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Nepal

Culture & Identity

Way of Life

Thoughts of Nepal tend to conjure up images of Mt. Everest, the Himalayas, Buddhist prayer flags, and Sherpas. However, these Sherpas, who are often related to the Tibetans, are a very small minority in the country and only 10% of the population is actually Buddhist. About 80% of the people are Hindi and many of these people are more closely related to the nearby people in India than they are to the Tibetans.

More than this, the people of Nepal are quite diverse as there are dozens of ethnic groups in the country. This diversity leads to a great number of cultures and ways of life, but the mountainous landscape contributes greatly to the many similarities in the country.

Over 80% of the people of Nepal are rural and for most of these people (three quarters of the total population) agriculture is how they make a living. Although the high Himalayas have a vastly different farming system than the lower valleys have, the way of life shares many similarities. All these people are reliant on the sun, weather, seasons, and crops that can be grown in their particular region. Among these crops are rice, corn, wheat, beans, peas, lentils, and others.

Rural life in Nepal means there is a heavy dependence on the community for survival as people know each other in villages and when things get rough the town or village tends to help out. Sadly, the economic state in Nepal is poor at best and today nearly half the people who want to work are unemployed. This economic state magnifies the close reliance on community and family as families are turning to each other for support as they financially support each other, help raise children, and in many homes multiple generations live under the same roof.

For the small urban population life tends to be a bit more predictable for those with jobs. Life seems to revolve around working hours, not mother nature. Many people work regular hours, which tend to run from about 10:00 am to about 5:00 pm. The weekend in Nepal falls on Friday-Saturday though with a workweek from Sunday to Thursday. Even in the cities though life revolves around family and community as this is the heart of the culture.

Ethnicity

The people of Nepal consist of numerous tribes and peoples of differing ethnicities. Nearly all of the people are ethnically related to the people of modern day India to some degree, especially the Indians along the shared border. Many people are also related to the people of Tibet and Mongolia to varying degrees. Of these numerous domestic ethnic groups, the most populous are the Chhettri, Brahman-Hill, Magar, Tharu, Tamang, and Newar, none of which consist of more than 16% of the country's total population.

Language

Nepali is the only official language in Nepal as nearly half the population natively speaks this language. Nepali is an Indo-Aryan language written in the devanagari script. Nepali's closest relatives are other nearby languages spoken in small numbers and often found in the Himalayas. More distantly, numerous languages found in India and Pakistan are similar, including Hindi and Punjabi. Nepali is distinct due to its noticeable Tibetan influence.

There are numerous smaller languages spoken by the people of Nepal, although some of these people learn Nepali or English as a second language. English is one of the most common second languages taught in Nepal and is particularly important in business, tourism, and government operations.

Religion

Over 80% of Nepal's population is Hindi, although this version of the religion is slightly different than most of India. Another 10% of the population is Buddhist and the last 10% is made up of various religions, including Muslims and Kirants.

Hinduism is a religion that is sometimes called a "way of life" as opposed to a religion as there are various differences in Hinduism from one believer to the next. There are also a huge number of variations of Hinduism, making it difficult to fully define due to the number of variations. There is no single higher being that is worshipped, although many followers believe in a number of gods or simply see the earth and all living beings as being sacred. There is generally a strong reliance on karma and reincarnation in the way Hindus live their lives. Many believe their actions, positive or negative, will return to benefit or hurt one's existence, now or in a future life. How a person lives this life is also often times associated with how that being will be re-born, either in a better position or worse than a being is currently in.

Dress

Nepal is a country with rich customs and traditions, but the people are also curious and accepting of foreigners. Due to this, few mistakes will result in an insult to the Nepalese, but you should still make every effort to dress in a conservative manner.

Locals tend to dress quite conservatively in Nepal and since much of the country is in the mountains it is a natural fit to cover your arms and legs completely. Foreigners should follow suite; both women and men should cover their legs and shoulders at a minimum. Wearing full length pants and long sleeves at all times is the best course of action and in the mountains you'll need to be covered to protect you from the sun and the cold.

Behavior

The Nepalese are conservative in most aspects of their lives and this is best seen in their behaviors, dress, and dining etiquette. They tend to dress and act conservatively, much of which is based on their deeply rooted Hindu and Buddhist faiths.

Most of Nepal's population is Hindu and according to Hinduism cattle are sacred so avoid eating beef, if you can even find it. Also be sure to eat only with your right hand as the left hand is considered unclean. Beyond these simple dining rules (see our Nepal Dining & Food Page for more details), just be conscious to avoid sensitive conversation topics, such as politics, finances, religion, and business unless initiated by your local counterpart. Also try to avoid being loud, rude, showing off wealth, or getting noticeably drunk in public.

Identity

The people of Nepal identify in numerous ways, most commonly by ethnicity, religion, or as citizens of Nepal. While on an international level most people may identify as Nepalese, among themselves, most people identify by their ethnicity, which is often times closely tied to a religion. The majority of the people are ethnically Pahari, but even among these people they tend to identify on a more local level or with a more specific ethnic group, such as Chhettri. Most of these people remain tied to their local ethnicity, but are still united in many ways as most of these people identify on a secondary level with their religion (Hinduism) and perhaps even as citizens of Nepal. Other ethnic groups also identify primarily with their ethnicity, but again language, culture, and religion also play a role in these identities as there is a substantial Buddhist population in Nepal. It is not uncommon for the same person to identify by their region, their ethnicity, and their religion based upon who they are communicating with.

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This page was last updated: November, 2013