Expect the Unexpected: 4 things you may not know about Nepal

Heading to Nepal? Here are 4 fun facts about the culture and people of Nepal.

1. Cows are sacred. Within Hinduism, cows are considered a sacred and inviolable animal. In Nepal, cows are not eaten and it is considered illegal to kill the animal. Due to this fact, it is not uncommon to see a cow wandering around the streets of Kathmandu. Because they are holy, all traffic yields to these animals and they can often cause quite a traffic jam when they have decided to slowly stroll down this center of a highway.
2. Nepal is the only country with a non-rectangular flag. Nepal’s flag is red with two triangular shapes stacked on one another. The color represents therhododendron, the national flower of Nepal. The current flag has been in place since 1962 although the basic design has been used for over 2,000 years in Nepal. link
3. Everest is actually called Sagarmatha. The Nepali translation for this word is “Forehead of the Sky.” In the local Sherpa language, Everest is calledChomolungma, which means “Goddess Mother of the World.” The word Everest comes from George Everest, a British surveyor general of the Himalayas.
4. Shaking your head does not mean ‘NO’. Actually, in Nepal, nodding your head means ‘NO’ and bobbing your head side-to-side (as if bringing each ear closer to your shoulder) means ‘YES’. A very practical thing to know!