In Thimi the local people celebrate various festivals throughout the year. In the Newar community the festival season starts from Gathamugah (Ghantakarna) and ends with Sithi Nakhah. The festivals observed in this area are explained below.

1) Gathan Mugah (Ghantakarna) (August)
It is festival of cleaning. Since farmers are busy in farming during the rainy season, they do not get time to clean their houses and even take baths and wash clothes.Thus as their work is finished by Gathan Mugah, they take baths, wash their clothes and clean their house in Gathan Mugah. On this very day, girls throw out all their dolls. Every corner of a house is cleaned and incense is burnt to kill insects. Chahray angu (a ring made of metal alloys) is worn on this occasion. In evening, effigies of Gathan Mugah which are made out of from green reeds, are dragged out of the town and burnt there.

2) Gunla Dharma (August-September)
Gunla is a month which according to Nepal Era, falls in the middle of monsoon (August). This month is considered as a holy Buddhist month. Every day whatever the weather may be, devotees visit Buddhist monasteries, courtyards and shrines early in the morning playing Gunla Bajan. Gunla Bajan includes Dhah and Naykhin accompanied by cymbals and shwam.

3) Gunhu Punhi (Gai Jatra) (August- September)
Gunhu Punhi is one of the most significant festivals of the Newars which lasts for 9 days. On the first day, known as Gunhu Punhi, the Newars drink broth consisting of spouted mixed cereals. Everyone gets doro from the brahmins, a protection cord tied around one's wrist. On this day, food is offered to the frogs in the fields this is known as Byanja Nakegu.
Saparu is the second day of Gunhu Punhi. On this day family, whose member had died during that year, dressed up their young ones as cows and roam the town. It is believed that cows help the departed souls to enter heaven easily. Other remarkable thing is the humor and satire presented on this day. Last day of Gunhu Punhi is the Krishnastami, the birth anniversary of Lord Krishna, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Various dances are performed in the entire valley.

4) Pancha Dan (August-September)
Pancha Dan is observed by rgw Buddhists only, especially Shakyas and Bajracharyas. Buddhist antiques are displayed and gigantic effigies of Dipankar are parade around the town. However, the main highlight of the festival is the giving away of alms to Buddhist monks.

5) Yanya Punhi (Indra Jatra) (September)
Yanya Punhi is dedicated to lord Indra, the king of heaven. This is a week long festival which begins after the erection of Yosin, a ceremonial pole. The main feature of this festival in Kathmandu is a week long display of gigantic masks of Aakash Bhairab and the procession of Kumari, the living goddess along with other two living gods Ganesh and Kumar.

6) Mohani (Dashain) (October)
Mohani is observed for two weeks. It is observed with great joy. Barley seeds are planted on the first day, and are known as Nahla Swahan Swanegu. It is nurtured for nine days. On the day of Astami, koochhi bhoya (a feast with two manas i.e. about half kilo of beaten rice) is consumed by gathering all family members. On Nawami, (Syakotyako) Durga is worshipped goats and cocks are sacrificed and Nahlaswan i.e. the fresh shoot of barley is also offered. The concluding day of the festival, i.e. on Chalan, processions made up of masked people carrying scimitars take place at various places of the Newar settlements. This is commonly known as Payah.

7) Swonti (Tihar) (October-November)
Tihar, the festival of light lasts for five days. Swanti stands for Swanhu Ttithi which means three days in Nepalbhasa. Among five days of tihar three days are mainly celebrated. On the day of Laxmi puja, Laxmi, the goddess of wealth is worshipped and in the evening lights are burnt to invite Laxmi. Mhapuja is the day of revering one's body. This is the New Year's Day according to Nepal Era. Kija Puja, the last day of the swanti, is dedicated to brothers. Sisters pay homage to their brothers on this day.

8) Sakimila Punhi (November- December)
Sakimila Punhi (Sakimana Punhi) or the full moon day of boiled arum is the festival of eating arum, sweet potato and fried grains. Halimali Bwayegu (exibiting figure designs of fried grains) accompanied with Dapha Bhajan or Dhalcha Bhajan (chanting religious hymns) take place in the evening among every section of the settlements.

9) Bala Chahre (Bala Chaturdashi) (December)
This is the festival of scattering the seeds (sadhbew) and praying for the souls of the departed at Pashupati in Kathmandu. In many places it is celebrated with the gathering of the members of Milah Guthi (a kind of social association) and banqueting.

10) Yomari Punhi (December-January)
It is a post harvest festival of worshipping the newly brought rice and Annapurna, the goddess of grains, for granting good harvest. Yomari Punhi lends its name from Yomari (a typical steamed cake of rice flour dough stuffed with a mixture of sesame and molasses), which is offered in Dhukoo (store room) and eaten on this day. In the evening kids go around the neighborhood to beg for Yomari.

