Destinations, Travel tips, Festivals and Public Holidays
Festivals
Discover Interesting Festivals in Japan
Dec 27th
Tourists always love to see Japan since uncountable numbers of festivals are held there each year. Some of the festivals are Cherry Blossom Festival, Sapporo Snow Festival, New Year Festival, Tanabata Festival, and Bon Festival. Even though the festivals are not always taking place in the same time from districts to districts, the joy and festive are always the same in every district. Here are some reviews about the festivals in Japan. More >
Krakatoa Festival 2011, Indonesia
Dec 24th
Krakatoa Festival, held to commemorate the super eruption Mt. Krakatoa in 1883, is going to be held on October 12 until October 16 this year – 2011. This annual festival takes place in Mt. Anak Krakatoa – the leftover mound of Mt. Krakatoa – and also in Lampung, a province where Mt. Anak Krakatoa is located. Series of attractions are prepared to celebrate Krakatoa Festival; some of them are traditional arts and dance from Lampung as well as carnival and parade. Unlike the previous years ago, Krakatoa festival this year is managed to attract tourists and local villagers in addition to the ambassadors and officers. More >
Chichibu Yomatsuri 2011, Largest Float Festivals in Japan
Dec 22nd
Chichibu Yomatsuri, Japanese words for Chichibu’s Night Festival, is one of the three largest float festivals in Japan held for two days in December every year. The festival begins on December 2nd in the evening and lasts on the night of December 3rd in Chichibu shrines, Chichibu city in Saitama Prefecture. Japanese people celebrate Chichibu Yomatsuri to respect 6 kamis (deities) guarded the town, so during the celebration of the festival, 6 floats representing the 6 deities are made and decorated with carvings, flowers, and hundreds lantern before lifted around the shrine. More >
Yuan Xiao Jie: The Chinese Lantern Festival
Dec 20th
The Lantern Festival, also called Yuan Xiao Jie, Shangyuan, Yuen Siu Festival, and Chap Go Meh, is a festival to celebrate the first full moon after the Chinese New Year. Chinese people all over the world celebrate this festival by gathering around and holding feast with family. The Lantern Festival is also known as Chinese Valentine’s Day because lovers usually show their affection to each other in this full moon. The festival got its name – Lantern Festival – from the tradition of Chinese people to set out a big number of red-glowing lanterns along the street. The upcoming Chinese Lantern Festival 2012 is going to be held on February 6, 2012. More >
Night of Radishes Festival 2011, Mexico
Dec 18th
Night of Radishes or Noche de Rabanos is a unique festival in Oaxaca, Mexico, held in December 23rd every year. People in Oaxaca, Mexico, has a tradition of making sculptures and carvings from radishes to celebrate the festival. Just like pumpkin as the symbol of Halloween festival, radishes are known as the symbol of Christmas in Mexico seeing that the festival is in fact held to greet the Christmas Day. Night of Radishes is the most awaited festival for people living inside and outside Oaxaca. More >
Boxing Day 2011
Dec 8th
In some commonwealth countries, Boxing Day is widely known as a holiday given for one or two days after Christmas. A few countries named the Boxing Day differently, for example, Ireland call it as St. Stephen’s Day while South Africa once called it as Day of the Goodwill before called it back as the Boxing Day in 1994. Nobody really knows why the holiday after Christmas Day was called as the Boxing Day, though some guessed that the names was derived from the folk etymology that ‘boxing’ has something to do with the sport. That’s why, some people celebrate Boxing Day by holding some kind of sports events. More >
Eid-ul-Fitr Festival – The Biggest Muslim Festival
Nov 29th
Eid-ul-Fitr is the biggest festival for the Muslims all over the world. It is celebrated on Syawal 1 by using the Hijra calendar, after 29 or 30 days fasting in Ramadan month. The determination of the date when Eid-ul-Fitr comes depends on the moon sighting. If the moon is already sighted, it means the new month begins, and the Eid-ul-Fitr is celebrated. Muslim people believe that if they do a month of fasting before the Eid-ul-Fitr day, the sins they have made a year before are erased in the Eid-ul-Fitr day. More >
Mid-Autumn Festival – The Chinese Moon Festival
Nov 24th
Mid-Autumn Festival is a festival held in between September and October by Chinese people around the world. The other names for the festival are Zhong Qiu Jie and Moon Festival because the festival takes place when the full moon shines brightly. Many tales underlie the festival including the one about a young woman and a jade rabbit lived in the moon and about ten suns taking turn to brighten the earth. Due to the romantic climate caused by the full moon, many people think that the Mid-Autumn festival is a great moment for couples to spend the romantic night together. The next Mid-Autumn festival will take place on September 30, 2012. More >
Hungry Ghost Festival – The Spooky Chinese Tradition
Nov 10th
If Western people have Halloween festival, then Chinese people have the Hungry Ghost Festival. The purpose of both Halloween and Hungry Ghost Festival is the same which is to honor the deceased. The Hungry Ghost Festival is held on the 7th month of the Lunar Calendar of Chinese. It is usually takes place between August and September. Chinese people believe that on the Hungry Ghost Festival the gate of the hell is opened and the ghosts inside it come back to the earth to look for food. This kind of festival is not only celebrated in China but also in many countries where Chinese people are found. More >
Tunarama Festival 2012 – Port Lincoln, Australia
Nov 9th
One of the oldest and oddest festivals in Australia, Tunarama Festival, is held in January along with the Australia Day. The upcoming Tunarama Festival will be celebrated on January 26th until 29th 2012 in more glorious way than ever because it will be the 50th Tunarama Festival held since 1962. Tuna Toss competition which obliges the participants to toss heavy tunas – about 8 until 10 kilograms – as far as possible becomes the main attraction in this festival. The farthest tosser of the tuna becomes the winner and receives prize money up to 7,000 AUD. More >
