As we celebrate both Nepali Father’s Day and Australian Father’s Day, we had a great time with both the celebrations.
For the Australian one, Chhori and I baked a cake and surprised AS with breakfast in bed.
Chhori helped me with cooking and baking and was over the moon with her cupcake.
With Nepali Father’s day, I prepared Sagun and Chhori followed the ritual with AS.
I am so proud to say that she is such a good girl that we don’t have to worry at all. All I have to do is instruct and she will do the process and enjoy the whole thing too.
On Monday , 21st of August was Kushe Aushi (Nepali Father’s Day) and today is Australian Father’s day so we celebrated both the father’s day in very different way for AS.
I always want Chhori to understand Nepali culture and traditions so for Nepali father’s day, it is important for me to show her the traditional way. As it was weekdays, I went shopping after work and prepare for the celebration.
Chhori is 2 and half years old now so it is more fun this year than before as she can understand and take interest on what we are doing. As she is old enough, AS and I gave her direction and she followed them very well.
We had so much fun, her putting tika, sagun and cutting cake.
Today , I made breakfast to AS with the help of Chhori and she said “Happy Father’s Day Papa”. It is so sweet to see them together. We made pancake , heart shaped eggs and some fruits.
Then she help her papa wash our cars. She was so excited to help.
It was Kushe Aushi (Nepali Father’s Day) on Thursday and Australian Father’s day on Sunday so we combined the celebrations for AS and my dad.
This is AS’s second Father’s day so it is still very special like the first one.
Also it is very special father’s day for me as my dad is here and I could actually celebrate the day with him.
As it was a weekday, my mum helped me to prepare Sagun (traditionally a plate of boiled egg, smoked fish, a “bara”, fried chicken and yogurt). It is such a great help when your parents are near you, I am going to miss them so much when they leave.
I baked a cake and muffins too. I picked a card as well along with some biscuits, cookies and fruits.
I am so glad that we got to celebrate the day as a family.
First we celebrated AS father’s day. We did a normal tika and sagun. Chhori was quite curious and happy to do the process.
I don’t think she understands much yet but she loves it when there are lots of people around her and she is definitely daddy’s little girl.
Then I celebrated my father’s day with tika and sagun as well.
Only last week, it was Australian Father’s Day and AS was over the moon to be able to celebrate it with Chhori. Today is Kushe Aushi (Nepali Father’s Day). I made plans to make it special for AS as it is his first and I wanted to celebrate it in traditional Nepali way.
I prepared puja, Sagun (traditionally a plate of boiled egg, smoked fish, a “bara”, fried chicken and yogurt). I also baked a cake with the wording “For the record, you are the world’s best dad; Happy Father’s Day AS” on it.
I also baked some cupcakes. I made a special card with Chhori’s handprints and “Happy Father’s Day” written on it. I also got him some fruits, biscuits and t-shirt.
I was so happy to see everything come together and AS was really pleased with my efforts.
So Chhori observed her first Nepali Father’s Day with my help. First we put tika on AS forehead.
Then we give him Sagun. After that Chhori and AS cut the cake together.
He was pleased with the card as well and Chhori had a great time too.
I and AS also talked to our dads and send them gifts for Father’s Day. It is always so nice to see them happy. I really appreciate what they have done for us.
So if you are from Nepal and you haven’t called your dad to wish him, do give him a call and make him smile. And to all the proud dads out there, Happy Father’s Day.
Today is Kushe Aushi in Nepal which is Nepali Father’s day. Kush is a type of holy grass. There is a tradition to bring Kush home on this day of Aunshi (no moon day). Hence, this day is called Kushe Aushi.
As I have mentioned in many of my posts before, Nepal has a different calendar than the Gregorian calendar. So in Nepal people also celebrate Father’s day on a different day than the western calendar. In Australia, Father’s Day is celebrated on the first Sunday of September every year but in Nepali calendar, it changes every year according to the positions of sun, moon and the planets. It falls on the last day of the dark fortnight of August or early September. This year, it happens to be today, 17 August 2012. It is commonly known as Buwa ko Mukh Herne in Nepal which translates into looking at father’s face.
As I mentioned in my previous post regarding Mother’s day, this day is very similar to Mother’s day and we cook yummy food for dad. Mostly mum will be do the cooking in reality but we give that to dad :). Like Mother’s day Mum makes Sagun and we give that to dad.
Both my parents don’t have their dad anymore so every father’s day they prepare sida daan for a priest. Sida is a holy mixture of rice grains and other pure food materials and a collection of clothes.. They have a shower first thing in the morning and go to the priest’s house to give sida to the priest. During Kuse Aunse Hindus from all over Nepal, whose fathers have passed away descend on Gokarneswar Madadev Temple to worship and take holy dips, and present offerings. They also do Sraddha or pinda daan to their deceased father and some do Shradha at home or at the near river or at any holy place nearby.
Mythology has placed the Gokarna shrine from 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.
As I have describe in my previous post, in Nepal the first year of marriage is considered to be very important. So during every festival, there are things you are meant to do. This affects how you celebrate Dashain, Tihar, Father’s Day, Mother’s day and more. Last year, I had my first Father’s day after my wedding and my MIL made sure it was a special one for my dad. Here are some photos from the day.
This year I have sent some gifts for my dad already and he will get them today. After work I am going to Skype with him. It is always so nice to see him happy.
So if you haven’t called you dad to wish him, do give him a call and make him smile. And to all the proud dads out there, Happy Father’s Day.
Here is one of the Father-daughter song form Nepali movie. Hope you will like it.
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