11) Ghayh Chaku Sanhu (Maghe Sangrati) (January)
Also known as hamoh sanhlu, this festival is observed as per the solar calendar. On this day, people take bath early in the morning and offer sugar candy, pills of sesame and molasses, etc. to their priests. They too eat yams, spinach, sweets of sesame and molasses to warm their body. People rub mustard oil over their bodies and take baths.

12) Swasthani Bakhan Kanegu (January-February)
In the month of Magha, from mila punhi (full moon day- Jan) to seeh punhi (full moon day-Feb.) Swasthani Bakhan (Swasthani Story) is recited every evening for a month. It is believed that by worshipping Swasthani it brings happiness in life. There is a belief that Parbati succeeded to get Mahadeva as her husband by observing the rituals of Swasthani.

13) Shree Panchami (February)
Shree Panchami or Basanta Panchami is observed in honor of Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of learning. Artists, teachers and students gather at Saraswati temple in different places and pay homage. Buddhists worship Manjushree on this day. 

14) Sila Chahre (Shivaratri) (March)
There are 24 Shivaratris in a year, among which Sila Chahre is celebrated as Maha Shivaratri. Shiva is worshiped on this day. People take baths and fast on this day. It is believed that People who stay awake for the whole night on this day get success in their lives.

15) Holi Punhi (Phagu Purnima) (March-April)
Holi Punhi, the festival of color begins officially with the raising of a huge ceremonial pole at Basantapur of Kathmandu. Though celebrated for a week, holi punhi or full moon day in the month March is the main day. This festival is belived to be observed since the period of Lord Krishna. It is a festival of water & colours, wherein people participate joyously in coluring/ soaking one another. It is an occasion which encourages kinship and the removal of old revalrises and hatred.

16) Biskah Jatra (Bisket Jatra) (April)
The word 'Biskah' or 'B isket' is said to be derived from 'Bee Sikah', which means 'after death of serpents'. It is said that this festival began to be celebrated after the death of serpents, which are described in various legends. Even though it is mentioned thus in various chronicles, sacred writings, inscriptions describing the culture of Bisket, it is understood that it is not used in the sense of the death of serpents. This festival is celebrated mainly in Bhaktapur and Thimi in the form of Chariot festival, tongue boring ceremony accompanied music and dances.

17) Swanya Punhi (Buddha Purnima) (May-June)
Budhha Jayanti- full moon day April/May is the day of the birth, attainment of enlightenment and the death of Lord Budhha known as the Light of Asia. On this day worship of Budhha takes places in Buddhist monasteries and especially at Swambhu Stupa of Kathmandu.

18) Sithi Nakhah (June)
The Sixth day of the bright lunar fortnight is dedicated to Lord Kumar. This is the day when Kartikeya Kumar (Sithi Dyah) was born. On this day, people take baths and houses are cleaned. Wells and conduits are also cleaned on this day, this is also the day of eating Chatamari- a typical rice flour bread and Wo- a flat cake of mashed lentils. It is the last festival of the year that the Newar community observs.

19) Jivro Chhedene Jatra (Tongue boring festival)
This festival is one of the adventurous festivals of Thimi. It is celebrated in two different places of this municipality. In Thimi, it is observed in the evening of yanya punhi ( Indra Jatra -the full moon day of September). Unfortunately, it is now extinct. Few years back, Krishna Nanicha Shrestha had his tongue bored on two occasions. No one seems encouraged to continue this tradition nowadays.

               In Thimi, one's tongue is bored in front of the Bhairab temple of Digu tole. After boring the tongue, the person is taken around the town and sometimes even to other towns and distant places like Changu & Pashupati. Thus it is almost morning when they reach back home. The tongue-bored person has to offer a customary feast to everyone who follows him during the circumambulation of the town. Since the people eat in the morning without washing their faces, they often chant a slogan, which goes like - "Khwah masisen bhoe naye" which means 'eating the feast without washing the face'. Even though there is no written evidence regarding this tradition, there is a popular legend behind it. Once Thimi was haunted by man-eating demons. The behaviors of the demons scared the living daylights out of the people. Nobody could walk in the streets even in the daytime. In the absence of farming, food scarcity took place and people got into a panic. After many people had died, they petitioned the royal palace to protect their lives. They complained that they had been troubled by the demons and that they were unable to do any work and their lives had been ruined by the demons. The king immediately summoned the parliament. During the discussion a Tantrik suggested that the demons could be destroyed by the charisma of Lord Bhairab, accordingly he performed the rituals to sermon Bhairab. With the divine power of Lord Bhairab, the demons were caught. Some demons hid under the eaves but each of them was also caught with the help of Yanmata, explicitly a long handled torch. In front of Lord Bhairab and with the permission from the king, the demons tongues were pierced. Each of them was made to carry 108 dhani (1 dhani=2.4kg) heavy vey (flaming torch) on the shoulder, ghangala (small bells) were tied, and then all were made to walk around the country. They were exiled from the country and were made to promise of never giving such troubles in the future.

              To remind people that one, who evil to the mankind and country, and those who cause distress to others will be punished, is dishonored in front of all, and even exiled from the country. The tongue boring festival is celebrated every year.