# Nepali Festival Foods: What People Eat and When

_Published 7 June 2026_

In Nepal, many festivals are celebrated as much in the kitchen as in the temple. Knowing the dishes helps you join in when a family invites you to eat.

**Quick answer:** **Dashain**: goat curry and family feasts. **Tihar**: **sel roti** and sweets. **Janai Purnima**: **kwati** (mixed sprouted bean soup). **Shrawan 15**: **khir** (rice pudding). **Maghe Sankranti**: **ghiu-chaku** (ghee and molasses), sesame sweets and sweet potato. **Yomari Punhi** (Newar): **yomari**, rice-flour dumplings filled with molasses.

## Autumn

- [Dashain](/blog/dashain-festival-guide): feasts, goat meat, and families gathering for tika.
- [Tihar](/blog/tihar-festival-guide): sel roti fried in big batches, plus fruit and sweets.

## Winter

- Yomari Punhi (December): Newar families make yomari for the harvest.
- Maghe Sankranti (mid-January): ghiu-chaku, til (sesame) laddu, sweet potato and yam, said to warm the body.

## Summer and monsoon

- Shrawan 15 ("Khir khane din"): rice pudding with milk.
- [Janai Purnima](/blog/janai-purnima-festival): kwati, a protein-rich soup of nine sprouted beans.

## Women's festival

At [Teej](/blog/teej-festival-nepal), women feast the night before a day of fasting ("dar khane").

See [festivals of Nepal](/blog/festivals-of-nepal) and [Nepali sweets](/blog/nepali-sweets-and-desserts).

## Frequently asked questions
### What is eaten at Tihar?
Sel roti and sweets.

### What is yomari?
A Newar rice-flour dumpling filled with molasses.

### What is kwati?
A soup of mixed sprouted beans eaten at Janai Purnima.

### What is eaten at Maghe Sankranti?
Ghiu-chaku, sesame sweets, sweet potato and yam.


Web page: https://himalayanhiking.com/blog/nepali-festival-foods