KATHMANDU, Nepal. Thousands of farmers and their families across Nepal celebrated an annual paddy festival by planting rice, splashing in the muddy fields and enjoying a special feast.
The farmers were joined by other villagers, visitors from the cities and tourists visiting the Himalayan nation.
Rice is a staple food for millions of Nepalese and the crop is generally planted once a year in July and harvested about four months later.
Farmers and their families sang traditional songs to welcome the rain that is needed for the rice to grow and thanked the gods for sending the precipitation on time.
The day is also known as “dahi chiura” for the yogurt and beaten rice that comprises one of the main dishes eaten during the feast.
Elsewhere in the country, people ate yogurt and puffed rice with mangos and bananas to mark the day at home.
The government has declared National Paddy Day a holiday and tried to encourage people to continue or return to farming rice, as many increasingly look to take up other professions.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
