Festival around the world are a reflection of cultural diversity, traditions, and celebrations that transcend borders. They bring people together in joyous festivities, showcasing unique customs, food, music, and rituals. Here’s a look at some of the top festivals celebrated across the world, their timing, and the special preparations that make each of them distinct.
1. Carnival – Brazil
- Time: February (just before Lent)
- Carnival in Brazil, particularly in Rio de Janeiro, is famous for its grand parades, samba dancing, and street parties. Preparations begin months in advance. Samba schools practice elaborate dance routines, while floats and costumes are designed and hand-crafted. Streets are adorned with colorful decorations, and musicians rehearse relentlessly to perfect their performances for the grand parade. People prepare their costumes, often glittery, feathered, and vibrant, to take part in or witness the street festivities.
2. Diwali – India
- Time: October/November (based on the Hindu lunar calendar)
- Diwali, the festival of lights, marks the victory of good over evil. Homes and businesses are cleaned and decorated with oil lamps, candles, and vibrant rangoli (patterns made from colored powders). Families prepare sweets like ladoos and barfis to share with guests. Fireworks are a big part of the celebration, so markets are packed with firecrackers of all sizes. New clothes, often traditional attire, are bought, and houses are adorned with fresh flowers and garlands to welcome the goddess Lakshmi, who is believed to bring prosperity and good fortune.
3. Chinese New Year – China
- Time: January/February (based on the lunar calendar)
- Preparations for Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, begin weeks in advance. Houses are thoroughly cleaned to sweep away bad luck, and then decorated with red lanterns, couplets, and paper cuttings symbolizing good fortune. Families prepare large feasts, often featuring dishes like dumplings, fish, and niangao (a type of sticky rice cake), which have symbolic meanings of wealth, prosperity, and family unity. Red envelopes containing money (hongbao) are prepared to be given to children and unmarried adults as blessings for the new year.
4. Oktoberfest – Germany
- Time: Late September to early October
- Oktoberfest is the world’s largest beer festival held annually in Munich. Weeks before the festival, beer tents are erected, each belonging to different breweries, and decorated in their distinct styles. Traditional Bavarian attire is donned, with men wearing lederhosen and women wearing dirndls. Breweries brew special Oktoberfest beers with higher alcohol content, and local bakers prepare pretzels, sausages, and other traditional German foods in enormous quantities. Parades, folk music, and dance rehearsals also form a key part of the preparations.
5. Mardi Gras – USA (New Orleans)
- Time: February/March (before Ash Wednesday)
- Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, is an extravagant celebration of food, music, and parades. In New Orleans, the preparations begin months in advance, with “krewes” (social organizations) creating elaborate floats for the parades. Beads, masks, and doubloons are mass-produced to be thrown from floats to cheering crowds. Bakers start making king cakes, a traditional cinnamon-filled cake with a hidden plastic baby inside (symbolizing good luck). Costumes and masks are essential for participants, so costume shops and tailors are busy leading up to the festivities.
6. La Tomatina – Spain
- Time: Last Wednesday of August
- La Tomatina is a tomato-throwing festival held in Buñol, Spain. A week before the event, the streets are prepped by covering them in plastic to prevent staining from the tomato juices. Vendors and trucks stockpile tons of ripe tomatoes, which are used as ammunition in the giant food fight. Participants wear old clothes, as everyone leaves drenched in tomato pulp. The town is filled with pre-event celebrations, including street parties, live music, and a paella cooking contest.
7. Holi – India
- Time: March (based on the Hindu calendar)
- Holi, the festival of colors, signifies the arrival of spring and the triumph of good over evil. In preparation, people stock up on brightly colored powders (gulal) to throw during the celebrations. Bonfires are set up for Holika Dahan, a ritual symbolizing the burning of evil. Traditional sweets like gujiya and beverages like thandai are prepared to serve during the festival. Water balloons and water guns are filled, and everyone wears white clothing, knowing they will soon be drenched in a riot of colors.
8. Christmas – Worldwide
- Time: December 25th
- Christmas is celebrated in various forms around the world, with preparations beginning weeks in advance. Homes are decorated with Christmas trees, lights, wreaths, and nativity scenes. In many places, gift shopping is a key part of the preparations, with families wrapping presents to be placed under the tree. Churches prepare for midnight Mass, and choirs practice Christmas carols. Bakers start making cookies, cakes, and other holiday treats like gingerbread houses. In some countries, people prepare traditional Christmas meals like turkey, ham, or roast goose.
9. Eid al-Fitr – Islamic World
- Time: Varies based on the Islamic lunar calendar (after Ramadan)
- Eid al-Fitr is a significant celebration marking the end of Ramadan, the holy month of fasting. Preparations include purchasing new clothes and preparing sweet delicacies like baklava, ma’amoul, and sheer khurma. People clean their homes and decorate them with lights and lanterns. Charity is a central aspect of the celebration, so many prepare to give Zakat (almsgiving) to the needy. Families also make extensive meal preparations for the post-prayer feast, where savory dishes, meats, and sweets are shared with friends and family.
10. Songkran – Thailand
- Time: April 13th to 15th
- Songkran is the Thai New Year and is best known for its massive water fights. Before the event, people clean their houses and temples to rid them of bad luck. Buddha statues are washed with water scented with flower petals, and monks are offered food. Water guns, buckets, and hoses are prepped for the festivities, where people splash water on one another in a symbolic cleansing ritual. Traditional foods, including sticky rice, curries, and sweets, are prepared, and floral shirts are worn to add to the festive atmosphere.