portugal: Kirat Yakthung Chumlung Portugal is going to talk about the Ka:kphekwa Festival and New Yele Year 5086: A Discussion.
 |
| Photo by Rukman kerung |
On Monday, January 12th, 2026 (28th of Paush, 2082 yele), the programme will take place via Zoom. The two speakers will be Sirjana Menyangbo Subba, the President of Kirat Yakthung Mangena Chumlung, and Hari Chandra Laoti, an academic, linguistic, and cultural specialist. Rukman Kerung, president of Kirat Yakthung Chumlung Portugal, will chair the talk programme.
The Limbu community celebrates "Ka:kphekwa Tangnam", or Maghe Sangrati, which marks the beginning of a positive seasonal change.
On the first day of Magh, the Nepali month that falls on the same day as Maghe Sankranti, the Limbu population in eastern Nepal and portions of India celebrated the traditional celebration "Ka:kpekwa Tangnam". The Limbu people have a long history of celebrating this event, which marks the end of winter and the sun's move to a new zodiac sign.
The Limbu terms "kak" (meaning "the blossoming of the Champa flower"), "phekwa" (meaning "Magh month"), and "Tangnam" (meaning "festival") all come together to make the name Ka:kphekwa Tangnam. This day is significant because it is a time of renewal, positivity, and gratitude. According to cultural experts, this festival has roots in the ancient Kirat civilisation and has been going on for centuries, long before written history. The festival is considered one of the oldest customary festivities in the community, even though the precise year of beginning is still unknown.
The day is spiritually important because it represents the sun's migration from Dhanu Rashi to Makar Rashi, which is a cosmic change that brings longer days and warmer weather. Limbu seniors say that the event is a time to honour the cycles of nature, ask for blessings of health and wealth, and commemorate the spirits of their ancestors.
Families in many Limbu villages get together for traditional ceremonies, prayers, and community meals. Yeba and Yema (spiritual leaders) perform traditional ceremonies, and elders bless the younger generation. People say hello to each other, make traditional foods, and get together with friends and family to strengthen their sense of community and identity.
People in the community claim that the celebration not only honours nature and spiritual beliefs, but it also helps keep their culture alive. "It's not just a festival; it's who we are, our history, and our connection to the traditions passed down by our ancestors," several community leaders said during the celebrations.
Ka:kphekwa Tangnam is a reminder of one of the profound festivals of the Limbu people. Every year, people celebrate the event with the same dedication and excitement, honouring the connection between nature, ancestry, and community life.
