The Italian Street Painting Festival

Only 25 minutes north of San Francisco at the historic Mission San Rafael Arcangel, hundreds of madonnari (street painters) transform the streets of San Rafael into a color-splashed gallery for 60,000 visitors each year on the second weekend in June.
Using chalk as the medium and asphalt as the canvas, artists create over 200 images in various styles and sizes. This feast for the eyes is complimented by entertainment on two stages and a wide variety of Italian fare.

Founded in 1994, the Youth in Arts festival is renowned as one of the finest street painting festivals in the world. The Festival is both a fundraiser and a gift to the community--a popular celebration of art, music and culture. Festival sponsors not only make this free event possible, but also help us provide programs for Marin students year-round.

At the close of the Festival on Sunday, the Pamela Levine Arts Education Leadership Award is presented to one or more community members who have done exemplary work in creating arts learning opportunities for Marin youth.

Robin Hood Festival

In honour of its most famous outlaw, Nottingham holds an annual Robin Hood Festival in Sherwood Forest. Throughout the week visitors are entertained by jugglers and jesters, strolling minstrels and street theater performers, a falconer and experts in medieval combat.

The event kicks off in customary style with the Sheriff of Nottingham and his cronies attempting to put a stop to the event. No Robin Hood Festival would be complete without archery and, down by the Major Oak, costumed longbow archers are on hand in full costume to demonstrate their skills and give visitors a chance to test their prowess.

Madeira Island’s Flower Festival

The Flower Festival, that takes place in spring when the flowers are at their best, has been one of the major attractions for both tourists and locals for a long time. This enchanting festival with a parade and floats through the streets of Funchal exhibits and perfumes the air with a multiplicity of floral species of the island, spreading a fairy tale ambiance all over the city center. In every year’s edition each group presents their costumes accompanied with dances to a newly conceived choreography.

In the past few years a new addition was made to this event. At the 'Largo do Colegio' (Colegio Square) people will find the so-called 'Wall of Hope' – a wall where children place their own flowers with the objective of building a big flower wall symbolizing the hope for a better and more peaceful world.

As part of this event there are other activities like the making of flower carpets in the streets, awarding of prizes for the best-decorated shop window, performances of traditional music groups, a flower exhibition at the 'Ateneu Commercial'. classical music concerts and a number of variety shows.

Holland Festival, Amsterdam

Holland Festival is the Netherlands' largest international artistic festival established in 1947, and taking place each year in Amsterdam. It covers wide scope of cultural events from the fields of theater, opera, music and dance and additionally always brings interesting films and artistic shows. Its approach is anti-elitist but at the same time trying to show the current top. This gives an interesting choice of the newest and sometimes unknown events combined with already recognized artistic achievements. Holland Festival has usually one general theme like Oppression & Compassion. Holland Festival also aims at bringing artistic events which would be popular with wider public (as pop music concerts) and breaking the barriers between so called 'low art´ and 'high art´.'The future is with impure art´ - states its program. Holland Festival organizes interesting meetings, conferences and issues its own publications.

National Day of Kuwait

This is one of the most important national festivals of Kuwait, which reflects the true patriotic feeling of the Kuwaitis. National Day is celebrated on the 25th of February, which signifies the inception of Kuwait as a nation in 1961. The Kuwaitis wear national dresses on this day and also meet with their dear ones.

Raksha Bandhan

Raksha Bandha is a Hindu festival, which celebrates the relationship between brothers and sisters. It is celebrated on the full moon of the month of Shraavana(Shravan Poornima).

The festival is marked by the tying of a rakhi, or holy thread by the sister on the wrist of her brother. The brother in return offers a gift to his sister and vows to look after her as she presents sweets to her brother. The brother and sister traditionally feed one another sweets.

It is not necessary that the rakhi be given only to a blood brother; any male can be "adopted" as a brother by tying a rakhi on the person, irrespective of whether he is cousin or a good friend. Indian history is replete with women asking for protection, through rakhi, from men who were neither their brothers, nor Hindus themselves.

The story of Rani Karnavati of Chittor and Mughal Emperor Humayun is the most significant evidence of this in history. During the medieval era, around the 15th century, there were many wars between the Rajputs, Mughals and Sultans. Rakhi at that time meant a spiritual binding and the protection of sisters was foremost. When Rani Karnavati, the widowed queen of the king of Chittor realised that she could in no way defend the invasion of the Sultan of Gujarat, Bahadur Shah, she sent a rakhi to Emperor Humayun. The Emperor was so touched by the gesture, that he abandoned an ongoing military campaign to ride to her rescue.

