Chasok Tangnam
Chasok Tangnam is the most important festival of the Limbu people among other festivals. This festival falls on a full moon day of the month of Senchengla or the Mangsir month of the Nepali calendar. Tangnam simply means festival in the Limbu language. Along with the resurgence of Limbu identity, culture and nationalism, Limbus have started to celebrate Chasok Tangnam as an important festival of their calendar. The Government of Nepal has allocated three days of Mangsir month as Kirat festival for Limbus to celebrate Chasok Tangnam. Expatriate Limbus in India, Hong Kong, United Kingdom, USA, UAE, Qatar, KSA, Canada, Korea and many countries also celebrate Chasok Tangnam.
Tradition
Traditionally, Limbus celebrate the Chasok Tangnam festival at home with the first harvest being offered to Yuma Sammang (Limbu ancestor goddess) and other deities. They worship and thank Yuma, God Theba, and other deities for a successful harvest of the year. The festival was not celebrated in a social group until recently. Traditionally, Chasok worship is done at home by the individual family and especially by the female member of the household who has borne a child. Limbus conduct Chasok worship according to their will and schedule throughout the month of Senchengla/Mangsir and not on any specific date. Now the majority of Limbus try to finish or conduct their Chasok worship on the full moon day.
Background
Chasok Tangnam is said to have originated from Panchthar Limbus. Limbus like other Kirat people are agrarian. They are also shamanistic in religious practices. Nature worship is the main principle in the Kirat religion. Chasok Tangnam developed as a festival among Kirat Limbu people to thank mother nature for the harvest of crops and their ancestors for handing down the teachings of agriculture. In Sikkim, India CHASOK TONGNAM was first celebrated in public group in the year of 2016 by Niraya limboo under the banner of Roose production.
Ceremony
During the ceremony, the Limbu priest also recites the story of Limbu ancestors who faced hardships leading the life with hunting and gathering. Then they were taught by the spirit of Yuma Sammang to plant and harvest various crops. When the crops were harvested, the Limbus decided to place a little portion of their harvest as offering to their supreme god Tagera Ningwaphumang and their ancestor goddess Yuma Sammang for the knowledge of agriculture and harvest. It is strongly and widely believed that any harvest eaten without first performing Chasok worship and without offering to the gods is cursed with bad luck and misfortune.
Other Kirats
The Kirat Rai people celebrate this festival as Sakela Udhauli. The Kirat Yakkha, Sunuwar and other Kirati people celebrate their own version of this festival at the same time as the Limbus with their own name and tradition. The major theme of this festival is worshipping of ancestors, gods and nature for the year's harvest.