READ MORE:The 20 Best North Carolina Music Festivals. The Voodoo (a.k.a. Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. 1. For 10 days in December, the whirling dance, Sema, is performed in traditional costume in homage to Rumis spirit. The U.S. endures the most mass shootings in the world, withdepending upon one's definition of a mass shooting (see next section)somewhere between 21 and more than 600 in 2020. Also known as Veskha or Buddhas Birthday, Vesak is a traditional Buddhist holiday. When: Between the end of February and the middle of March. Centuries later the tradition continues, with Guatemala having the distinct pleasure of hosting one of the most elaborate Holy Week celebrations in the world. Saint Patricks Day is a cultural and religious celebration held every year on March 17th to mark the anniversary of the death of Irelands patron saint Saint Patrick. But the main reason Songkran is known outside of Asia is the wet, wild celebration in Thailand, especially Chiang Mai. Each year there are tons of different festivals around the world to choose from, but dont fret, weve got you covered! Everyone is welcome, everyone is fair game, and the playful, childlike vibe is incredibly infectious. Diwali is one of the most famous and renowned religious and cultural festivals around the world in Hindus. Botanique Hotel & Spa, Campos do Jordo, Brazil. They also visit their loved ones graves, leaving these gifts and other beloved possessions as tribute to the deceased. 01 of 08 Holi Ferrantraite/Getty Images Check it out! 0. . Not to mention its an incredibly easy, fun way to spice up your sightseeing plans. If youre looking for a hotel in Fes for the World Music Festival, check out Palais Faraj Suites & Spa, Riad Naila or Dar Mfaddel. The South sure knows how to throw a food festival. With so many destinations touting luxury and attention to detail, it's hard to find consistently unforgettable experiences around the world. Mardi Gras - United States. For locals and tourists Holi offers a chance to play, dance and sing without a care in the world. Record attendance: 450,000. 40 Fascinating Christmas Traditions in Mexico, The 30 Best Places to Spend Christmas in Europe, 40 Ways to Celebrate New Year Traditions Around the World, Courtyard by Marriott Nashville SE/Murfreesboro, The 20 Best North Carolina Music Festivals, 20 Largest Lakes in the World by Continent (For Your World Trave Bucket List), What is Ecotourism? It was originally held at the Montreux Casino, until it burned down during Frank Zappas 1971 performance there. Dating back to 1650's, the carnival originally began to pay a tribute to the God of grape harvest. Cdiz, Spain Getty Images Recognized as the oldest Carnival celebration on mainland Spain, Cdiz Carnival originates from its relationship as a major trading partner with Venice in the 16th. Processions of Nazarenos walk the streets at night during Semana Santa in Sevilla, Spain. Glastonbury's is one of the oldest music festivals in the world, having taken place most summers since 1970. Word to the wise: Not many white people attend the festival, and some people will take advantage of naive tourists! It made the information easy to understand and follow. Festivities include bubbles, performances from professional dancers, religious processions and other fun ways to keep cool. Carnevale di Venezia or Venice Carnival dates all the way back to the 11th century, but came to international acclaim in the 18th century. Glastonbury Music Festival - England. New Orleans, Louisiana is one of the most important cities in the history of jazz, and the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival is perhaps its most significant music event. READ MORE:The Best Food Gifts from Around the World. Initially born from the hippy movement, it's grown exponentially every year and is now the largest greenfield festival on the planet. Widely considered to be the summer festival in Japan, Gion Matsuri is more than 1000 years old. Sziget Festival has announced a number of bands and artists for their 2023 event, with Billie Eilish, Florence + The Machine, and Imagine Dragons featured as headliners. While Santa appears in the vestments of a Bishop and doles out gifts for good little girls and boys, the horny (literally and figuratively) devil presents the bad ones with coal and/or swats them with bundles of birch branches. READ MORE:Indian Animals: A Guide to 40 Incredible Indian Wildlife Species. So it with some authority that we can say that Krampusnacht is easily the weirdest, creepiest Christmas tradition in the world. Boryeong Mud Festival, South Korea. Having started in 1810 to celebrate a royal wedding, the event is still held on the original site, dubbed Theresienwiese (Theresas fields). Courtesy Watercress Festival Bacon Festival (Sacramento, California). If youre looking for a hotel for the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, check out the Days Inn by Wyndham Manchester TN, Sassy Springs Retreat, and Courtyard by Marriott Nashville SE/Murfreesboro. Legend has it that the whole thing started when some local boys joined a parade alongside musicians, Giants on stilts, and Big Head figures. If youre looking for a hotel for the WOMAD Festival, check out the Village Hotel Swindon, Cricklade House Hotel, or The Foxham Inn. As well as promising the latest and greatest in pop and rock music performances, event-goers are also treated to dance, comedy, theatre and circus acts. China's Harbin Ice Festival begins at the end of December