When is Tihar?
In 2026, Tihar falls on Sunday, November 8, 2026. It is classified here as a Nepalese public holiday.
History of Tihar
Tihar is a five-day festival of light, gratitude and family bonds. Different days honour crows, dogs, cows and Lakshmi, while homes are cleaned and illuminated with lamps, candles and colourful rangoli patterns. The sequence reaches its family centre on Bhai Tika, when sisters offer tika and blessings to brothers and brothers respond with gifts and promises of care.
The festival is sometimes compared with Diwali, but Nepal’s Tihar has its own order of days and a particularly strong focus on Bhai Tika. Music, deusi-bhailo visits and illuminated courtyards give it a warm, neighbourhood character. As a lunisolar festival, it cannot be assigned one permanent Gregorian date. Nepal’s official annual holiday notice is decisive for the relevant public days.
Tihar must be read through Nepal’s annually gazetted Bikram Sambat calendar rather than through an unchanging Gregorian-date list. The opening day of Nepal’s five-day 2026 Tihar public closure, a festival of lamps, worship and family bonds running November 8–12. The Ministry of Home Affairs notice determines the civil date, territorial reach and eligible group, while essential services can retain separate staffing. That distinction matters especially when a festival follows a lunar calculation or when leave is limited to a region, community or gender.
How Tihar is observed
The first day of a five-day nationwide Tihar public-holiday period, November 8–12 in 2026. Nepal’s Ministry of Home Affairs publishes the controlling annual calendar in Bikram Sambat; lunar dates and any special leave categories must be confirmed from that year’s notice. Travellers and employees should confirm the gazetted annual notice because local services and eligible groups can differ.
Traditions of Tihar
Lights and rangoli
Homes are cleaned, decorated with lamps and made welcoming for Lakshmi Puja and family visitors. The form and emphasis can differ between Nepal’s regions, communities and individual households.
Bhai Tika
Sisters and brothers exchange tika, blessings and gifts in a ritual that celebrates protection and affection. The form and emphasis can differ between Nepal’s regions, communities and individual households.
Deusi-bhailo
Groups sing and visit homes in festive exchange, often receiving food or small gifts. The form and emphasis can differ between Nepal’s regions, communities and individual households.
Dates and observance rules are checked against the official Nepalese official and legal guidance. Lunar dates and annual government, provincial or employer schedules should be confirmed against official notices.
History sources: Nepal Ministry of Home Affairs: Government and Public Holidays in 2083, Pradhan & Associates: English legal summary of Nepal's 2083 holiday notice.
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