The rakhi may also be tied on other special occasions to show solidarity and kinship (not necessarily only among brothers and sisters), as was done during the Indian independence movement.

Gasparilla Pirate Festival

The Gasparilla Pirate Festival is an annual celebration held in the city of Tampa, Florida. Held each year in late January and hosted by Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla and the City of Tampa, it celebrates the apocryphal legend of Jose Gaspar (Gasparilla), supposedly a Spanish pirate captain who operated in Southwest Florida. The theme is an "invasion" by Gasparilla and his men, which begins when the "Krewe" (made up of residents of the city) arrives on a 165' long pirate ship, the Jose Gaspar, in Tampa Bay and land near downtown Tampa. The mayor of Tampa then lends the key of the city to the pirate captain and a parade ensues down Bayshore Boulevard, one of Tampa's major streets. The krewes throw beads, coins and other items while shooting blank pistols from floats during the parade. Krewe memberships are highly sought after in many social circles in Tampa, and many celebrate ethnic and cultural themes. The Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla, the organization which founded and sponsors the parade, is the oldest krewe in Tampa, and among its most prestigious. Members of the many krewes that now participate spend a great deal of money on beads and floats.

The Wesak Festival

The second of the three major spiritual planetary festivals is The Wesak Festival, The Buddha’s Blessing, and is celebrated in the eastern hemisphere at the Taurus full moon. This is the festival of The Buddha, divine intermediary between the highest spiritual center, Shambolic, and the Spiritual Hierarchy.

The Buddha is the expression of the Wisdom of God, the embodiment of light and the indicator of divine purpose.

The Forces of Enlightenment are active during this festival. These forces emanate from the Heart of God, and transmit the second principle of Divinity, Love-Wisdom, leading to Divine Understanding and strengthening those who serve humanity. The qualities of The Buddha and The Christ eminent are the two outstanding expressions of this principle.

The Forces of Enlightenment are initiating a World Religion. The first to be affected by these forces are the great educational movements, the forums of the people in all lands, and the values which can unfold through the mass communications media. The press, publishers of world literature, speakers, writers, radio commentators, newspaper reporters, ministers and all involved in communicating ideas are affected by these forces streaming into the minds of people everywhere. As these new emerging ideas are recognized, they can then be directly channelled to influence the masses of people everywhere.

Vancouver Symphony of Fire

If there is one event that defines summer in Vancouver, it's the Celebration of Light international fireworks competition and festival four nights of the best fireworks displays you've ever seen.

Since 1990, the annual Celebration of Light has become one of the most prestigious fireworks competitions in the world, attracting the world's best fireworks pyrotechnical and designers. The 2010 Celebration of Light fireworks competition features tour-de-force performances from the United States, Spain and Mexico, as well as a tribute to China.

For four nights on consecutive Wednesdays and Saturdays, the skies over English Bay light up in a musical pyrotechnic extravaganza. Each country has one night to wow the judges and audience before the final night's grand finale.

Nayale Sea Festival

Bau Nyale is an annual festival in Lombok. The Festival is also known as “catching the nyale among the Sasak people in the region. Nyale is in fact a kind of sea worm. This colossal festival bears a legendary myth as its background. Mandalika was the Princess of Kuripan and she was extremely beautiful. Her beauty became a craze among the princes of the land and all of them started fighting among each other to win the princess. However, this pathetic scenario made Mandalika distressed and she took a hard decision to bring the lost peace to her country. She jumped into the sea and sacrificed her life. Though it brought peace to the land again, the people could never forget their dear princess. Since then the festival is organized in certain time of the year.

The Sasak people think that on this particular day, the princess comes to visit her people. At Kuta Beach (located in West Lombok which is 2 hours drive from Gili Islands where Villa Ombak is located) she comes in the form of little, colorful sea worms with the beautiful strands of her hair appears. Another mysterious fact about this Bau Nyale Festival of Lombok is that these unique nyale worms appear only in a particular time of the year and only at the Kuta and Seger beaches. They remain here for a couple of days and go away. Though the exact date of the festival depends on the arrival of these nyale worms, it has been noticed that they appear usually on the 19th day of the 10th month according to the calendar of Sasak lunar.

