Welcome to World Wide Festivals!
February brings Carnival around the world and it is celebrated almost every where with a unique fervor. Processions, fancy dress, music, floats, street entertainment and dancing are consistent with many. Sharing the limelight is the Winter Olympics, held in Vancouver, Canada beginning February 12. Iceland: A favorite in Reykjavik's is getting closer to arrival. The Winter Lights Festival will be held for the ninth time and is, as usual, packed with exciting events. The Reykjavik Winter Lights Festival celebrates both winter and the growing light after a long period of darkness. The festival is an event to be enjoyed by all, locals and visitors alike, and features an amazing array of events including theatre, street performances, dance, visual arts and much more. All events are free of charge. Hawaii: Can not get to Japan? Then the Honolulu's Cherry Blossom Festival is the next best thing. This festival was first held in 1949 celebrating Japanese culture and heritage. Events take place in various locations over a two-month period leading up to the festival finale. The "Grand Festival Ball" when the Cherry Blossom Festival Queen will be crowned. Other events include heritage displays, fashion shows, a golf tournament and traditional Japanese musical performances. India: The largest book fair in Asia, the annual Kolkata Book Fair is a popular cultural event in the city that attracts publishers, writers, buyers and book lovers from all over India. Each year a country is chosen as the special focus and authors from that country are invited to read excerpts and discuss their works. The scope of the fair now goes far beyond books and includes a world food market, exhibitions, an employment fair and other displays and entertainment. Miami, Florida: Want to celebrate Carnival a little closer to home? Head for the sunshine state. 1.5 million visitors from around the world attend and celebrate every year. Expect a whole host of different experiences including the Miss Carnival Miami contest, the Carnival Miami Run, a Carnival Cooking Contest, a Carnival Domino Tournament and a Carnival Golf Classic. But the highlight for many is the Street Carnival on the final day, which sees 23 blocks turned over to the party for fun, music and dancing. March is the dawn of spring bringing celebrations every where with a unique fervor. Processions, fancy dress, music, floats, street entertainment and dancing are consistent with many. Valencia, Spain: Las Fallas takes almost a year of preparations and only two weeks to celebrate them in. Valencia truly shines with this festival. It overflows with energy, fireworks and of course, the most important element; the creation of paper mache, wood and wax lifestyle works of art figurines that sadly are burnt at the end of the festival. One will only have the passing memory or bring a camera for capturing the memory for a lifetime. Head to the city for the unveiling but do not cry when all these masterpieces are set afire Dublin, Ireland: St Patrick's Day is almost here so why not spend it in Ireland, Guinness Storehouse, home to the world famous beer, will throw open its doors and invite visitors from all around the world to join in with the St Patrick's Day celebrations at the Guinness Storehouse Festival. As well as being able to enjoy an insightful and fascinating journey through the past, present and future of the brand, visitors will be treated to an exciting array of entertainment from a dazzling collection of Irish and international acts. The Guinness Storehouse will have the atmosphere of an indoor carnival and visitors will be able to sample a delicious array of Guinness inspired specialties. The Sekaten Fair celebrates Javanese culture and religious identity coinciding with the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad. It is a fun event whereas visitors to the fair can enjoy a range of entertainment and attractions including food and drink stalls, cultural displays and performances and a traditional market. The fair opens with a great procession led by the Sultan and his family. Its finale is held several days later with the 'Grebeg Maulud' at which the Sultan gives out gifts to the crowds. The fair is located in the North Square of the city's fabulous Kasu Nanan Palace.
Java, Indonesia:
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Images by Veronica Shine
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