15 Festivals in the World That Celebrate Unique Traditions
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Festivals are vibrant ways for communities to celebrate their cultural heritage, values, and traditions. Numerous festivals are held across the globe, from ancient rituals full of history to modern-day spectacles of creativity.
Looking for the best festivals out there? This list of festivals to attend worldwide has got you covered whether you are after extravagant merry-making escapades or want to indulge in different cultures. From the free-spirited Rio carnival in Rio de Janeiro to the artistic Burning Man, there is something for everyone here.
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Rio Carnival, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
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If you believe in “go big or go home” when it comes to dressing up, partying, and celebrating, then the Rio Carnival is a festival you should add to your bucket list.
The carnival, recognized as the biggest in the world, typically happens on the weekend leading to Ash Wednesday. Around this time, social media feeds are always filled with participants dancing and matching in glamorous costumes, celebrating the beginning of Lent and the rich Brazilian dance and music heritage.
The festival involves the Samba parade in the Sambadrome and street parties throughout the city. The Rio Carnival is an opportunity to come out and celebrate in extravagant parades, vibrant costumes, and infectious samba music.
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Oktoberfest, Munich, Germany
Oktoberfest, which started as a Royal wedding in 1810, is an annual festival celebrating Bavarian culture. It is held at Theresienwiese, an open space near the Munich city center. If you want to indulge in the rich German beer and food culture, Oktoberfest is a great place to do it.
Oktoberfest traditionally begins in late September and runs through the first weekend of October. Attend this festival to enjoy horse races, parades, carnival rides, cultural performances, rich brewing culture, and traditional Bavarian foods.
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Diwali, India
Diwali, also called the festival of lights, is a Hindu festival that celebrates the victory of light over darkness or good over evil. If you love the breathtaking scenery of fireworks exploding into the night skies, plan to attend a Diwali festival. The festival primarily happens in India and among other Hindu communities in Nepal, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, and other countries with large Indian diaspora populations.
Diwali typically falls between mid-October and mid-November, depending on the lunar calendar. The Hindu lunisolar calendar determines Diwali’s main day, usually on the darkest night of the Hindu lunisolar month, Ashvin.
During the festival, people’s homes and public spaces are decorated with oil lamps, candles, and colorful lights. These fireworks and firecrackers create a fantastic festive atmosphere.
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Mardi Gras, New Orleans, USA
Want to experience European charm without actually having to fly to Europe? The Mardi Gras Festival, whose origin is deeply rooted in the Creole and French culture, would be a great festival for you to attend.
Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) is celebrated on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday to mark the beginning of the Lent period. The “Fat Tuesday” was originally about consuming rich, fatty foods before the fasting period begins.
This New Orleans festival now organizes live festivities full of music, dance, themed floats, marching bands, costumed performers, and lively performances.
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Holi, India, Nepal and Pakistan
Holi is primarily celebrated in India and other Hindu communities in different countries. Holi usually takes place on the day after the full moon in the Hindu month of Phalguna, which corresponds to the end of winter and the beginning of spring.
The festival involves throwing and smearing colors to family and friends, a ritual that signifies the vibrancy of life. People gather in public spaces, streets, and parks to play and celebrate, singing and dancing to traditional folk songs and music.
Want to soak in a sea of colors? India’s best places to celebrate Holi include Mathura, Agra, Vrindavan, Jaipur, Barsana, Hampi, Shantiniketan, Mumbai, Udaipur, Pushkar, and Purulia.
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Carnival of Venice, Venice, Italy
Venice is a city that everyone should see in their lifetime. The best time to experience this charming city is during the Carnival of Venice, as the city transforms into an extravagant platform of creativity and activities. This festival marks the beginning of Lent; it is held for a few weeks leading up to Lent, with the grand day being Fat Tuesday, just before Wednesday.
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This festival is an opportunity to showcase your creativity with elaborate masks, costumes, and masquerade balls. You can also enjoy live music and performances at St. Mark’s Square and along the quaint streets of Venice.
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La Tomatina, Bunol, Spain
Participating in food fights at La Tomatina in Spain can bring out your inner child. This festival, held annually on the last Wednesday of August, involves locals and tourists throwing overripe tomatoes at each other.
The real excitement of the festivals begins when trucks loaded with tomatoes enter the town square Plaza del Pueblo. Packed trucks signify the start of “palo jabón,” a competition involving participants climbing a greased pole to reach a piece of ham placed on top of it.
Once the ham is successfully reached, the signal for the tomato fight is given, and chaos ensues as people start throwing tomatoes at each other. The tomato fight lasts about an hour, after which fire trucks spray water to clean the streets and participants.