During those days, countless Sasak people come to the Kuta beach and they wait till the dawn breaks. Until the right moment comes, they perform many traditions rituals together. People recite rhyming traditional poems that are popularly known as pantun among the Sasak people. Children also enjoy the festival in their way by riding various types of boats in the sea, making loud noises in the rain and so on. Then at the very moment the breaks, the nyale worms are caught and cooked. These are also served raw. Sasak people also think that the more they can catch the nyale worms, the better will be the harvesting of the year. In some areas people also use nyale worms as good fertilizers. They put them in the field and believe that these are good for the rice.

Lohri Festival

The origin of the Lohri can be traced back to the tale of Dulla Bhatti. By the end of the first week of January, small groups of boys ring the doorbell of houses and start chanting the Lohri songs related to Dulla Bhatti. In turn, the people give them popcorn, peanuts, crystal sugar, sesame seeds (til) or gur as well as money. Turning them back empty-handed is regarded inauspicious.

Lohri marks the end of winter on the last day of Paush, and beginning of Magha (around January 12 and 13), when the sun changes its course. It is associated with the worship of the sun and fire and is observed by all communities with different names, as Lohri is an exclusively Punjabi festival. The questions like When it began and why is lost in the mists of antiquity.

The origin of Lohri is related to the central character of most Lohri songs is Dulla Bhatti, a Muslim highway robber who lived in Punjab during the reign of Emperor Akbar. Besides robbing the rich, he rescued Hindu girls being forcibly taken to be sold in slave market of the Middle East. He arranged their marriages to Hindu boys with Hindu rituals and provided them with dowries. Understandably, though a bandit, he became a hero of all Punjabis. So every other Lohri song has words to express gratitude to Dulla Bhatti.

Some believe that Lohri has derived its name from Loi, the wife of Sant Kabir, for in rural Punjab Lohri is pronounced as Lohi. Others believe that Lohri comes from the word 'loh', a thick iron sheet tawa used for baking chapattis for community feasts. Another legend says that Holika and Lohri were sisters. While the former perished in the Holi fire, the latter survived. Eating of til (sesame seeds) and rorhi (jaggery) is considered to be essential on this day. Perhaps the words til and rorhi merged to become tilorhi, which eventually got shortened to Lohri.

Ceremonies that go with the festival of Lohri usually comprises of making a small image of the Lohri goddess with gobar (cattle dung), decorating it, kindling a fire beneath it and chanting its praises. The final ceremony is to light a large bonfire at sunset, toss sesame seeds, gur, sugar-candy and rewires in it, sit round it, sing, dance till the fire dies out. People take dying embers of the fire to their homes. In Punjabi village homes, fire is kept going round the clock by use of cow-dung cakes.

Durga Puja Durga Puja

Durga Puja also referred to as Durgotsab is an annual Hindu festival in South Asia that celebrates worship of the Hindu goddess Durga. It refers to all the six days observed as Mahalaya, Shashthi , Maha Saptami, Maha Ashtami, Maha Nabami and Bijoya Dashami. The dates of Durga Puja celebrations are set according to the traditional Hindu calendar and the fortnight corresponding to the festival is called Debi Pokkho.

Durga Puja is widely celebrated in the Indian states of West Bengal, Assam, Jharkhand, Orissa and Tripura where it is a five-day annual holiday. Not only it is the biggest Hindu festival celebrated throughout the State, but it is also the most significant socio-cultural event in Bengali society. Apart from eastern India, Durga Puja is also celebrated in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Punjab, Kashmir, Karnataka and Kerala. Durga Puja is also celebrated as a major festival in Nepal and in Bangladesh where 10% population are Hindu. Nowadays, many Bengali cultural organizations arrange for Durgotsab in countries such as the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, France, and Kuwait, among others. In 2006, a grand Durga Puja ceremony was held in the Great Court of the British Museum.
The prominence of Durga Puja increased gradually during the British Raj in Bengal.

After the Hindu reformists resemble Durga with India, she had become an icon for the Indian independence movement. In the first quarter of the 20th century, the tradition of Baroyari or Community Puja was popularised due to this. After independence, Durga Puja became one of the largest celebrated festivals in the whole world.

Durga Puja includes the worships of Shiva, Lakshmi, Ganesha, Saraswati and Kartikeya. Modern traditions have come to include the display of decoratedpandals and artistically depicted idols of Durga, exchange of Bijoya Greetings and publication of Puja Annuals.

Sydney Festival

Each year the Sydney Festival offers a rich and diverse program spanning all art forms including dance, theater, music, visual arts, film, forums and large scale free outdoor events. For three weeks in January the Festival hosts around 80 events involving upwards of 500 artists from Australia and abroad. In any given year, it makes use of most of the main theaters across the breadth of the city and also has a commitment to the presentation of quality, large-scale outdoor events such as the iconic Domain Series.

