Religious holidays are an important event throughout the Tibetan Buddhist world - they commemorate the deeds of the Buddha or the deeds of the great masters of the past associated with one or another Buddhist tradition. 

Apart from Buddhist holidays, festivals are celebrated annually in Bhutan with great fanfare in every district. The most famous of these are the Tsechu (10th day) festivals, which commemorate the deeds of Padmasambhava.

This 8th century teacher, referred to as 'Guru Rimpoche' or simply 'Guru', introduced the Nyingma school of Buddhism to Tibet and Bhutan. Most festivals last between three and five days - one of which usually falls on the 10th day of the lunar calendar. Of these festivals, the most impressive are Paro Tsechu in spring and Wangue and Thimpu Tsechus in autumn. These festivals are very popular with Western tourists. Festivals in Bumtang and eastern Bhutan attract fewer tourists and those looking to get a more authentic taste of Bhutan's cultural and religious extravaganza will be well rewarded.