Celebrating Lhosar

Gurung community celebrating Lhosar festival today
People of Gurung (Tamu) community are observing their most important festival, Tamu Lhosar, or New Year, on Thursday amidst much fanfare and celebration across the country and many parts of the world including Hong Kong, Australia, the U.K, and U.S.A.
The Gurung community celebrates this festival in the 12 month of the English calendar every year by taking blessings from respected elders and exchanging greetings among each other and friends.
Lhosar means "New Year" in English: Lho meaning ‘year’ and sar meaning ‘new’. Some Gurung people also count their age by calculating Lho.
On the occasion of Tamu Lhosar, President Dr Ram Baran Yadav extended heartfelt greeting to the Nepali indigenous Gurung community.
Scientific evidences have shown December 22 to be the longest night as well as being the coldest. However, the Gurung community believes Paush 15, or December 30, to be the one which is longest and coldest, and by tradition, mark the day as the beginning of the New Year. This festival is also popular in Tibet, India and Bhutan.
On the occasion of Lhosar festival the Gurung community residing in the Kathmandu valley are organising various programmes including special cultural programme at the open air theater in Tudhikhel as well as Birendra International Convention Center (BICC) at Baneshwor. Prime Minister including top political party leaders and dignitaries are expected to attend the function.