Mid-Autumn Festival

When the harvest moon is full and bright, Hong Kong lights up for the Mid-Autumn Festival. Thousands of lanterns in every shape, size and color fill public parks - head up to Victoria Peak for the festival's most spectacular views.
The festival is an ancient Chinese tradition which commemorates China's 14th-century uprising against Mongolian occupation. Rebels wrote the call to revolt on pieces of paper and embedded them in cakes which they smuggled to compatriots. Today, in honour of this, people eat special yuek beng (moon cakes) - pastry crust filled with sugary fillings like lotus seed paste or red bean paste.

Sechselauten Festival

For over six hundred years the city of Zurich has symbolically driven out Winter and welcomed Spring with the traditional Sechselauten, Six Ringing Festival in Switzerland, which is observed on a Sunday and Monday early in April.

The festival originated in the Middle Ages when the trade guilds governed the city. On the Monday following the spring equinox (March 21) it was customary for the cathedral bells to start ringing at six, instead of seven o'clock the usual time to announce the end of the guild member's working day. This first day of change from winter to summer schedule was celebrated as a guild holiday. For centuries the bells rang as a signal to cease work. Gradually the general public sought to join in festivities. Finally the Six Ringing, which started as a purely guild holiday, became an affair in which all of Zurich's citizens shared.

The festival opens on Sunday with a school children's parade and pageant, followed on Monday by a splendid procession of the various guilds, some twenty-four of which still exist. The city presents a gala appearance with bunting, cantonal flags and pennants fluttering from houses and public buildings. Immense crowds from surrounding areas gather to see the procession. School children in regional costume precede a float on which is enthroned a pretty girl personifying Spring, surrounded by flowers, garlands, and numerous attendants.

The colorful procession proceeds before cheering crowds, marches along the banks of the Limmat and comes to Bellevue Platz, where Boogg is impaled above his pyre. Promptly at six o'clock the bells start ringing. Fife and drum bands play loudly the stirring Zurcher Sechselauten Marsch. The people shout with joy. The bonfire under Boogg is lighted. Suddenly the flames spring upward and the explosive-filled figure of the snow man ignites. White-robed horsemen gallop about the fire as firecrackers explode and parts of Boogg fly in all directions, amid a deafening roar of noise.

River Hong Bao

The River Hong Bao Festival is an annual fair in Singapore that takes place at the breezy waterfront area near Marina Promenade. The fair is usually built along the theme of the relevant Chinese zodiac symbol for that coming year. Expect huge floats depicting the animals of the Chinese zodiac, as well as huge statues of the Gods of Fortune and Wisdom, colorful temples and bridges, and "cherry blossom" trees everywhere. The stalls will feature the best in arts and crafts, Chinese calligraphy, and even palm reading, from Taiwan and China. Cultural performances will be held nightly.

Festival of the Hungry Ghosts

According to ancient Chinese tradition, on the 15th day of the seventh moon, the gates of Hades burst open, unleashing restless spirits, or 'Hungry Ghosts'. In Hong Kong, offerings to the ghosts range from material possessions to opera performances.
The offerings that adorn the streets, graveyards and beaches are intricate paper models of worldly possessions such as high-tech household goods or sometimes entire wardrobes and musical instruments. These offerings are burned and the fires, visible across Hong Kong, create a truly eerie and wondrous spectacle.

Indra Jatra

The Indra Jatra festival begins on the 26th of Bhadon and lasts for eight days. On the first day a lofty wooden post is erected before the king's palace and dancers from all across Nepal perform with masks. If an earthquake ever occurred on the opening day of the festival this was considered a bad omen and the festival would have to be restarted. On the third day, young virgins are brought before the king and worshiped and then carried through Kathmandu, mounted on oars.

Onam Festival

The annual Onam Festival transforms Kerala with colorful processions, feasting, boat races, singing and dancing. The state takes a holiday surrounding the event so, wherever you are, there is sure to be noise and color.
Onam celebrates the golden age of King Mahabali, a mythical ruler of Kerala. Children create huge floral decorations inside and outside their homes. Every village and town celebrates in its own colorful way. In Trichur, the local elephants are elaborately decorated before parading through the streets and in Cheruthuruthy, traditional Kathakali dancers show off their brilliant costumes in evening shows.

