This week marks and important moment in the Basotho calendar. It is the beginning of a new year. Throughout the history of Basotho, the New Year has always been a time of renewed growth and change.
As the traditional Basotho calendar is based on the monthly cycles of the moon’s phases (lunar calendar), Basotho welcome the new year at a different time each year.
Basotho used celestial bodies to provide the basic standards to determine the periods of their calendar and this was dependent and changed with the cycle of the moon.
The Basotho New Year is viewed as a time of great renewal on the ground and in the fields, with cold winter conditions giving way to the growth of a warm springtime.
The Basotho New Year starts in August (Phato), which is known for its blowing winds; it is the month when fields are cultivated and the first crop from the cultivation is offered as a sacrifice to Tlatlamatjholo (God).
The celebration of the Basotho New Year serves as one of the important vehicles towards the realization of key goals: promotion of nation building and social cohesion; promotion of unity in diversity; advancement of our heritage and culture; transformation of the heritage landscape; honouring the heroes and heroines of the land; and promotion of Sesotho language in particular and multilingualism in general.
Ha e sise, ban aba Nkhaolise e motṧoana! Kaofela re chabana sa khomo.
