Nepal and China have a lot in common in terms of culture and celebrations. Like Nepal, various traditional festivals are celebrated in China. Spring festival, also New Year, is the biggest celebration in China. Each year when winter is at its end and spring around the corner, people throughout China and those living outside China enthusiastically celebrate the first important traditional holiday of the year. Chinese celebrate spring festival as a New Year by the lunar calendar. Today (January 25) is their New Year. According to Chinese lunar calendar, there are 12 animals—mouse, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, pig—to symbolize the year in which a person is born. This year is rat year.

BAITADI, Nov 10: Festival fervor has gripped the hilly districts of the Far-west province along with Tihar, the second biggest festival of the Nepalis. The festive environment has started in Darchula, Dadeldhura and Baitadi districts with the start of the Kattik Shuklapakshya.