Darwin Festival

The Darwin Festival is a celebration of the city's uniqueness, celebrating our multicultural community, youthful energy, tropical climate and our great lifestyle. The cultural program provides a feast of local, national and international performances to excite, inspire and entertain. It includes opera, cabaret, dance, music, film, comedy, the visual arts and workshops - incorporating music and dance from Indigenous, Indonesian and Pacific Island communities. There is also a strong visual arts component, with traditional land owners guiding visitors through the many galleries exhibiting Indigenous art.

International Mother Language Day

International Mother Language Day is the national festival of Bangladesh. The 21st of February has special significance to the people of Bangladesh. Each year, on this date, the country commemorates International Mother Language Day in recognition of the preservation of Bangla as the official language of Bangladesh. At the request of the people of Bangladesh and after investigating the matter, UNESCO declared the 21st of February each year to be International Mother Language Day on a world-wide scale among United Nations member countries.


The event leading up to the adoption of the 21st of February as International Mother Language Day started when the Governor General of Pakistan, Mohammed Ali Jinnah, declared at a public meeting on 21 March 1948 that Urdu would be the only official language for both east and west Pakistan. The majority of the people living in eastern Pakistan were Bangla-speaking and therefore protested against this declaration. But on 21 February 1952, ever in history, a bunch of young Bengali students gave their lives in a protest rally at the Dhaka university campus against the Pakistani authority’s attempt to impose Urdu (as the state language of Pakistan) over the 70 million Bengalis of East Bangla (then East Pakistan). The slain students are seen as martyrs for their cause, which turned out to be the beginning of Bangladesh’s struggle for independence. The time was 3.20 p.m. to 3.50 p.m. on 21st February '52. It was these 30 minutes that seeded a nation in the hearts of millions.

Eyo Festival

Eyo Festival is unique to Lagos area, and it is widely believed that Eyo is the forerunner of the mod ern day carnival in Brazil. On Eyo Day, the main highway in the heart of the city (from the end of Carter Bridge to Tinubu Square) is closed to traffic, allowing for procession from Idumota to Iga Idunganran.

Here, the participants all pay homage to the Oba of Lagos. Eyo festival takes place according to the demand of occasion and tradition, but it is usually held as the final burial rites for a highly regarded chief.

Among the Yoruba, the indigenous religions have largely given way to Christianity and Islam, but the old festivals are still observed. The traditional leaders of the Yoruba are the Obas, who live in palaces and used to govern along with a council of ministers. The Obas' position is now mainly honorary, and their chief role is during the observance of the festivals.

Yoruban festivals honour their pantheon of gods and mark the installation of a new Oba. The Engungun ("en-GOON-gun") festival, which honours the ancestors, lasts 24 days. Each day, a different Engungun in the person of a masked dancer dances through the town, possessed by one of the ancestors. On the last day, a priest goes to the shrine of the ancestors and sacrifices animals, pouring the blood on the shrine. The sacrifices are collected, and they become the food for the feast that follows.

International kite festival

One of the major festivities of Ahmedabad is the international kite festival that is celebrated every year on the 14th of January. It falls on the same day as the festive occasion of Uttarayan or Makar Sankranti. Many days before the arrival of Ahmedabad international kite festival, people are excited about it, especially the youngsters. Read on to know more about International Kite Festival in Ahmedabad, India.

Uttarayan international kite festival usually falls on a bright shining day with clear sky. The wind is strong enough to lift plenty of kites high up in the air. It is also celebrated to observe the end of winter season and give a warm welcome to the summer season. It is during this festive occasion that, Ahmedabad turns into a hub of life. The entire city is abuzz with activities and feasts. On the day of international kite festival, people keep aside all their work and head their way to the open fields or terrace of their house for flying kites.

It is the time for rejoicing, as it marks the shift in the movement of sun towards the Northern hemisphere. Ladies get engrossed with the task of preparing special dishes for the festivity. The kite flying competition begins at dawn and continues throughout the day. During this festive occasion, the markets provide people with distinctive varieties of kites, differing in color, design and style. Thus, there is a multitude of options available for people to choose from. This is how the Uttarayan international kite festival is celebrated at Ahmedabad in Gujarat.

Thrung Thu Festival

Tet Trung Thu, as it is known in Vietnam, or the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival is a wonderful, ancient festival that revolves around children.

The Mid-Autumn Moon Festival (Tet Trung Thu) dates back as far as 15-20,000 years ago in Southeast Asia, and is traditionally held on the 15th day of the 8th Lunar Month. This year, the date of the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival is September 2, the same day as the full moon. The Mid-Autumn Moon Festival is one of the two most popular festivals in Vietnam, and has been important to families in Vietnam for many years.It is said that originally, the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival came about as a way for parents to make up for lost time with their children after harvest season. The harvest was done by September, (August in the Lunar calendar) and the parents were anxious to spend time with their children and do something special with them, as well as celebrate the harvest, after spending much time working hard and away from the family. It was held under the full moon, which represents fullness and prosperity of life.

