KATHMANDU: The Tamang community today demanded a five-day holiday to celebrate ‘Taak’ Lhosar or Tiger New Year 2846, the greatest religious and cultural festival of the Tamangs at home and abroad. The community is celebrating the festival beginning January 16, in compliance with the Lunar calendar. Lhosar is composed of ‘Lho’ and ‘Sar’, meaning ‘year’ and ‘new’, respectively. The government has announced the day as a public holiday. However, the community has been demanding for more no work days on the occasion. Organising a press meet in the capital, DB Bomjan Tamang, coordinator, Main Coordination Committee for the Celebration of Taak Lhosar 2846, clamoured for a five-day holiday to let tens of thousands of Tamangs celebrate the festival with greater ease. He reasoned that the festival lasted for four days. “We get tired from religious and cultural programmes of four days,” Bomjan clarified the reason for the extra day off. The festivities have a fusion of dance, colour, music and feast. “Taak Lhochhar symbolises the fraternity and brotherhood among the Tamangs. “One day off is inadequate to spread the message,” explained Shyam Tamang, general secretary, Nepal National Tamang Federation. The NNTF has formed a 1,001-member main festival organising committee. The committee comprises representatives of 109 Tamang organisations and is organising a cultural show and rally on January 15 and 16 in the capital. The main organising committee has formed 10 sub-committees to systematise the activities. The committee will shortly hand over a memorandum to the Prime Minister and leaders of various political parties, demanding a five-day holiday.