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Songkran, Thailand
Songkran is celebrated throughout Thailand. However, for the best experience, attend the festival in major cities like Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and Ayutthaya. The festival is celebrated between April 13th and April 15th to mark the new year in the traditional Thai calendar.
The peak of the festivals involves participants breaking into the streets with water guns, hose pipes, and buckets of water and splashing them on each other. Is there a better way of reliving your childhood?
Other celebrations you can attend during Songkran include traditional performances, beauty contests, and parades.
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Burning Man, Black Rock Desert, Nevada, USA
Burning Man is a festival dedicated to celebrating the radical self-expression and self-reliance of the participants. Participants from different parts of the world install their unique art as a way of self-expression. The art is then combined to create a “new city” dubbed Black Rock City, which will be destroyed at the end of the festival.
Participating in this festival also offers the chance to enjoy music, themed camps, workshops, dancing, and street performances.
If you believe in radical self-expression through speech, art, or fashion, you belong at Burning Man, held from the last Sunday in August to the first Monday in September (Labor Day).
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The Day of The Dead, Oaxaca, Mexico
The Day of The Dead is a festival for anyone who likes Halloween but wants to take it a notch higher. It is held from the evening of October 31st through November 2nd.
This ceremony involves families and communities coming together to remember and honor their deceased loved ones. We know that sounds sad, but that is not the mood you will have during this festival. Colorful rituals, altars, candles, flowers, and decorations in streets, homes, and cemeteries characterize this festival.
The evenings are winded with children in elaborately scary costumes and masks knocking on neighborhood doors for small gifts. It is just like a treat-or-trick during Halloween, but more intricate.
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St. Patrick’s Day, Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK
While St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated in many other places, Northern Ireland takes the festivities to different levels. The festival is celebrated annually on March 17th, the death date of Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland.
The celebrations include concerts, cultural events, and parades. If you want to indulge in the celebrated Irish heritage, a good place to do so would be Belfast or Dublin during St Patrick’s Day. While all Irish communities largely celebrate the day, bigger cities host more elaborate marching bands, colorful floats, and performances.
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Festivals of Lights, Lyon, France
Fetes des Lumieres (Festivals of Light) is a vibrant and mesmerizing festival that every art enthusiast should attend at least once. The festival, originally aimed at showing gratitude to the Virgin Mary, is held every December from 8th to 12th.
Attend the festival to marvel at the stunning light installations, projections, and performances created by local and international artists. When darkness falls, start your trip around the city’s historical buildings and monuments, which serve as canvases for interactive light displays.
This festival is also a chance to enjoy rich Lyonnaise cuisine. The city is recognized as France’s gastronomical capital; take it as a chance to savor the best while indulging in an artistic world.
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Inti Raymi, Peru
Is seeing Machu Picchu on your bucket list? A good time to visit Peru is during the Inti Raymi or the Festival of The Sun.
The festival is celebrated in honor of the sun god, with colorful processions, music, dance, and traditional rituals. The main festival is on June 24th at Sacsayhuamán, an archaeological site outside Cusco. While merry-making is high during this festival, tourists can also take it as a chance to explore the Inca civilization.
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Brussels Flower Carpet, Belgium
The Brussels Flower Carpet is a colorful event in Brussels, Belgium. Every two years in August, the Grand Place, the stunning square in the city center, is covered with a huge carpet of flowers. Each year, a new design is featured, creating a stunning display of patterns and colors. The carpet is made with thousands of fresh flowers, mainly begonias, and is put together in just a few hours.
Visitors from all over come to see this flower carpet, which only stays for a few days. They can get a great view from the City Hall’s balcony, looking down on the intricate designs and colorful flowers. The event also includes music and cultural performances, adding to the fun atmosphere. The flower carpet is lit at night, making it look even more magical.
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Yi Peng Lantern Festival, Thailand
The Yi Peng Lantern Festival is a beautiful and unique celebration in Thailand. It is held in November during the full moon of the 12th month of the Thai lunar calendar. This festival is famous for the thousands of sky lanterns floating into the night sky. Originating from Lanna traditions, Yi Peng is celebrated grandly in Chiang Mai.
During the festival, participants write their wishes and prayers on paper lanterns before releasing them into the sky. This symbolic act is believed to bring good luck and rid them of troubles. Streets and temples are decorated with colorful lanterns.
Aside from the lantern release, Yi Peng features various cultural activities, including traditional Lanna dances, parades, and fireworks. Visitors can enjoy the local cuisine, handicraft markets, and live performances.
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