The Nepali Way of Greeting Guests
Nepal is an agriculture based country . Historically , and at present , the majority of its population has been involved in the agricultural profession . Since technological innovation is very rare in rural Nepal , farmers are often compelled to assist each other in their field duties . In return , they are treated with festive feasts and celebrations as a sign of gratitude . Due to this tradition , good hospitality has been an ever present characteristic of the Nepali people .
Daily life and everyday customs in Nepal are mostly influenced by aspects of Hinduism and Buddhism . Social interactions play a key role in terms of defining one ’ s identity here . The sense of communion is more prevalent than individualism here in Nepal . Since Nepal is home to more than 100 different ethnic groups , different communities have their own way of greeting each other . Namaste is the most commonly used greeting here .
Tobias Lopez - a resident of Germany who is married to a Nepali woman says , “ as a future son-in-law to a Nepali family , I was pretty nervous about how I should behave appropriately at first . I had to be conscious about how I greeted people , what I had to say , what to do and what not to do . All worries , however , were quickly set aside upon the first encounter . Everyone was very caring , interested , welcoming , warm and kind . While it was a tad overwhelming to get to know a big , new family with unfamiliar names and relations to one another , the delicious food and unavoidable drinks being offered by the very hospitable Newari community greatly helped to reduce any nervousness and initial distance .”
Foreigners and locals are often greeted with warm smiles and vertically joined palms accompanied by the words ‘ Nah-mas-tay .’ Namaste , or a more formal Namaskar , signifies many things that vary from a welcome to a gesture of gratitude , based on the context . Another interesting fact about the Namaste gesture is that it may also vary from person to person based on their social position .
The way in which one performs the act of joining their palms and saying Namaste varies in different manners . If an individual is considered to be highly respected , then the hands are usually held high towards the chest . Apart from Namastey there are other gestures , such as bowing down and touching the feet of the elderly people , which demonstrates respect towards the elderly .
Apart from these gestures , other gestures that break the ice between Nepali people are ram ram , taremam , jojolapa , jhoralang , tashi delek , and
“ Other common conversation starters that you may hear in Nepal are khaja khanu bhayo ( did you have breakfast / lunch ), khana khanu bhayo ( did you have your main meal ), and sanchai hunu huncha ( are you fine ).”
more . All these gestures signify a welcome greeting that can also be used as a conversation starter in respective communities . Other common conversation starters that you may hear in Nepal are khaja khanu bhayo ( did you have breakfast / lunch ), khana khanu bhayo ( did you have your main meal ), and sanchai hunu huncha ( are you fine ).
It ’ s pretty common to be greeted with a Namaste in Nepal but there ’ s more to it . Garlands accompanied by red tikas are a common occurrence in Nepali households while welcoming or
Young women perform a traditional group dance in Chitwan . Photo by RMT .
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