When traveling to a different country, aligning your trip with local festival schedules can add a unique layer of enjoyment. Although local festivals can make streets busier than usual, they also offer the merit of witnessing spectacles that can’t be seen outside of the festival season. If you’re interested in experiencing local festivals in different countries, considering the following festivals introduced from now on could be worthwhile.
Taiwan Lantern Festival
Every year in Taiwan, a lantern festival is held on the 15th day of the lunar calendar. The Taiwan government selects the city where the festival will be held each year, ensuring that it takes place in locations that may not be well-known but are charming. The lantern festival, which lasts for ten days, features a variety of unique lanterns, and thousands of lanterns are displayed throughout the city, with a main theme lantern symbolizing the zodiac sign of the year and local specialties.
Japan Kyoto Gion Festival
Gion Matsuri is a festival held in Kyoto, Japan, recognized as a national cultural heritage. It originated from a purification ritual held to prevent the spread of infectious diseases and takes place every year from July 1st to 31st. Particularly, the ‘Yoiyama’ on the 16th and the ‘Yamaboko Junko’ on the 17th are well-known. The Yamaboko Junko features a procession of the festival’s symbol, the Yamaboko, marching through the streets. The Yamaboko is renowned for its colossal size, standing over 65 feet.
Canada Quebec Winter Carnival
The Quebec Winter Carnival, held in Quebec Canada is a winter festival that takes place for 17 days from the end of January to the beginning of February every year. As the largest winter festival in North America, various works made of ice are displayed in the snow city of Quebec and various events are held. Visitors can experience ice sculptor performances, dog sled parades, and skate races. The opening and closing ceremonies at the Ice Palace which attracts thousands of people are also spectacular.
USA Hawaii Aloha Festival
Hawaii a popular tourist destination in the United States, hosts many festivals among which the ‘Aloha Festival’ is the largest. This festival which takes place for three weeks every September starts with the coronation of the Hawaiian royal family and proceeds with over 100 events reflecting the culture of the Polynesians. The festival culminates in a parade of flower-decorated float cars. It’s the best chance to appreciate the unique culture of Hawaii.
Spain Valencia Fire Festival
Every March a festival welcoming spring is held in Valencia Spain. This is the ‘Fallas Festival’ also known as the Valencia Fire Festival. The festival which lasts for five days from March 15th to 19th is famous for its large and small fireworks displays throughout the city and an event where large dolls are gathered and burned. It is an event that embodies the desire to burn and get rid of old things in the spirit of welcoming the beginning of a new year in spring.
Netherlands Tulip Festival
The Netherlands famous as the country of tulips, holds a tulip festival every year to mark the beginning of spring. From late March to May about seven million tulips welcome visitors. The Dutch Tulip Festival is held about 25 miles away from Amsterdam Central Station, and the first modern tulip festival was recorded in 1949. The Keukenhof Garden was first opened to the public in 1950 and it is said that 200,000 people visited in the first year.
Philippines MassKara Festival
In the Philippines, the ‘MassKara Festival’, a mask festival is held every October. The festival started in October 1980 with a proposal to hold a festival where all citizens wear smiling masks to revive the depressed era. The main event of the MassKara Festival is a parade where people wear smiling masks and dance to exciting group dances on the main streets of Bacolod City. The parade which is participated in by voluntary citizens creates a spectacular scene.
Sweden Midsummer Festival
As summer approaches, the length of the day tends to increase. On the longest day of the year, Sweden celebrates with a festival. It’s a celebration of the arrival of summer after a long winter, and it takes place all over Sweden for about three days. In Swedish, it’s called ‘Midsommar’ and at this time, the entire nation goes outside to soak up plenty of sunlight, enjoy entertainment, and have fun. The horror movie ‘Midsommar’ is based on the Midsummer Festival.
France Avignon Festival
Every July, a world-renowned theater festival is held in the square of Avignon, France. This festival, founded by Jean Vilar in 1947, is the oldest in France and also one of the largest in the world. Not only French but also travelers from all over the world head to Avignon in the south of France to enjoy the Avignon Festival, where various performances take place on the streets and a variety of attractions can be enjoyed outside of the official festival program.
Mexico Day of the Dead
In Mexico, a three-day memorial festival to honor the dead is held from October 31st to November 2nd. This traditional Mexican festival is based on the belief that the dead have returned to the world of the living to be with their loved ones. During this period, people decorate a special altar in their homes and decorate various places with flowers and gifts. The animated film ‘Coco’ by Disney Pixar was inspired by the Day of the Dead in Mexico.
By. Deok Soo Choi
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