KATHMANDU, JANUARY 19 The Tamang community is celebrating Sonam Lhosar, the Tamang New Year, across the country today with various cultural and religious programmes. According to the Manjushree calendar, the 2,862nd year begins today, marking the start of the Year of the Horse after the completion of the Year of the Snake. Sonam Lhosar is observed annually on Magh Shukla Pratipada. The festival follows a 12-year cycle represented by animal symbols: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, bird, dog and pig. Celebrations are especially prominent in districts of Bagmati Province, where the Tamang population is significant. Besides the Tamang community, groups including the Hyolmo, Thakali, Jirel, Nesyangwa, Bhote, Dura and Lepcha communities also mark the festival. The government has declared a nationwide public holiday on the occasion. Extending greetings, Vice President Ramsahay Prasad Yadav said festivals like Sonam Lhosar help strengthen republican values, inclusion, equality and national unity. National Assembly Chairman Narayan Prasad Dahal highlighted the festival's role in preserving Tamang cultural heritage, while President Ramchandra Paudel expressed hope that the celebration would further reinforce unity in Nepal's multiethnic and multicultural society.