We are one day closer to the new year! Today’s gifting suggestions come to us from Nepal via current students Sonam Dorje Lama (Biochemistry) and Tangsang Tumbahangphe (Computer and Information Science). Following their personal gift picks, Sonam and Tang have also shared some information about popular gifting holidays in Nepal. Also, fun fact: Eugene and the Nepali capital of Kathmandu are sister cities!
Sonam is from Gorkha, Nepal, which is about a four- hour drive (just under 90 miles) west of Kathmandu. Sonam’ interests include sports (soccer), environment, science, business, Buddhism, and hiking. Sonam is also a recipient of the International Cultural Service Program Scholarship.
Tangsang (or Tang for short) is from Kirat Colony, Nepal, which is almost directly on Nepal’s border with a stretch of the Indian territory of Sikkim. That part of Sikkim is less than 40 miles wide and has Bangladesh on its opposite side. Tang is interested in artificial intelligence, quantum computers, algorithms, and cybersecurity. His other hobbies and interests include soccer; food; outdoors; storytelling; fashion; live concerts; movies; diplomacy, and cross-cultural understanding. Tang is a recipient of the Nepali Student Scholarship, which was established in 2015 after a devastating earthquake hit Eugene’s sister city of Kathmandu.
Sonam Dorje Lama, Biochemistry major and Tangsang Tumbahangphe, Computer and Information Sience major
Images top to bottom
Top gifts: Trends and traditions
Food: Curries and sel roti
Homemade foods are always one of the best gifts, prepared in our own personal way using our own hands! Spicy Nepali curries are a favorite along with sel roti. Sel roti is a sweet ring-shaped rice bread. If you want to try making sel roti, here is a recipe!
Money
Money is given both as a gift to those we know and as a charity to others. For those we know, it is given in envelopes, such as at weddings. Groups of needy people often sit near temple entrances, and it is customary to give coins to them. Coins are not so much about giving less, but about giving with ease to more people.
Tea
As in most of Asia, tea is a much-loved drink in Nepal! Earlier, locally grown tea was made into broke-leaf black teas that were consumed in Nepal and India. However, the past few decades have seen efforts to grow unique high-grade Nepali teas to rival tea produced a few hours away in Darjeeling, a famous tea growing area of India. If you are interested in Nepal teas, you can check out local Duck-owned (Raj Vable, MS ’12) business Young Mountain Tea, which fuses on fair trade teas from Nepal and India.
Fruits
It is customary to gift fruits of all kinds. Nepal has a wide variety of fruits from all over the world, but there are a few fruits unique to Nepal such as bel (pictured) and lapsi. Lapsi is made into delicious pickles, dried fruit strips, and candies. Bel is said to have many health benefits, especially for digestion. We generally either eat the dried fruit or drink the juice sweetened – sometimes with lime added.
Electronics
Everyone loves receiving the latest and greatest electronics as gifts! New mobile phones, XBox, and air pods are some of the electronics in highest demand right now.
Top gifts: Personal picks
Tang: A LinkedIn Premium subscription
I am a senior and am beginning my search for post-graduation job opportunities. LinkedIn Premium would be helpful, because it will help me grow both my network and my resume writing and interview skills!
Tang: A Google smart speaker
There are several smart speakers out there in “the Internet of Things”, but the Google Nest is my top pick!
Sonam: A guitar
A guitar would be great to help me take the occasional break from studies and Zoom and also to entertain my friends!
Sonam: A science book
I love learning about nearly all scientific subjects, so a science book is always a welcome gift!
Gifting in Nepal
In Nepal, some of the most important giving days are the Hindu festivals of Dashain, a fifteen-day festival celebrating different forms of the goddess taking place in September-October, and Tihar, a five-day celebration of wealth and gratitude. The Tihar festival is dedicated to the goddess Lakshmi, and even animals like dogs and cows are celebrated as protectors and providers of sustenance and security. Mata Turtha Puja is another holiday for honoring and gifting to mothers.
Sonam adds that his family has been celebrating the Tibetan New Year, or Losar, for several generations. As during the time of Tihar, during the three-day Losar celebrations, people wear new clothing, clean and repaint their homes, and give gifts. Losar is also an important time to visit Buddhist shrines, and distribute food and donations to the poor.