Tet Trung Thu is very much like a combination of our Halloween and Thanksgiving. Children parade on the streets, while singing and carrying colourful lanterns of different sizes. Some of the popular shapes include fishes, stars, butterflies and a lantern that spins when a candle is inserted, representing the earth circling the sun. Dances are also traditional, and include the dragon dance and the flower dance.It is customary to give Banh Trung Thu, boxes of moon cakes, which are traditionally very rich in taste. The cakes are filled with lotus seeds, ground beans and orange peels and have a bright yoke in the center to represent the moon.

Today, the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival, as well as encouraging affection for children, promotes education, poetry, dance and arts and crafts.

Cans Film Festival

Cannes film festival is one of the biggest annual gatherings of actors and actresses around the globe. It is one of the most recognized and prestigious film festivals worldwide, was founded in 1946. It consists of having films screened in and out of competition during the festival; films screened in competition compete for the Palme d'Or award.

Snow festival

The Sapporo Snow & Ice Festival is magnificent, and an event not to be missed. In Japanese it is called the Sapporo Yuki Matsuri. It is one of the largest winter events in Japan and is an absolute gem. The festival takes place in early February for 7 days.

Shopping festival

Dubai is very well known for its massive shopping malls and celebrates annually the shopping festival. People from all over the word come to Dubai to be a part of this festival and also for shopping. The event is highly sponsored by The Emirates airlines and provides different packages at very low cost for the customers.

The Argungu fishing festival

This colorful annual festival takes place in Arugungu, a riverside town in KebbeState, about 64 miles from Sokoto. It is the leading tourist attraction spot in the area. The festival originated in Aug. 1934, when the late Sultan Dan Mu’azu made an historic visit. In tribute to his visit a grand fishing festival was organized. Since then, it’s become a celebrated yearly event held between Feb. and March. During the festival, hundreds of local men and boys enter the water, armed with large fishnet scoops.

They are joined by canoes filled with drummers, plus men rattling huge seed-filled gourds to drive the fish to shallow waters. Vast nets are cast and wealth of fish is harvested, from giant Nile Perch to the peculiar Balloon Fish. Furthermore there’s canoe racing, wild duck hunting, bare-handed fishing, diving competitions and naturally, swimming. Afterwords, there is drinking, singing and dancing in the night.
The festival marks the end of the growing season and the harvest. A one mile stretch of the Argungu River is protected throughout the year, so that the fish will be plentiful for this 45 minute fishing frenzy.

About 5,000 men take part, armed with hand nets and a large gourd. During the allocated time, they fight for the fish in the river. Nile perch weighing up to 140 pounds (63.5 kg) are pulled out of the river, and the biggest are offered to the local Emirs who organize the festival. This festival began in the 1930s and has captured the nation's interest. It now includes many other events, such as canoe races and diving competition.

Estate Romana Festival

This is probably the largest festival held in Rome during the summer months. The main attractions of this festival in Rome are a series of cultural events and performances usually held outdoors including song & dance troops as well as theater performances. The festival continues for the entire duration of the summer months in Rome and is an initiative of the local government to attract people to Rome at a time of year where many escape to the cooler climates in the north of Italy.

Hadong wild tea cultural festival

The Hadong tea cultural festival is one of the biggest tea festivals known. The production of Hadong’s tea comprises of honored traditional methods and as a result the teas are very expensive but using the festival, visitors can sample a variety of Hadong’s tea for free and purchase their favourites at bargain prices. The festival offers visitors a unique and entertaining combination of events and hands-on experiences, drawing a large number of visitors every year.

May Day

Children in England celebrate May Day end of winter and the arrival of spring on May 1 each year. The festivities centred around a huge striped maypole that’s decorated with flowers and streamers. Children hold the streamers as they dance around the pole, weaving intricate patterns as they pass each other. Men also join in on the fun. A group of six or eight Morris dancers arrange themselves in two lines and wave handkerchiefs or sticks as they dance by each other.

