Dashain and Tihar in the UK — The Homesickness Nobody Prepares You For
Every Nepali student in the UK gets through the first term fine, and then Dashain arrives and they are alone in a country where nothing is different that week.
By Rahul Chhetri, Director, House of Admissions · Updated 20 Oct 2026
Dashain and Tihar fall in October and November, which is the middle of the UK autumn term — no holiday, no break, and coursework due. Nepali societies and local associations hold celebrations, usually on the nearest weekend rather than the actual day. Plan for it before you arrive: it lands on almost everyone harder than they expect.
This page covers the festival calendar and homesickness. For finding your community see Nepali communities in UK cities; for the food itself see Nepali groceries in the UK.
- When
- Dashain and Tihar fall in October and November
- UK term
- Middle of the autumn term — no break
- Celebrations
- Usually held on the nearest weekend, not the actual day
- Where
- University Nepali societies and local Nepali associations
- Tika
- Many students arrange a video call with family
- The hard part
- Everyone around you is having an ordinary week
- Plan ahead
- Know what is happening in your city before October
Why the Timing Is Hard
Dashain and Tihar fall across October and November. In Nepal that is a national pause. In the UK it is the middle of the autumn term — lectures running, coursework due, and nothing around you acknowledging that anything is happening at all.
Students commonly manage the first six weeks well and then find Dashain much harder than they expected. It is not weakness and it is not a sign you made the wrong choice — it is the first time the distance becomes concrete. Knowing it is coming genuinely helps.
How Do Nepali Students Celebrate in the UK?
- University Nepali society events, usually held on the nearest weekend rather than the actual day, because nobody can take the Tuesday off.
- Local Nepali association gatherings, which in cities with settled communities can be substantial and family-oriented.
- Cooking together in shared accommodation — for many students this becomes the actual tradition, and it is a good one.
- A video call for tika with family in Nepal. Arrange the time in advance; Nepal is 5 hours 45 minutes ahead of UK time in winter.
What Should You Do Before You Leave Nepal?
Three things, and they take an hour. Find out whether your university has a Nepali society and message them before term starts. Agree with your family how tika will work over video. And tell one person in the UK — a flatmate, a course friend — that this week matters to you. Isolation is what makes it hard, not the festival.
A Practical Note on Work and Deadlines
If you work part-time, ask for the weekend of the celebration off weeks in advance — UK employers generally accommodate this readily when asked early and rarely when asked on the day. The same applies to coursework: most universities have an extension process, and using it for a genuine reason is normal rather than a failure.
Going in September and worried about October?Ask us what Nepali society exists at your university before you fly. It is a small thing that makes the first Dashain considerably easier.
Free WhatsApp checkKeep reading: Pre-departure checklist · UK cost of living in NPR · Student life in the UK page
Frequently Asked Questions
On the same dates as Nepal — October and November — but because that is the middle of the UK autumn term with no holiday, celebrations are usually held on the nearest weekend rather than the actual day.
No. Dashain falls during the autumn term and there is no break. Some universities are accommodating about individual absence for religious observance — ask your department early rather than on the day.
University Nepali society events, local Nepali association gatherings in cities with settled communities, and cooking together in shared accommodation. Finding your community.
Most students arrange a video call. Agree the time in advance — Nepal is 5 hours 45 minutes ahead of the UK in winter, so what is morning in Kathmandu is the early hours in Britain.
It is extremely common, and students are often surprised by it because they managed the first six weeks fine. It is the first time the distance becomes concrete. Knowing it is coming helps, and so does telling someone.
Usually, if you ask weeks in advance. UK employers generally accommodate this readily when asked early and rarely when asked on the day.
Look for a local Nepali association, or a South Asian society which will often mark the same festivals. Failing that, cook with whoever is around — a surprising number of lasting friendships in UK student housing start this way.
Festivals do not usually count as grounds for an extension, so plan coursework early. If you are unwell or something serious happens, use your university's extenuating circumstances process.
Get this checked before you submit — free
Most refusals from Nepal come from paperwork, not from weak profiles. We check every document against the UKVI and MoEST requirements before you pay a fee. House of Admissions is free to students at every stage — we are paid by universities after enrolment, never by you.
Apply free WhatsApp a counsellorRelated Guides
Where Does This Information Come From?
- House of Admissions student experience, 2016–2026 (self-reported)
- University students’ union societies — the current source for events
Last updated 20 Oct 2026. Nepali foreign-exchange rules and MoEST procedure change by circular and are not always announced in English — confirm current figures with your bank or at noc.moest.gov.np before you rely on them. Nothing here is immigration or financial advice; for a decision on your own case, consult a regulated adviser.