For the people of both Solu and the Khumbu, the hard grind of daily life in the high Himalayas is interrupted by seasons of feasts and festivals, marked by dancing and general merry-making. Most festivals are of religious nature and center on the temples and monasteries, with rites conducted by lamas (priests). These festivals are spread out through the full-moon days of May, June, July, August and November in different sections of the Himalayas. While the Sherpas are the most predominant people of Solukhumbu, in the lower region of Solu, the Khaling Rai culture prevails as well.

Khaling Rais

Khaling Rais have their own language and practice both joint and nuclear family ties. Chhang (locally fermented millet/rice wine) is an indispensable part of their food and culture. Some of their more important rituals are the Bhume dance, the Chandi dance and the Naghi puja. The Khaling Rais believe that in order to continue human existence, it is necessary to worship their ancestors and the earth deity. Some degree of Shamanism can also be seen in this culture. Although the Khaling Rais belong to the Kirant ethnic group and have their own festivals, they celebrate the Hindu and Buddhist festivals as well.

Sherpas

Though best known for their accomplishments as high-altitude porters and mountain guides, the Sherpa people have traditionally been traders, herders and subsistence farmers. The best known and most admired of all of Nepal's ethnic groups, the Sherpas migrated to the high valleys south of Mt. Everest from eastern Tibet about 450 years ago. The name Sherpa means "people from the east." Their Tibetan origins are reflected in their language, customs, and religion. Ancient mountain gods, the most sacred of these being Numbur in Solu and Khumbu-ila in Khumbu, dominate the Sherpa homeland. The development of mountaineering and trekking has become an added source of income and a means to international recognition for the Sherpa people.

A deep adherence to the Tibetan Buddhist religion dominates their home lives, and their biggest festival - the dance-drama known as Mani Rimdu - depicts the victory of Buddhism over the ancient Bon faith. Mani Rimdu is held at Tengboche and Chiwang during the full moon in November-December or during the full moon in May-June at Thami monastery, a short day's walk west of Namche Bazaar.