Purim

Purim is considered Jewish festivals that celebrate the liberation of Jewish natives of olden Persian Empire from the Haman's plot to obliterate them, and as recorded in Biblical Book of Esther. In accordance with the legend, Haman cast heaps to settle on the day whereupon to eradicate the Jews.
Purim is celebrated yearly consistent with Hebrew calendar on that 14th day of Hebrew of the Adar. This day is very important to Jews because Jews got the victory over their rivals; as with the entire Jewish festivals, Purim starts at sunset on the last secular day. And in cities that were confined through a neighboring wall at an instance of Joshua, comprised Jerusalem, and Shushan. Purim is feted on 15th day of month, which is known as a Shushan Purim. Purim is distinguished through public recital of a Book of Esther, giving shared gifts of drink and food and giving donations to the deprived and also a celebratory feast and other customs comprise wearing of masks and costumes, drinking wine, and public festival.
In accordance with a Book of Haman, Esther, royal vizier to King Ahasuerus intended to slay the Jews, but his devices were foiled through Esther, that was made sovereign after his earlier sovereign Vashti was sacked, Mordechai, a palace authorized who elevated Esther at what time her parents expired.

Esala Parahera

Every July or August, thousands of Sri Lankans travel to the hill city of Kandy to watch dancers, acrobats, drummers, whip crackers, flame throwers and more than 100 elegantly decorated elephants parade through the streets during Esala Perahera. This is a 10-day festival in honour of to the country’s most prized possession, the Tooth Relic of Lord Buddha. Esala Perahera, first celebrated in the third century B.C., kicks off with the cutting of a ceremonial jack tree. Pieces of the tree are then planted near the shrines of the four Buddhist gods that protect Sri Lanka: Natha, Vishnu, Kataragama and Pattini. For the next five nights, ceremonies with festive dancing and drumming take place outside each of the temples. On the sixth night of the festival, processions begin from each shrine and parade toward the Temple of the Tooth. The processions grow longer and more spectacular each night. During the last night of the pageant, an enormous elephant carries a relic of the Tooth Relic in a gold casket on its back as the performers entertain crowds along the route. The ceremony ends at dawn after the full moon with a water-cutting ceremony. Priests representing each of the four temples walk into the Mahaweli River “cut” a circle in the water with a sword and fill pitchers with water from within the circle. They keep the water in the pitcher for the entire year.

Cocuk Bayrami

Each April 23, Turkey celebrates Çocuk Bayrami, or Children’s Day. Turkish leader Mustafa Kemal Ataturk declared the holiday in 1920, as Turkey was becoming an independent nation after the fall of the Ottoman Empire, to illustrate those children were the future of the new nation. The Children from all over Turkey dress up in special outfits or the national costume for Çocuk Bayrami. Boys who dress in the national costume typically wear baggy silk pants, a colorful vest, a white shirt and a sequined hat, called a tepelik. Girls wear a long colorful gown called a kaftan and an ornate veil. Many children take part in plays or musicals. The centerpiece of Çocuk Bayrami takes place in Turkey’s capital, Ankara, where children from all over the world sing and dance in a spectacular pageant.

Music Festival of England

Music festivals are among the most popular festivals in England. The festival takes place in summer time starting from June and onwards.Metal bands , Rock bands and different types of singers and musician from all over the comes to England for their concerts. Fans from the Eu starts to gather up in England to see their favorite musician’s live performance. At this time of the year the prices of the tickets reaches its peak, but really does not effect the incoming flow of the fans.

Nagasaki Kunchi Matsuri (Japanese festival)

The Nagasaki Kunchi is the festival of Suwa Shrine. It is held annually all over central Nagasaki on October 7th - 9th.The Nagasaki Kunchi has been celebrated for more than 370 years and incorporates different aspects of Chinese and Dutch cultures, which have played a role in the city's history. The festival's name is believed to come from ku-nichi ("9th day"), the ninth day of the ninth month of the lunar calendar.

Carnival

The Carnival of Brazil, properly spelled "Carnaval" in Portuguese, is an annual festival in Brazil held forty days before Easter. On certain days of Lent, Roman Catholics and some other Christians traditionally abstained from the consumption of meat and poultry, hence the term "carnival," from carnelevare, "to remove (literally, "raise") meat."Carnival celebrations are believed to have roots in the pagan festival of Saturnalia, which, adapted to Christianity, became a farewell to bad things in a season of religious discipline to practice repentance and prepare for Christ's death and resurrection.
Brazil’s most popular and festive holiday is Carnival. In fact to many people Carnival is one the world’s biggest celebrations. Each spring on Saturday before Ash Wednesday, the streets of Brazil’s largest city come alive with wild parties’ festivals and glamorous balls. The samba School Parade is the main spotlight of this festival. About 3,000 performers take part in this parade. A special stadium called the Sambadrome is built for this parade and after the dance performance by different groups the judges give away award to the best group.

