Holidays and Festivals

The Bengali new year, or Pahela Baishakh, is the largest event in Bengali culture and is celebrated widely. Only Pahela Baishakh, one of the major holidays observed in Bangladesh, is devoid of any pre-existing expectations (such as a particular religious identity or gift-giving tradition) and has evolved into a time to honor Bengal's simpler, rural roots. The Bengali harvest festivals of Nabonno and Poush Parbon are among other cultural celebrations.

The national holidays in Bangladesh are the Muslim festivals of Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha, Milad un Nabi, Muharram, Chand Raat, and Shab-e-Barat; the Hindu festivals of Durga Puja, Janmashtami, and Rath Yatra; the Buddhist festival of Buddha Purnima, which commemorates the birth of Gautama Buddha; and the Christian festival of Christmas. The two Eids are observed with a string of long-lasting public holidays, giving city inhabitants the chance to celebrate the holidays with their families outside of the city.

Alongside are national holidays like Independence Day, Victory Day, and Language Movement Day (21 February 1952), which was commemorated as International Mother Language Day by UNESCO in 1999. People gather in Dhaka's Shaheed Minar on Language Movement Day to honor the national leaders of the Bengali Language Movement. On Independence Day and Victory Day, similar rallies are held at the National Martyrs' Memorial to honor the national heroes of the Bangladesh Liberation War.

The history and customs of Bangladesh are honored on these special days through public ceremonies, parades, citizen rallies, political speeches, fairs, concerts, and a variety of other public and private events. Radio and TV stations play patriotic music and special programs. Fairs, festivals, and concerts are frequently organized by schools and universities and are attended by members of Bangladeshi society at all social strata.