Festivals Around the World

Opens 5 January, runs into February

An entire glowing city of palaces, towers and slides carved from blocks of river ice, lit from within by coloured lights while temperatures sit far below freezing.

• Ice blocks cut straight from the frozen Songhua River
• Ice and Snow World — full-size illuminated castles
• Giant snow sculptures on Sun Island

19 January (20th in leap years)

The Ethiopian Orthodox celebration of Epiphany, marking the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan with white-robed processions, chanting priests and joyful mass blessings with water.

• Sacred tabots (replicas of the Ark of the Covenant) carried in procession
• Fasilides’ Bath in Gondar filled as a giant baptismal pool
• All-night vigils, singing and drumming

Last Tuesday of January

Europe’s biggest fire festival: hundreds of torch-carrying “guizers” led by a Viking chief march through the dark winter streets, then hurl their torches into a full-size Viking longship.

• The Guizer Jarl and his squad in full Viking armour
• Torchlit procession of around 1,000 guizers
• The galley burning — a replica longship set ablaze

Between 21 January and 20 February (lunar calendar)

The most important holiday in the Chinese calendar welcomes the new lunar year with family reunions, red lanterns, firecrackers and dragon and lion dances.

• Red envelopes (hongbao) of lucky money
• Dragon and lion dances to scare away bad luck
• Ends 15 days later with the Lantern Festival

The days before Ash Wednesday (February or March)

The world’s most famous carnival: samba schools spend a whole year preparing floats, costumes and drumming for a dazzling competition, while street parties fill every neighbourhood.

• Samba school parades in the Sambadrome
• Hundreds of free street parties (blocos)
• Thunderous bateria drum sections

About two weeks ending on Shrove Tuesday

Elaborate masks and baroque costumes fill the canals and piazzas of Venice, reviving a centuries-old tradition when masks let anyone mingle regardless of class.

• Hand-made masks: bauta, moretta, medico della peste
• The “Flight of the Angel” from St Mark’s bell tower
• Contest for the best masked costume

Full moon of Phalguna (usually March)

The Hindu festival of spring, where streets explode in clouds of coloured powder and water as people celebrate the victory of good over evil and the arrival of warmer days.

• Holika Dahan bonfires the night before
• Gulal colour powder and water fights
• Sweets like gujiya and the drink thandai

17 March

Ireland’s national day honours its patron saint with parades, music and a sea of green — and has become one of the most widely celebrated national festivals on the planet.

• The Dublin St Patrick’s Festival parade
• Traditional music sessions and céilí dancing
• Shamrocks, green outfits and landmarks lit green

13–15 April

The Thai New Year turns the whole country into a giant, good-natured water fight, rooted in the gentle custom of pouring water to wash away bad luck and bless elders.

• Nationwide street water fights
• Rod nam dam hua — pouring scented water over elders’ hands
• Merit-making visits to temples

Late March to early May, moving south to north

For a few fleeting weeks, millions gather beneath clouds of pink sakura for picnics, lantern-lit evenings and reflection on the beauty — and brevity — of life.

• Picnics under the trees with friends and coworkers
• Yozakura — night viewing under lanterns
• Daily forecasts tracking the “cherry blossom front”

27 April (26th if the 27th is a Sunday)

The Netherlands turns orange to celebrate King Willem-Alexander’s birthday, with canal boat parties, street music and the biggest flea market in the country.

• Everyone dressed in orange for the House of Orange
• Packed party boats on Amsterdam’s canals
• The vrijmarkt — a nationwide free street market

Full moon of May

Buddhists commemorate the birth, enlightenment and passing of the Buddha, and Sri Lanka lights up with handmade lanterns and towering illuminated panels.

• Vesak kudu — handmade paper lanterns
• Thoran — giant illuminated panels telling Buddhist stories
• Dansal — free food and drink stalls for everyone

24 June

A spectacular re-enactment of the Inca celebration of Inti, the sun god, held at the winter solstice among the massive stone walls of Sacsayhuamán above Cusco.

