ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Nepal Sambat

Nepal Sambat is a special calendar used by people in Nepal. It is very old and was started over 1000 years ago. It is a special calendar because it is based on the phases of the moon, which is different than many other calendars that are based on the sun.

Let's imagine that you have a special calendar in your room. This calendar has pictures of the moon on it. Every time you look at the calendar, you see the moon in a different shape – sometimes it looks like a full circle, other times it's just a small sliver. The Nepal Sambat calendar works in a similar way.

It is divided up into months, just like your calendar at home. But instead of each month having the same number of days, the months in Nepal Sambat can vary in length. This is because a month is based on the time it takes for the moon to go through all its phases.

The year that Nepal Sambat starts is a special year in Nepali history. This year is called the "Nepal Sambat Era" and it is based on a really important event that happened in Nepal a long time ago. This event was when a famous person named Sankhadhar Sakhwa helped to erase the debt of many poor people in Nepal. This event was so important that people decided to start a new calendar to mark the year it happened.

So, every year in Nepal, people celebrate the start of Nepal Sambat. It's a really important holiday and people get together with their families and friends to celebrate. They eat special foods, light candles, and make offerings to their ancestors.

Overall, Nepal Sambat is a special lunar calendar that is very important to people in Nepal. It was started over 1000 years ago and is based on the phases of the moon. The year it starts is called the Nepal Sambat Era, and it marks an important event in Nepali history. People in Nepal celebrate the start of Nepal Sambat every year with their families and friends.