Pohela Falgun

Origins in Dhaka

The festival began in 1991 when art students at the Dhaka University Faculty of Fine Arts created a public celebration to welcome the start of spring. In the years since its founding, the gathering has expanded into a nationwide observance overseen by the National Spring Celebration Council. The holiday takes its name from Bengali, where pohela means first and Falgun designates the eleventh month on the traditional calendar. While the event originated as a local campus festivity, it quickly captured the public imagination and grew into a widely shared seasonal custom across Bangladesh.

Morning music and dress

Festivities typically open early in the morning with group performances of traditional Bangladeshi choral music. Crowds gather to sing together and listen to seasonal melodies as the day begins. People mark the occasion by wearing bright traditional garments, with women dressing in saris and men putting on punjabi tunics. Young women frequently adorn themselves with floral ornaments, glass bangles, and teeps, the round decorative marks placed on the forehead. The visual atmosphere created by these garments and botanical decorations reflects the blooming season.

Changes to the calendar

For decades, the Bengali month of Falgun opened on 13 February according to the Western Gregorian calendar. In 2019, cultural authorities introduced revisions to the official Bangladeshi calendar to better match the seasons. From 2020 onward, the first day of Falgun moved to 14 February. Because of this administrative adjustment, the spring celebration now takes place on the exact same date as Valentine's Day throughout Bangladesh, creating a shared day of national festivity where romantic and seasonal gatherings happen side by side.

How Pohela Falgun is kept

Festivities begin in the early morning as choirs gather to perform traditional Bangladeshi songs. People head out into streets and public spaces dressed in colourful festive attire, including saris and punjabis. Women accent their look with flower garlands, bangles, and teeps on their foreheads. Coordinated by the National Spring Celebration Council, the day unfolds with music, seasonal greetings, and gatherings celebrating the warmth and blossoming of the new spring season.

When and where

The festival is observed on the first day of Falgun, the eleventh month of the Bengali calendar. Following official calendar revisions in Bangladesh, it falls on 14 February each year in the Gregorian calendar, moving from its earlier date of 13 February.

The holiday is celebrated across Bangladesh, with its main roots and major gatherings held at the Faculty of Fine Arts at Dhaka University in the capital city of Dhaka.

What Pohela Falgun means

Pohela Falgun signifies the transition out of winter and the greeting of the spring season. The use of floral ornaments, lively traditional dress, and dawn choral music reflects the renewal, blossoms, and creative expression tied to the beginning of the eleventh Bengali month.

Questions people ask about Pohela Falgun

See also

Dol PurnimaA Hindu spring festival honouring Radha and Krishna with swing processions and colourLosarThe Tibetan Buddhist New Year festival of renewal, offerings, and family feastsUgadiA South Indian New Year feast celebrating life with sweet, sour, and bitter tastesMay DayA traditional European festival welcoming summer with greenery, dances and bonfires

Good reading and sources

• Pohela Falgun celebratedThe Daily Star, Article
• Pohela Falgun celebratedThe Daily Star, Article

• Pohela Falgun on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos and video
• Wikidata recordOpen data

It may contain mistakes. Traditions differ from one family, village and community to the next, and the people who keep them know them best. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-04.