• The “Sapa Inca” carried on a golden throne
• Hundreds of performers in Inca costume
• Ceremony held largely in Quechua

Friday between 19 and 25 June

Swedes celebrate the longest days of the year in the countryside, dancing around a flower-covered maypole wearing wildflower crowns under a sun that barely sets.

• Dancing around the midsommarstång (maypole)
• Pickled herring, new potatoes and strawberries
• Flower crowns and folk songs

6–14 July

Nine days of non-stop fiesta in Pamplona, famous worldwide for the early-morning encierro, when runners dressed in white and red race ahead of bulls through the old town.

• The chupinazo rocket launching the fiesta at noon on 6 July
• Daily 8 a.m. bull runs through the streets
• Giants and big-heads (gigantes y cabezudos) parades

11–13 July

Mongolia’s great national festival celebrates the “Three Manly Games” of the steppe — wrestling, horse racing and archery — traditions stretching back to the age of Genghis Khan.

• Mongolian wrestling with the victory “eagle dance”
• Cross-country horse races of up to 25–30 km
• Archery contests (women compete too)

The whole of July — parades on 17 & 24 July

One of Japan’s most famous festivals, founded to appease the gods during an epidemic, fills Kyoto with towering wooden floats hauled through the streets by teams of men.

• Yamaboko Junko — the great float procession
• Yoiyama evenings with lanterns and street food
• Floats decorated with centuries-old tapestries

Last Wednesday of August

The world’s biggest food fight: for one messy hour, thousands of people pelt each other with overripe tomatoes until the streets of Buñol run red.

• Trucks deliver tonnes of tomatoes into the town square
• Palo jabón — climbing a greased pole to grab a ham
• Fire hoses wash the town clean afterwards

About three weeks in August

The world’s largest arts festival turns Edinburgh into one giant stage, with comedy, theatre, music and street performers in every pub, church hall and alley.

• Thousands of shows across hundreds of venues
• Street performers on the Royal Mile
• Anyone can take part — no selection committee

Mid-to-late September into early October

The world’s largest folk festival fills Munich’s Theresienwiese with giant beer tents, brass bands, Bavarian food and fairground rides for about two weeks.

• Opening tap: “O’zapft is!” by Munich’s mayor
• Traditional dirndl and lederhosen
• Pretzels, roast chicken and oompah bands

15th day of the 8th lunar month (September or early October)

Families gather under the brightest full moon of the year to share mooncakes, light lanterns and tell the legend of Chang’e, the goddess who lives on the Moon.

• Mooncakes with lotus paste and salted egg yolk
• Glowing lantern displays and riddles
• Moon-gazing with family

October or November (new moon of Kartika)

Celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs and Jains, Diwali marks the triumph of light over darkness with oil lamps, fireworks, sweets and colourful rangoli across the country.

• Rows of clay diya lamps on every doorstep
• Rangoli patterns made from coloured powder
• Lakshmi puja, sweets and fireworks

Nine days in early October

The world’s largest hot-air balloon festival fills the New Mexico sky with hundreds of balloons — from classic stripes to giant cows, bees and cartoon characters.

• Mass Ascensions at sunrise
• Glowdeo — balloons lit up after dark
• Hundreds of special-shape balloons

1–2 November

Far from gloomy, Mexico’s Day of the Dead is a colourful, joyful reunion with loved ones who have passed, welcomed home with altars, marigolds and their favourite foods.

• Ofrendas — home altars with photos and offerings
• Bright orange cempasúchil marigolds
• Sugar skulls, pan de muerto and La Catrina face paint

Full moon of the 12th Thai lunar month (usually November)

Thais float candle-lit baskets on rivers to thank the water goddess and let go of misfortune — while in Chiang Mai, streets glow with Lanna lanterns and skies fill with floating lights.

• Krathong — floating baskets of banana leaves and flowers
• Yi Peng sky lanterns in Chiang Mai
• Streets strung with colourful Lanna lanterns

31 December – 1 January

Scotland’s legendary New Year celebration ends with fireworks exploding over Edinburgh Castle and thousands linking arms to sing “Auld Lang Syne”.

• Torchlight procession through the old town
• Midnight fireworks over Edinburgh Castle
• First-footing — the first guest of the year brings luck