and continues through the month of February. Derived from the Sanskrit word for astrological passage (meaning a change or transformation), Songkran refers to the traditional New Year celebrated on April 13 in parts of India, China, and much of Southeast Asia. They play an important role to add structure to our social lives, and connect us with our families and backgrounds. Harbin Ice and Snow Festival provides the visitors each year a whole new wintry world of ice and snow. On the other extreme, Libya has no paid public holidays, while Lebanon has only two paid . Laser light shows, fireworks, live band performances and interactive education complete the magic at Balloon Fiesta and ensure that theres something fun to do or see for everyone. Lets be honest, traveling the world is only as fun as the exciting adventures you embark on and the new experiences you have as you discover foreign cultures. Nobody throws a party quite like Brazil, and there's no Brazilian party quite like Rio Carnaval. Looking for essential Festival Gear? 20. In fact, its only in recent years that the Irish have stepped up their St. Patricks Festival to rival the celebrations in US cities such as New York and Savannah. But with almost 200 countries across the globe, experiencing every single one is near impossible for most us despite how much wed like to go. It takes place between late February and mid-March and lasts for one night (known as Holika Dahan or Chhoti Holi) and the following day (Holi). Learn how your comment data is processed. Customary traditions include wearing green clothing and shamrocks (which the Saint used to explain the Holy Trinity), public parades, and lively Irish folk music and dancing (known as a ceilidh). The festival reaches its climactic crescendo on December 17, the day when Rumi was united with Allah. Burning Man started in 1986, when Larry Harvey and his buddy Jerry James assembled a 8-foot-tall makeshift wooden figure and dragged it to San Franciscos Baker Beach on the Summer Solstice. This festival runs for five days and five nights in March and is packed fuller than a leprechauns pot of gold with a program of music, performing arts, literature, tours and food events. The unruly boys knocked one of the performers off his stilts, he became enraged and started lashing out, and a vendors vegetable stand fell victim to the mayhem until the police arrived to break it up. FEATURES. Getty. Foto: Kristoffer Juel Poulsen (Courtesy Jazz.dk) 2. Lavish floats, intricately designed carpets, huge religious processions and colorful, elaborate religious displays bring thousands of people out to the streets to celebrate the spiritual and the cultural. Holi Festival in India is ranked #20 in our countdown of 100 Ultimate Travel Experiences of a Lifetime. Arguably the biggest festival in the world (not to mention its wildest party), Brazil's Carnival is widely considered "the greatest show on Earth." The event attracts nearly 5 million people each year, with a half-million or so being visitors traveling to see the spectacle. The hour long battle begins with the firing of water cannons, immediately after which chaos ensues with over 100 tons of over-ripe tomatoes being squashed and flung all over. It begins with social events in November, private balls held on Thanksgiving Day and New Years Eve, with parades and more private balls throughout January and early February. From its modest beginnings in the 1970s at a mall parking lot with less than 15 hot air balloons, the Balloon Fiesta has steadily grown to become the largest ballooning event in the world. Even now, nearly 750 years after his death, he is the best-selling poet in the United States. AutoEurope for European Car Rentals orRental Cars.com. There are also multimedia performances, and Sufi Nights featuring sacred music rich with mysticism. 10. I can unsubscribe any time using the unsubscribe link at the end of all emails. TrustedHousesitters weve found great pet sitters to watch our house and love on our two dogs! Twice a year the Tuscan town of Siena harks back to its medieval past with a bareback horse race in the local ancient square. JOIN NOW . At Montreux Jazz Festival youll find broad-ranging acts from pop to rock and blues, and, best of all, a large portion of the performances are free, in keeping with the festivals charter to make music accessible to anyone. Picture an insane devil in chains, with matted fur, stag horns, and flaming coals for eyes, known for kidnapping children in a big sack so he can eat them later. Wherever you are in Thailand anywhere from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, Ayutthaya, Krabi or Koh Samui you can expect to get thoroughly wet with everything from water guns to elephant trunks being employed for the purpose. In fact, its important enough that it was added to UNESCOs Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2008. (The History & Principles of Responsible Travel), 50 FascinatingFacts About Indian Culture (By Region), 15 Harmful Traditions & Cultural Practices Tourists Should Never Support, Indian Animals: A Guide to 40 Incredible Indian Wildlife Species, 10 Eco Lessons in Quotes from the Lorax (Dr Seuss Conservation Classic), 25 Symbols of Christmas: This History & Meaning of Traditional Christmas Decorations. Krampus, in Alpine folklore, is presented as the horned Christmas devil that severely punishes or even kidnaps naughty children. The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is the largest annual international event held in the US.