Pohela Boishakh

Pohela Boishakh is the first day of the Bangla Calender. It is usually celebrated on the 14th of April. Pohela Boishakh marks the start day of the crop season. Usually on Pohela Boishakh, the home is thoroughly scrubbed and cleaned; people bathe early in the morning and dress in fine clothes. They spend much of the day visiting relatives, friends, and neighbours and going to fair. Fairs are arranged in many parts of the country where various agricultural products, traditional handicrafts, toys, cosmetics, as well as various kinds of food and sweets are sold. The fairs also provide entertainment, with singers, dancers and traditional plays and songs. Horse races, bull races, bullfights, cockfights, flying pigeons, boat racing were once popular. All gatherings and fairs consist a wide spread of Bengali food and sweets.

Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year is the longest and the most important celebration in the Chinese calendar. The New Year beings with the first day of the Chinese calendar and the festivities continue for 15 days. At Chinese New Year celebrations, people wear red clothes give children “luck money” in red envelopes and set fireworks. Red symbolizes fire which the Chinese think drives away bad luck. Family members gather at each others homes for extravagant meals. Chinese New Year ends with a lantern festival. People hang decorated lanterns in temples and carry lanterns to an evening parade under the light of the full moon. The highlight of the lantern festival is often the dragon dance. The dragon-which can stretch a hundred feet long-is typically made of silk, paper and bamboo.

Holi

Holi is literally one of the most colourful festivals in the world. Hindus celebrate this festival in March when wheat is harvested. Holi commemorates spring and the mythological stories of lord Krishna and king Prahlad. In Hindu legend during Holi Krishna used to cover Radha and her friends with coloured water and stole off their clothes while they bathed. In the other story, Prahlad, the son of the king, refused his father’s demand that he worship him rather than God. Prahlad was saved twice from death by god, first when the king ordered him to be killed, and again, when the king’s evil sister, Holika, led Prahlad into a huge bonfire In the remembrance of that the Hindis in the morning of the holi put on their all their old clothes and douse each other with coloured powders. This is the one the day of the year parents encourage their children to get filthy.

Diwali

Diwali, the Hindu festival of light is the best known of all celebrations and certainly the brightest. Throughout India the homes are all lighted as a sign of welcome to the gods Rama and lakshmi. It is celebrated on the 15th day of the dark fortnight of the Hindu month of Ashwin that is (October/November) every year. Diwali has a big significance in the in Hindu followers as they as it symbolizes the ancient culture of India which teaches to remove the darkness of ignorance and to light up the mind with knowledge Families get together and celebrate this event with feasts and gifts. Many families decorate their house with flowers. On the day of Diwali festival, doorways are hung with torans of mango leaves and marigolds. Rangolis are drawn with different colored powders to welcome guests. The traditional motifs are often linked with auspicious symbols of good luck. Oil diyas are arranged in and around the house. Because of these flickering lamps, the festival has acquired its name: Dipawali or Diwali meaning 'a rows of lamps'.

Eid - Ul - Fitr

Billions of Muslims around the world observe Ramadan (“month of blessing”) with prayers, fasting and giving charity. The ending of Ramadan is celebrated by a three day festival known as Eid-ul-Fitr (“breaking the fast”). It is one of the most important festivals of the Muslim world. During this time, people put on their finest clothes; adorn their houses with lights and decorations, prepares variety of dishes and meets their friends and family. Muslims wake up early on this day to attend special Eid- prayer which is called Eid Salah. Before attending the prayer they eat some date fruits and sweet dishes. The Eid prayer is followed by the khutbah and then a supplication asking for forgiveness, mercy and help for all living beings across the world. The khutbah also instructs Muslims as to the performance of rituals of Eid, such as the zakat. It is then customary to embrace the persons sitting on either side of oneself, whilst greeting them. After the prayers, people also visit their relatives, friends and acquaintances.

Intro To My Blog

There are numerous types of festivals celebrated around the world. Most of them are based on religious rituals and commandments but there are also festivals which has cultural, seasonal, and geographical significance. Also there are festivals which are celebrated due to events that have occurred in the history. Festivals from time to time have given its celebrators an opportunity to become happy, to entertain the mind and to attain peace in soul. It gives people the opportunity to be with their families, friends and loved ones and to make their bonds even stronger. Festivals are always very specially to its celebrators as it is long awaited and also because of the fact that its gives identity to its celebrators.