Janku

Newar man or women live long enough, there are five rituals, known as "janku,"—which can be confusing, as the first rice feeding ceremony is referred to as "janku" as well—performed between the age of 77 and 106. These at the age 77 years, 7 months, 7 days; 83 years, 4 months, 4 days (after one has seen 1000 full moons in one's life); 88 years, 8 months, 8 days; 99 years, 9 months, 9 days; and, finally, at 105 years, 8 months, 8 days. After these rituals are performed, the person will be regarded as a god. Husband and wife will perform their rituals together, as the events occur for the husband. Afterwards, the full complement of life cycle rituals will have been completed, until the death ceremony.

Gokarna Aunsi (Father's Day)

The most auspicious day to honour one's father is Gokarna Aunsi . It falls on the dark fortnight of Bhadra or in August or in early September.It is also known as Kuse Aunsi.
The Nepali religion , tradition and culture holds a lot of reverence for a father . He is considered the pillar of strength , respect and support of a family. The most auspicious day to honour one's father is Gokarna Aunsi . It falls on the dark fortnight in August or in early September.

A day when children show their gratitude and appreciation for his guidance and teachings in life. Sons and daughters, near or far, come with presents and confictions to spend the day with their fathers.
Children spend their hoarded coins on presents, which expresses honour and love in their own special ways. The streets are a gay scene of married daughters on their way to their parents' home with delicacies . After the offering of gifts, they touch their father's feet with their foreheads , this act of veniration is done by the sons only , the daughters touch the hand. The ceremony is also known as "looking upon father's face.

People with or without fathers worship the Gokarneswor Mahadev on this day. It is a sacred shrine of lord Shiva , renowned for his singularly close communion with the souls of dead . The shrine lies in Gokarna village, five miles east of Kathmandu. The fatherless people honour the memory of their fathers and promote welfare of his soul here.

Mythology has placed the Gokarna shrine in prehistoric times when Lord Shiva hid himself in the Pashupatinath forest, disguised as a one-horned golden deer, from the gods and mankind. While he spent his days frolicking, the world suffered so Lord Vishnu, the preserver, Lord Brahma, the creator and Lord Indra, the king of Gods, took matters into their hands and searched for him. Finally a goddess revealed Shiva's disguise. So when they finally caught the deer by the horn , it burst into fragments and Shiva revealed himself. He asked the other three gods to establish his horn in their three worlds. So, Vishnu installed his section in his abode in Vaikuntha, Indra in his realm in heaven and Brahma enshrined it at the sacred site of Gokarneshwor. The following day the gods and goddesses descended and bathed in Bagmati river, paid homage to Shiva and established the present day tradition of ancestor worship at gokarna.

Gokarna Aunsi is yet another festival in the continuous procession of holy days, wherein homage is paid deities and the bonds of family and kinship is renewed and strengthened.

Bibaha

Wedding customs in Nepal vary according to ethnic groups and castes. Especially country like Nepal, have different kinds of wedding ceremonies because we have varieties of cast and creeds. Weddings in the metropolitans have parades or car for the wedding processions; full fledged band instruments such as trumpets and trombones, ferry lights all over the house which is naturally more expenses. These weddings are completely different from the traditional remote village weddings. They are very simple for very rich in culture.
Wedding in Nepal is a multi day event, which may engross an entire village. In its essence, it reveals the very strong social and communal values of the Nepali people. Few things in Nepali culture take precedence over a wedding and most people treat the time as the opportunity of a lifetime and a time to hold back and celebrate with varieties of foods, fun and dancing.After the initial marriage arrangement takes place, the wedding begins with a gathering of the traveling party at the groom's house. Celebrations are made and rituals are performed with the local priest and the party then travels to the bride's village with the procession... This party particularly consists of males only. Once the procession reaches the bride's village, the groom's family gamble, drink while the priest performs the ceremony followed by a big feast.
One of the important events in our traditional wedding is that the groom puts a pinch of red-coloured powder on the bride's forehead. This symbolizes that they are now husband and wife. This red color on the woman's forehead differentiates whether she is married or not. The bride and groom by tradition are always carried either in a wooden casket or by horse (if financially feasible). The bride after being handed over to the groom by her parents will then travel to the groom's village to become a member of his family's household.
The ceremony is a very serious affair for the two young people. The bride is dressed in red, which is the color for marriage. Often, she sheds tear as the time to leave approaches. This may be a true feeling of apprehension of leaving the home and family or it may be just a traditional requisite.

