A year to celebrate and enjoy the global cultural diversity

Traveling is one of the great pleasures of life and visiting the different festivals that are offered worldwide throughout the year can be an adventure full of color and party.
These festivals not only give you the opportunity to have fun, they also nourish the intellect, help open your mind, release stress, calm anxiety and, above all, improve your health. So pack your bags, disconnect for a year and recharge your life with lots of music, good company, and nourish your mind, body and soul with culture and tradition.

SUN PARTY

Also called Inti Raymi, it is one of the most important religious holidays for the Incas that honors Inti, the Sun God. Today, this celebration is one of the best preserved traditions of this culture, it takes place on the 24th of June of each year in Cusco Peru (capital of the Incas Empire).

Sacsayhuamánm (place where the falcon is satiated) is considered as the greatest architectural work of the Incas during its apogee. This ceremonial place is the scene of this great feast, full of banquets, colorful costumes, and historical re-enactments.

SAN FERMIN HOLIDAYS

One of the most recognized and traditional festivals of the world is lived in Pamplona, Spain, from July 6 to 4. When the “chupinazo” (fireworks shot) explodes and the Sanfermines arrive, celebration in honor of San Fermín de Amiens, patron of Navarre, the city is flooded with magic and color. With the chupinazo you feel an explosion of life and people from all over the world flood the streets to enjoy all the activities. The risk and emotion are experienced in the popular “encierros” (confinements), which consist of a wild race in front of the bulls that will be fought that afternoon. This is the only activity that generates a little tension among their assistants, all dressed in the typical costume white and red, and possessed of the festive spirit.

LOLLAPALOOZA

This is one of the most representative summer festivals in the United States, originally appeared alternative rock, indie, and punk rock bands. In addition to this musical exposition, different performances and dance samples are made. The festival has also been held in Latin America in countries such as Chile, Argentina, and Brazil. This year the event will be at the Grand Park in Chicago from August 2 to 5 and will have more than 100 artists to enjoy, including: The Weekend, Bruno Mars, Artic Monkeys, and Jack White.

OKTOBERFEST

The largest German beer festival in the world is celebrated in the city of Munich, lasting from 16 to 18 days, with numerous fair attractions, live music, and shows ranging from polka to commercial music. The event also features samples of the variety of German cuisine. This festival is one of the most popular in Germany and it will take place in the Theresienwiese field, from September 21 to October 6, 2018.

THE SALEM FESTIVAL OF THE DEAD

Salem, Massachusetts, the city of witches prepares its annual festival in the month of October for the celebration of Halloween, with a series of events that explore the macabre customs of death. A time of year in which, according to tradition, the spirits roam among us. October is a month where the witches of Salem and their chilling story is honored at the Festival of the Dead.

DAY OF THE DEAD

This is a celebration that pays tribute to the dead on November 1 and 2 of each year in Mexico. This festival is a traditional Mayan practice that honors ancestors by paying homage to death. An essential part of this ritual involves visiting the cemeteries, where families come and place candles on the tombs to illuminate the path of souls. The altars of the deceased are decorated with candles, food, liquor, flowers, music, and objects of the deceased, among others.
The objective of this festival is the active participation of society with all its cultural diversity, recovering this traditional and contemporary ethnic practice of Mexican culture.

JUNKANOO
 

It is the most important parade in the Bahamas on Junkanoo Street, it is celebrated on New Year’s Day with a party full of music and dance. This is one of the most entertaining street carnivals in the world; there, you can see the cultural diversity of the Bahamas every year through its extravagant costumes and the music that accompanies these characters.

FESTIVAL UP HELLY Aa

The Viking Fire Festival is a traditional celebration that takes place in Lerwick, Scotland, in the last week of January. Thousands of people attend this festival every year to experience first hand one of the largest parades in the world that will take you on a journey through time, and where you will feel in an ancient era in history. Thousands of people sing old hymns while brandishing their torches that light up this party. The locals dress like Vikings and in the end they burn their boat.

CHINESE NEW YEAR

Also called spring festival, it is the most important holiday in the Chinese calendar. This lunar feast aims to reunite families, where possible, in their place of origin. In China, the new year is the second new moon after the winter solstice and for this reason its dates are variable between January 21 and February 20 in the Gregorian calendar. This celebration lasts 15 days and during this period, many families travel on vacation to their hometowns to celebrate with their loved ones and enjoy a great dinner where fish and pork never fail, as they are symbols of abundance and good luck.

RIO DE JANEIRO CARANAVAL

One of the largest shows in America is held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from March 1 to 9, forty days before Holy Week. The culture of Rio de Janeiro is prepared for a year to present its parades full of life and color to the rhythm of the Samba and other dances of historical origin, each presentation is inspired by different themes showing the cultural diversity that exists. The carnival culminates with the spectacular parade that takes place in the Sambadrome.

SONGKRAN
 

The Buddhist New Year or water festival is one of the funniest festivals in the world. All its assistants throw bottles of water at each other, turning the streets IGNORE INTO a battlefield. It is celebrated in Thailand from April 13 to 15 and lasts for one week. This country is completely paralyzed during these days, families usually return to their towns or cities of origin to reconnect with their loved ones. The 12th and 13th of April are destined to share with the family and clean the altars of the houses. Water is a symbol of purity and cleanliness, that is why this water war helps to cleanse bad luck and to enter with more strength and renewed to the new cycle.

Latin American Post | Amaranta Torres
Translated from “¿Cuáles son los festivales más grandes alrededor del mundo?”