able to penetrate some of the apparent mystery of this unique environment.
For the Nepalese, the festival cycle is a guide to what to do and when. The festival marks the appropriate seasonal activity, the annual chores, the weather patterns and even nutritional requirements. The festival reminds people to practise certain virtues. It outlines the proper regulations in social intercourse and details the obligations men and women have to their gods and to each other. It provides outlets for unconventional behavior and licenses temporary role reversal. And it ritualizes and underscores the basic solidarity of a community and the unity of the kingdom's diverse ethnic groups.
