A guide to witnessing some of the most unique and fabulous celebrations worldwide
Feel like celebrating beyond the comforts of your city? The world has a plethora of incredible festivals round the year for you. Add these celebrations to your bucket list for a once-in-a-lifetime experience:
1. La Tomatina - Spain
Held every year in August, La Tomatina is one of the world's biggest food fights. As part of a weeklong celebration, thousands of revelers arrive at Buñol, Spain. With the firing of the water cannons, participants dive in to the festivities. The fight lasts for an hour with attendees hurling an estimated 1, 25,000 kilograms of squashed tomatoes at each other until the streets run red with the paste.
2. Carnival - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
2. Carnival - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
The biggest carnival in the world with more than 2 million people on the streets of Rio dates back to 1823. Held before Lent every year, this 4-day celebration comprises of street parties, masquerade bashes, carnival bands across beaches and samba parades.
3. Dia de los muertos (Day of the Dead) - Mexico
3. Dia de los muertos (Day of the Dead) - Mexico
Dia de los muertos is a Mexican holiday when friends and family gather to remember those who have died. Traditions connected to the holiday include building private altars called ofrendas, honoring the deceased using sugar skulls, marigolds, foods and beverages of the departed and visiting graves with these as gifts.
4. Oktoberfest - Munich, Germany
4. Oktoberfest - Munich, Germany
This 16-day festival for beer lovers held in October sees over 6 million people guzzling beer every day. Besides the themed beer tents, traditional sausages and pretzels, visitors also enjoy the costumes, the Riflemen parade and the handheld canon salute.
5. White Nights and Scarlet Sails Festival - St. Petersburg, Russia
5. White Nights and Scarlet Sails Festival - St. Petersburg, Russia
This festival celebrates the longest days of the year from mid-May to mid-July. Essentially an arts festival, it provides an array of events from classical ballets and opera to performances by Russian dancers. The most popular Scarlet Sails event though is the mock battle between pirates on the Neva River.
6. Electric Forest Music Festival - Rothbury, Michigan
6. Electric Forest Music Festival - Rothbury, Michigan
If enchanted forests are your thing, head to this 4-day music festival held every June in the idyllic wilderness of Rothbury, Michigan. Along with orchestrated light shows, interactive art installations, hammocks and dance parties deep in the woods, this festival is a treat for those craving unadulterated nature.
7. Boryeong Mud Festival - Korea
7. Boryeong Mud Festival - Korea
Boryeong holds one of the biggest festivals of South Korea celebrating the benefits of special Boryeong mud, which was originally featured in a line of beauty products developed by a South Korea cosmetics company. The festival boasts of mud massages, mud wrestling, mud prisons, mud skiing and mud sliding. If this is not your scene, you can indulge in acupuncture or enjoy live music.
8. Harbin Ice and Snow Festival - Harbin, China
8. Harbin Ice and Snow Festival - Harbin, China
This is a month long annual ice and snow festival held in January. Every year, people build incredible things out of ice and snow, decorating them with lights and lasers. Besides this, the exhibition also offers ice Lantern Park touring activities and winter swimming.
With so many celebrations waiting to be experienced, it's time to pack your bags and tick these off your bucket list. And while you're at it, don't forget to buy travel insurance for a worry-free journey!
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