Bartabanda

The ceremony begins with, you guessed it, the boys having their heads shaved except for a tiny tail on top that is tied with rings and sometimes jewels . The boys at the Kumbeshwor Temple were all wrapped in bright orange or yellow garb for rituals that last up to five hours. A priest instructs the boys in the lessons of manhood and gives each his own mantra shrouded in secret . There is much burning of incense, tossing of rice, dousing with vermilion powder and making of offerings. Each boy has a staff, a stick slung with bags of grain to feed him on his journey into manhood, a toy-like bow to protect himself from wild animals and a skin, preferably a deer skin, to sleep on as he journeys through the forest.
The boys take a symbolic journey, walking with their possessions around the ritual offerings laid out in front of them . The beautifully dressed women of the family make offerings of food to the boys to sustain them on their journey. At the end, a cotton string is looped over the boy's shoulder, signifying that he is now a man, even if he is only five.

Dashain

The pleasant post- monsoon period when the sky is clearest, the air is cleanest and the rice is ready for harvesting the Nepalese people indulge in the biggest festival of the year, Dashain. Dashain is the longest and the most auspicious festival in the Nepalese annual calendar, celebrated by Nepalese of all caste and creed throughout the country. The fifteen days of celebration occurs during the bright lunar fortnight ending on the day of the full moon. Thorough out the kingdom of Nepal the goddess Durga in all her manifestations are worshiped with innumerable pujas, abundant offerings and thousands of animal sacrifices for the ritual holy bathing, thus drenching the goddess for days in blood. The first day of Dashain is called Ghatasthapana, which means establishing of the holy water vessel, which represents the goddess Durga. Barley seeds are planted in it. The seventh day or Phulpati is the offering of flowers and leaves, carried by runners from Gorkha the ancestral home of the Shah Kings of Nepal, and received by the king in Kathmandu.
The eighth day is called the ‘Maha Asthami’. The fervor of worship and sacrifice to Durga and Kale increases. On this day many orthodox Hindus will be fasting. Sacrifices are held in almost every house through out the day.
The night of the eighth day is called ‘Kal Ratri’ the dark night. Hundreds of goats, sheep and buffaloes are sacrificed at the mother goddess temples. In the darkness of the night Nepal hold sacrifices for the mother goddess.
The tenth day is the ‘Dashami’. On this day we take tika and jamara from the elders and receive their blessing. People visit their elder’s home and get tikas from them while younger ones come to the home to receive blessing from elders. The importance of Dashain also lies in the fact that on this day family members from far off and distant relatives come for a visit as well as to receive taka from the head of the family. This function continues for four days.

Mother's Day(Mata Tirtha Puja)

Mother's day is a day when one shows appreciation and gratitude to mother for her unconditional love and support. It is a day of reunion for married daughters with their mothers. Sons and daughters come with presents and delicacies to offer to their mother.

People who do not have a living mother pay homage to Mata Tirtha located six mailes south - west of central Kathmandu. It lies consisting of two pools- the larger for bathing and the smaller is famous as the place where one hopes to see mother's face. It is said that in the ancient times the region was ruled by a cowherd king. One of his cowherds was so depressed by his mother's death that he went to pray and make offerings at a water storage pong in the forest on this day. Miraculously his mother's face appeared and her hand accepted the offerings. Since that time people go there hoping to get a glance of their mother's face. People still believe that paying homage to this site will bring peace to their mother's departed soul.

Bisket Jatra

Bisket Jatra is celebrated in the old kingdom of Bhaktapur and its neighbouring areas. During the festival people replay a drama passed on over the centuries. God Bhairav and goddess Bhairav and goddess Bhadrakali are placed in large chariots and pulled through crowds of cheering onlookers. When the chariot reaches a sloping open square, there is a tug-of-war between the inhabitants of the upper and lower parts of the town. Winner are considered to be blessed with good fortune for the coming year. Other gods and goddesses, too, are put on palanquins and carried around so that they may see the sights. 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, and wherver these Rathas stop, lamps are lit and devotees overlow into the surrounding alleys.

Biska Jatra is also celbrated at Thimi At Bode village, there is a tongue-boring ceremony in which the dedicated may reserve a place in heaven. The festival concludes with several days of dancing and worship.