View source for Poush

{{Infobox month
| image       = Dew drops.jpg
| alt         = 
| caption     = Morning dew drops signal the arrival of Poush - the beginning of winter
| native_name = {{Native name|bn|পৌষ}}
| calendar    = * [[Bengali calendar]]
| num         = * 9  
| days        = * 30 (Bangladesh); 
* 29/30 (India)
| season      = Winter
| gregorian   = December–January
| holidays    = Poush 31 - [[Sankranthi|Poush Sankranti]]
| prev_month  = [[Ogrohayon]] 
| next_month  = [[Magh (Bengali calendar)|Magh]] 
}}

'''Poush''' ({{langx|bn|পৌষ}}; {{langx|ne|पौष}}) is the 9th month of both the [[Bengali calendar]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://en.banglapedia.org/index.php?title=Bangabda|title=Bangabda - Banglapedia|website=en.banglapedia.org|language=en|access-date=2017-04-18}}</ref> and the [[Vikram Samvat|Nepali calendar]]. It overlaps December and January of the [[Gregorian calendar]]. It is the first month of the winter season. This month marks the start of [[Winter]] ({{lang|bn|শীত}}, ''Sheat'') in the Bengali calendar.

== Etymology ==
This month is named after the star [[Pushya]] ({{lang|bn|পুষ্যা}}).

== Culture ==
During Poush crops are harvested and farmers often have ample food and income. Bengali people celebrate [[Makar Sankranti#West Bengal|Poush Sankranti]] as one of their festival on the last day of Poush.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thedailystar.net/lifestyle/deshi-mix/poush-sankranti-recipes-196918|title=Poush sankranti recipes|date=2016-01-05|work=The Daily Star|access-date=2017-04-18|language=en}}</ref> They make [[Pitha]] at their homes and share those among each others.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thedailystar.net/poush-mela-and-pitha-utshab-held-59922|title=Poush mela and pitha utshab held|date=2015-01-15|work=The Daily Star|access-date=2017-04-18|language=en}}</ref> Bangladesh Poush Mela Udjapon Parishad organises a three-day fair in [[Dhaka]], Bangladesh.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thedailystar.net/news-detail-169229|title=Winter melodies around Poush|date=2011-01-09|work=The Daily Star|access-date=2017-04-18|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thedailystar.net/poush-mela-held-at-ramna-58989|title=Poush Mela held at Ramna|date=2015-01-09|work=The Daily Star|access-date=2017-04-18|language=en}}</ref>

In his novel ''Ganadevata'', the noted Bengali writer [[Tarashankar Bandopadhyay]] quotes a rural rhyme:
:Poush-Poush, golden Poush,
:Come Poush but don't go away, don't ever leave,
:Don't leave Poush, don't,
:The husband and son will eat a full bowl of rice.<ref name = "Paschim Banga">Mukhopadhyay, Manabendra, ''Tarashankar's Birbhum '', ''Paschim Banga '', Birbhum Special Issue, February 2006, {{in lang|bn}}, pp. 259-68,  Information & Cultural Department, Government of West Bengal.</ref>

== Observances marked (per official use in Bangladesh) ==
* Poush 1 - [[Victory day of Bangladesh]]
* Poush 9 - [[Christmas Eve]]
* Poush 10 - [[Christmas]]
* Poush 11 - [[Boxing Day]]
* Poush 17 - [[New Year's Day]]
* Poush 22 - [[Epiphany (holiday)|Traditional Epiphany]] and Armenian Christmas
* Poush 23 - [[Christmas#Date according to Julian calendar|Christmas according to the Julian Calendar]]
* Poush 31 - [[Sankranthi|Poush Sankranti]]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

{{Bengali calendar}}
{{Nepali calendar}}

[[Category:Months of the Bengali calendar]]
[[Category:Nepali calendar]]


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{{Nepal-culture-stub}}