The festivals in Sikkim are part of the culture of Sikkim. A culture heritage of Sikkim is interwoven with Vajrayana Buddhism, Hinduism and original animist traditions of the Lepchas. Like in any other Himalayan kingdoms life in Sikkim is based on religion. Even the majestic Mount Kanchanjunga plays major role role in the life of Sikkimese. Monasteries like Pemayangtse (west Sikkim), Tsuklakhang (Gangtok), Enchey ( near Gangtok) and most famous of all

Rumtek (23 kms from Gangtok) are the venue for the important Buddhist festivals in Sikkim. The lama dances complete with the fierce masks, the gorgeous brocade costumes the exotic music and chants are strange mixture of music and exorcism. In reality every dance performed in the festivals has meaning and history related to Buddhism and Lamaism. They are performed to recreate legends and myths connected with the birth of Buddhism. It also represents the battle between the good and the evil. Saga Dawa festival is celebrated to commemorate the day to have entered the soul of his mother, attained Buddhahood and also Nirvana. It is an important festival for Mahayana Buddhists Drukpa Tseshi teaching of Lord Buddha. At Enchey monastery every year in December people gather at the monastery to watch the lamas in their elaborate costumes and masks perform mystic dances. Main ritual dance depicts Padmashmbhava in his wrathful mood.

In Sikkim people celebrates three New Year - Sikkimese, Tibetan and Lepchas. To add to the local festivals the government of Sikkim has introduced Tourist Festivals in the month of May that last about a month. The festival includes flower shows for which Sikkim is well known, cultural programme, films etc. The exhibitions have become fun and attraction both for the local and tourist alike. Festival provides opportunities for the visitors to experience the lively atmosphere of various ethnic groups coming together such festivals.

Saga Dawa
This is the Triple Blessed Festival and is considered as the holiest of the holy Buddhist Festivals. On this day in different years of his life, Lord Buddha took birth, achieved Enlightenment and passed away attaining Nirvana, three important events celebrated in the festival of Saga Dawa.
This Three-Fold-Auspicious-Day falls on the full moon day of the 4th month of Buddhist lunar calendar around the end of May and early June. The highlight of the day’s observation in Gangtok is a procession carrying the Holy Books of the teachings of the Buddha from the Tsuk-La-Khang Monastery in the Palace around the town.
Lord Buddha was born in Lumbini in Nepal to King Sudhodhna and Queen Maha Maya of the Sakya Clan around 560 BC. He was named Sidhartha and his parents took all the pains to make his life comfortable and keep him ensconced from the miseries of the world. At the age of twenty nine, realization dawned upon Prince Siddhartha that all the worldly pleasures were transient and unreal and that the ultimate truth lay elsewhere. He renounced the world and after wandering for many years in search of the truth reached Sarnath in Uttar Pradesh (India), where he meditated under the Bodhi trees and attained Enlightenment at the age of thirty five. Buddha, the Enlightened One, left for his heavenly abode at the age of eighty one at Kusinara on attaining Nirvana or deliverance into bliss.

Lhabab Dhuechen
This festival symbolises the Descent of Buddha from the heaven of the thirty three gods after visiting his mother. Dhuechen means festivals, Lha means heaven and Bab means descent.
Legends goes that Queen Maha Maya, the mother of Lord Buddha, did not live long after his birth and took rebirth in Trayastrimsa or the heaven of the thirty Gods. After attaining Enlightenment, Lord Buddha through spiritual powers came to know about the whereabouts of his mother and at the age of forty one ascended to the heavens along with thousands of his followers. Lord Buddha stayed in heaven for three months during which he delivered sermons to his mother and other celestial beings. Lord Buddha had left behind on earth one of his disciples, Maudgalyayana, as his representative. This disciple and other devotees of the Lord could not bear the long separation and longed to hear his preaching, Maugalyayana, who possessed miraculous powers, was exhorted to go up to the heaven to request the Lord to return back to the earth. The gods were not willing to let Lord Buddha return back to earth but Maugalyana suggested that as the earthly beings did not have the powers to visit heaven, the celestial being could come to the earth to attend his preaching. Lord Buddha finally relented and descended to the earth at a place called Sankasya along a triple ladder that was prepared especially for the occasion by Viswakarma, the God of Machines.

Drukpa Tsheshi
This festival is observed by the Buddhists to mark the event when Buddha first turned the Wheel of Dharma (His first sermon to five disciples at Sarnath). This festival celebrates Buddha's first preaching of the four Noble Truths to his first five disciples in a deer park at Sarnath. The first is the Noble Truth of suffering. The Second Noble Truth is the truth of the origin of suffering Karma and Delusion and their causes. The third Noble Truth is the cessation of the suffering or the attainment of Nirvana. The fourth Noble Truth is the truth of the Eight Fold Path leading to Nirvana. The day falls on the fourth day (Teshi) of the sixth Tibetan month (Drukpa).
This festival is held on the 4th day (Tsheshi) of the 6th month (Drukpa) of the Tibetan Calendar around July or August every year.. In Gangtok, Drupka Tsheshi is marked by prayers at the Deer Park and at a secluded place called Muguthang in extreme North Sikkim. The festival is celebrated by holding a Yak race.

Phang Lhabsol
This festival is unique to Sikkim. It was popularised by the third Chogyal of Sikkim, Chakdor Namgyal. In this festival the snowy range of Khangchendzonga is worshipped for its unifying powers. This festival also marks the signing of the treaty of blood brotherhood between the Lepchas and Bhutias by Khye Bumsa and Tetong Tek when the local deities were invoked to witness the occasion.
In fact Phang means witness. On this day, the guardian deity is portrayed by masked Lama dances as a fiery red-faced deity with a crown of five skulls, riding a snow lion. To lighten the mood of the spectators, jesters called 'Atchars' play antics during the Chaams. The third Chogyal of Sikkim, Chakdor Namgyal is credited for choreographing the Pang-Toed dance performed by monks on this day.
This festival is held on the 15th day of the 7th month around the end of August.  

Losar
The Tibetan New Year is shared also by the Sikkimese and marked with lot of gaiety and festivity. It falls normally in the month of February.The Tibetan youth take to the streets on the day performing the Yak dance and throwing sampa as a way of greeting and welcoming the new year with shouts of "Tashi Delek". The Tibetan community exerts itself in the more than week long festivity with their brocades, jewelry, songs, dances and picnics.

Bumchu
Bum means "pot or vase" and chu means "water". This festival is celebrated at the monastery at Tashiding in the month of January or February. During the festival, the pot containing the Holy water is opened by the lamas of the monastery. The level of water in the pot foretells the future for the forthcoming year. If the water is to the brim, it foretells a year in which peace and prosperity will prevail. If the water is over the brim and is spilling signifies a year with natural disaster and flood, it prophesies bloodshed and disturbances. If the water lever is low or almost dry it signifies famine. A part of the holy water is distributed amongst the gathering of devotes and the pot is replenished with river water and sealed at the end of the festival to be opened only in the next Bumchu.