 Manisha, an HIO lead teacher, places a tika blessing on a child as a symbol of good luck, prosperity and protection. Dear Friends, Ever wonder about holidays in Nepal or what religion our families practice? Although life for our HIO girls and their mothers is a daily struggle, they love to celebrate Nepali holidays. And in Nepal’s cultural mosaic with over 125 caste/ethnic groups and nearly a dozen religions, there are many! For most Nepalis, religion orders the activities of daily life. People of different religions coexist peacefully and share many of the same religious monuments and sites. The primary religions are Hinduism and Buddhism, and it’s very common to find a small shrine to Hindu and Buddhist deities replete with incense and butter oil lamps in a corner of our sponsored girls’ small rented rooms. Only a tiny portion of Nepalis celebrate Christmas. Among all of the world’s countries, Nepal has the greatest percentage of Hindus. According to the most recent Nepal census in 2011, about 81% of Nepalis practice some form of Hinduism. Next, is Buddhism at 9%, Islam at 4.5%, Kirat at 3%, Christianity at 1.5% and a mix of a half dozen other religions making up the rest. Within the Hindu majority are dozens of caste groups with dozens of sub-castes, each with their own cultural mores. Though the customs of caste distinction are outlawed in Nepal, the practice is still widespread and rife with prejudice and injustice that many of our girls must overcome.  Lighting butter lamps is a common Tibetan Buddhist practice that symbolizes wisdom and helps focus the mind for meditation. Dashain, Vijaya Dashami in Nepali, is the most celebrated Hindu festival in Nepal. At its core, the holiday celebrates a higher benevolent God that oversees all Nepalis, encouraging a more caring society and the victory of good over evil. The Dashain festival lasts 15 days and marks the end of the monsoon season, falling in late September or October, depending on the lunar calendar. This year, it ended on October 28th. Kathmandu bustles with excitement at the beginning of the festival. The city clears out as people crowd onto buses, returning to their far away home villages to celebrate with family. Dressing up for the festival is expected. Our HIO mothers try to buy new clothes for their children, who also exchange small gifts with friends. Each day of the festival holds unique significance. Kite-flying, a Hindu message to the Rain God to end the monsoon season, is popular. Swing sets are built in public areas as a symbol of fun and festivity. While Nepalis generally don’t eat a lot of meat, tens of thousands of goats are slaughtered during Dashain in honor of the Goddess Durga, who slayed the buffalo demon Mahisasura. Families who can afford meat eat goat for dinner, though this is rarely the case for HIO families. Many Nepalis offer prayers to the Goddess Durga when visiting temples and shrines. Dashain finishes with elder family members placing a tika blessing on the forehead of younger relatives, and a young shoot of barley, called jamara, behind their ear. A common sight on any day in Nepal, tikas are made from a mixture of red powder mixed with water and rice. The tika blessing ritual is by far the most important day of the Dashain festival.  Children at HIO’s Chandra Kala Learning Center made kites and took home pots of jamara they’d grown in celebration of the Dashain festival. Shortly after Dashain, Tihar is celebrated toward the end of October or early November. Tihar is Nepali for Diwali, or the Festival of Lights. Crows, dogs, cows and oxen are honored on different days of the festival. On Laxmi Puja, the third day, people light up their homes and leave doors open to welcome in the Laxmi goddess of wealth. HIO girls look forward to the fifth day of Tihar, Bhai Tika, when siblings honor one each other with tikas. People go from door to door in their neighborhoods singing and exchanging small gifts while fireworks displays are common.
All good wishes to our families in Nepal as they celebrate their important religious festivals. We can’t wait to catch up with them soon. With deep gratitude - Ricky and Laura
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