Sources: Nepal News, The Himalayan Times, and Nepal public holidays. Nepal's Home Minister, Krishna Sitaula, has announced that festivals of indigenous nationalities and of various religious minorities would be made into full national public holidays (currently the festivals of most ethnic and religious minorities only give these minorities the right to a day off, provided that they are civil servants).Sources are reported as saying that the Minister has already chosen the following: Lhosar (indigenous nationalities), Chhath (Madhesis), Eid Bakr-Eid (Muslims), Christmas (Christians), Maghi (Tharus), and Ubhauli Udhyauli (Kirant). Regional holidays are also reported to be under consideration.
The first change announced will be on December 30, when a public holiday has been declared for the Gurung/Tamu festival of Lhosar. Other changes that were mentioned as certain by the Home Ministry include Christmas and Eid al-Fitr.
Other changes, if any, would apply beginning in the year B.S. 2065, according to the Nepalese calendar, which would mean an official announcement in late February or early March 2008 (the announcement for B.S. 2064 was in mid-March 2007).
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