Beyond Halloween: Discovering the Joyful Spirit of Gai Jatra

What is Gai Jatra?

When you translate the name ‘Gai Jatra’, it roughly translates to the ‘Festival of Cows’. It is mostly celebrated in the Kathmandu Valley to commemorate loved ones who have passed away during the year. Even in the valley, it is concentrated in one specific ethnic group; the Newar community. Nowadays, it’s celebrated all across the country. It’s a day when families remember the deceased by parading through the streets alongside a sacred cow—or, in modern times, a child dressed as a cow; while the people provide those children with a “treat” (usually beaten rice with Choila); similar to trick-or-treating on Halloween. This festival dates back centuries and is all about satire, remembrance, colourful costumes, and community engagement.

The Spiritual Significance: A Shared Theme with Halloween

So, what makes Gai Jatra similar to Halloween? One key similarity is their shared focus on death. Both festivals acknowledge mortality but approach it differently.

Halloween is believed to have originated from ancient Celtic traditions with an intent to honour the dead and ward off evil spirits. There is a belief that during Halloween, the boundary that separates the living and the dead world is the thinnest, and to protect themselves from wandering souls, they started wearing costumes resembling ghosts or spirits. In today’s world, it has evolved into a more commercialised celebration of spooks and thrills. Despite this, the theme of the afterlife remains an integral part.

Gai Jatra started with a grievous beginning. Pratap Malla (King of Kathmandu) lost his young son. The queen was in great misery and he couldn’t bear to see his melancholic wife. He tried thousands of ways to make the queen smile; all to fail. Then after, he announced to the general public that whoever could make the queen laugh would be rewarded handsomely. He specifically demanded to include cows in the procession. People tried everything to make the queen laugh wearing bizarre costumes and humorous acts. All these finally made the sad queen smile. While temporary, it gave queen the a sense of relief. This procession showed that the queen isn’t alone in grief. There are lots of people going through the same thing as she was, and yet, continued to proceed with a big smile on their faces. She realised that you cannot escape death and that it is a natural phenomenon. Henceforward, it got transformed into a festival for helping anyone deal with grief.

Gai Jatra serves more as a spiritual release for families who have lost someone. The cow (sacred in Hinduism) is considered to be the guide of the souls to heaven. Unlike Halloween’s fun and spooky rituals, Gai Jatra is a moment of reflection and a gentle reminder that death is an imminent part of human life. To keep this a bit light-hearted, this festival also includes satirical performances to help people cope with grief through laughter—showing the resilience of Nepalis shining the light on the mastery of the art of finding light in dark times.

The processions: costumes, mask and mockery

Similar to Halloween’s tradition of dressing up, Gai Jatra also involves children dressed up elaborately and creatively—also sometimes as cows. During this time, the entire valley comes alive with the procession of thousands of locals donning traditional outfits, masks and costumes that are sometimes reminiscent of Halloween’s playful disguises.

One feature that distinguishes Gai Jatra from Halloween is the processions; families who have lost their loved ones build a small chariot known as ‘Taha-macha’ and take a stroll around the streets. The chariots are decorated with photos of the deceased, garlands, and colourful cloth, symbolising the passage of the soul into the afterlife.

However, one thing to note is that the costumes in Gai Jatra’s intent is not to scare the spirits but rather to celebrate the lives of those who have passed away. So, the procession is accompanied by traditional music and dances, while the people chant, sing, and make a light mockery of societal norms. Today, it is also a platform for people to raise voices against pressing issues in society like corruption, dowry, domestic violence, etc. by reenacting the scenes. 

Satire and humour have been an integral part of this tradition as people take this opportunity to poke fun at social issues, politicians, and cultural customs, adding a layer of commentary that distinguishes this festival from Halloween’s focus on supernatural themes. A random fact, during this day, all forms of mockery towards any significant person; politicians, martyrs, etc. who have had bad reputations are all considered legal. So people dress up as them to convey their controversies which makes it even more interesting.

Lakhey: The Fierce Guardian of Gai Jatra

Gai Jatra is incomplete without mentioning Lakhey, it is one of the highlights of the festival and its most iconic and dramatic figures. In Newar mythology, Lakhey is a demon-like figure who protects the valley; the guardian of the city. A dancer (who needs to go through a rigorous selecting process) wears a bright red mask with long flowing hair and a fearsome expression performs an elaborative dance with primal and raw movements captivating the audience; and dances around patrolling the streets of Kathmandu, like it’s protecting the city. The performance is both captivating and intense, it is one dance full of energy, sometimes frightening children and bystanders alike. It is believed that the person who does the performance wearing the mask; gets possessed by the spirit of an actual Lakhey who used to protect the city; which makes the dance not fatigued even after hours of dancing.

Unlike Halloween, the inclusion of Lakhey provides an interesting look into the unique culture of Nepal. Halloween’s focus is on warding off evil spirits through costumes, Lakhey is revered as a protector, guarding the people and the souls of the deceased during the festival.

Celebrating community and culture

Compared to Halloween, Gai Jatra seems more communal. During this festival, the whole of the neighbourhood participates in the processions. It brings the community together in one common theme; i.e. how to cope with grief. It tells people that they are not alone in grief, there are a lot of people sharing similar melancholy.

The eerie glow of orange and black define Halloween, while Gai Jatra is a burst of colours, showing that life is colourful while it lasts. The vibrant costumes, and the bizarre celebration chants, create a joyous atmosphere to contrast the sombre theme of death. This festival with its homourous celebration shows that Nepali culture does not dwell under the fear of death, but rather celebrates it with dance and music.

A cultural reflection

Despite some aspects of both Halloween and Gai Jatra sharing the same thematic elements—such as death, and costumes—the way both are celebrated differently reveals a lot about the cultural fabric of the societies that observe them. Halloween has become more of a commercial holiday these days, while Nepal still being a spiritual-focused country remains redundant to change the way Gai Jatra is celebrated—deeply spiritual, tributal to beloved lost ones—woven with satire and community support.

We may not carve pumpkins or don witch hats while asking for treats, but we showcase our colourful and heartfelt way of celebrating life, death, and the beauty of memory vicariously through Gai Jatra.