My perspective in all these (I call them superstitions, you may call them tradition, I am not going to argue), my friend, is they are like Everest.

You can choose not climb them.  But if you climb them, you can have no better reason than just that " because it is there".

I for one choose to be rationalist.  I believe in God (thought I have to admit sometimes I waver).  I believe God gave me the power to think.  If I do not use that power and follow these superstitions blindly, I am not obeying God's wishes.  But I digress.

As I said, I for one choose to be rationalist.  I look at these customs and traditions (am being nice here, ahem) and ask myself why.  If I can come up with an acceptable answer to myself, then I follow, otherwise, to hell with it.

For example, I just don't believe that menstruating women are impure and cannot touch any holy items.  I think that is total bulls#it perpetrated by some misogynist pundit a long time ago.  That is not in my basket of acceptable customs.

Another example, putting on tika during Dashain.  There is no logical connection on having red or white clump of rice on your forehead with good things coming to your life.  BUT. But, there is more to this act than the shallow analysis.  This is an act of solidarity, act of love, act of generosity.  So this is in my basket of acceptable customs.

You might not agree with my rationale.  And you have the right not to. I respect that.