Many tourists who go on vacation abroad prefer not just to lie on the beach pointlessly or look out the window at exotic landscapes, but to witness some unforgettable holiday or event that does not exist in their home country. One can safely say that in every state there is something similar. After all, any nation has its own traditions, to join which at least for a short time dream of many foreigners who came to their homeland on vacation.
A list of some of them with a small description and is attached below as a kind of guide for the most unusual holidays, celebrated in different parts of the Earth.
January 11 is an international Thank You Day
January 11 should, without any exaggeration, be christened the most “polite” date of the year. It is on this day that International Thanksgiving Day is celebrated. Each of the people on Earth, no matter in which country he lives, miraculously realizes the high importance of decent manners, their indispensability in ordinary life. That's just the lion's share of gratitude, we sound as if by accident, not really delving into their meaning.
But in fact, any word of gratitude uttered in response to a good deed has an almost mystical meaning and has a truly magical quality. With the help of a polite attitude to each other, people are able to not only express their attention, but also give joy to others. And this, you see, is not the last thing in our already tense and nervous life, which without banal politeness can turn into a gloomy and meager existence.
Carnival in Argentina
This entertainment event is one of the longest holidays not only in Argentina itself, but also throughout the world. Starting from the first Saturday of January, carnivals last for more than two months every Saturday and last until the beginning of March. Locals call this time only “the time of love and carnivals”. During Argentinean carnivals, the streets of her cities are being transformed. They are filled with cheerful dancers, whose repertoire is dominated by dazzling South American dances pleasing to the eye.
There is no corner where you could not hear the loud drumming of the drums and the rhythms of the sultry samba. But the main “feature” of the carnival is a grand procession, the participants of which are dressed in colorful feathers, all kinds of rhinestones, shiny shreds of fabric and do not stop dancing throughout the marathon. Giant man-made figures also play an important role in the demonstration, thanks to which the favorite atmosphere of the holiday and fun appears at the carnival.
Thailand Flower Festival
Many tourists going on vacation to Thailand try to combine it with the world famous Flower Festival, which is celebrated every year in the city of Chiang Mai, located in the north of the state. Starting on the first Friday of February, it is celebrated for three days. Thanks to the festival, a small town by common standards turns into a source of fun and joy, beating with a fountain and covering everyone who decides to take part in an unusual holiday. The streets of Chiang Mai during the Flower Festival are filled with crowds of walking people, among which there are a large number of musicians who play their instruments without interruption.
Like a colorful river, flowing out of its channel, the celebrants scatter along the streets and avenues of the city. Tourists arriving these days immediately pour into a common fun stream to make it even more full-flowing. At this time, millions of the most diverse colors are carried along Chingmai. The fairer sex is trying to win the hearts of those around with an unusual abundance of national costumes, which they sewed with their own hands for the holiday. Indeed, at the end of the Festival, the picky jury will choose the most beautiful of the girls, who will be proclaimed the queen of flowers.
Maslenitsa
For Russians, Shrovetide is something familiar and no one classifies it as the most unusual holidays, but for foreigners it is considered one of the most exotic entertainment events. The holiday inherited from ancient ancestors managed to combine both pagan and Christian motives. In fact, Shrovetide is nothing more than a farewell to winter, which is replaced by the long-awaited warmth and cheerful renewal of nature in more joyful colors.
The main attribute of Shrovetide is pancakes, which, by the way, have ritual significance. Hot and round, they personify the sun itself, which begins to warm the surrounding world more and more, lengthens the day and drives away gloom and dullness. Despite the centuries that have passed since the day of the first celebration of Shrovetide, we still celebrate it with no less enthusiasm than our distant ancestors, who with the advent of Russian Christianity did not dare to abandon such a joyful and fun event, adapting it to a new faith.
Icelandic Cake Day
At first, the days preceding Great Lent were celebrated in Iceland with rich feasts and plentiful libations. But already in the 19th century a new tradition came to the country from Denmark, which was immediately enthusiastically supported by all local residents, and especially bakers. The thing is that these days it has become customary to absorb in incredible quantities specially prepared for the holiday cakes, the filling of which consisted of whipped cream, and on top they were poured with glaze.
In addition, Icelandic children took the habit of walking along the streets, singing songs and begging for sweets that came along in the way of bakeries during the celebration of the Day of Cakes. Since then, cakes, called “Bullur”, have become the main product sold in the country a few days before the start of the holiday, which is incredibly pleasing not only to children, but also to more adult lovers of confectionery.
Fallas in Spain
This holiday is usually celebrated on the night of March 19 to 20. It consists in burning giant dolls and is a kind of finale for the pyrotechnics parade that began on March 1. Throughout these days, the cities host competitions of the best pyrotechnicians who try to conquer the surrounding species of the most unforgettable fireworks in their life. At the same time, independent teams walk along the streets of Spain, whose members traditionally wear black shirts and plaid scarves are tied to their necks.
Any unpleasant dirty tricks can be expected from these people. They, not really thinking about the consequences, are ready to throw a firecracker or a bomb under the feet of any passerby. At the same time, they absolutely do not give a damn about whether the tourists who came to their hand are familiar with the rules for celebrating Fallas or not. And the locals themselves are happy to contribute to the transformation of their hometown into a kind of rattling and cracking volcano cracking.
Floral marathon
Celebrated in the UK capital on April 14th of each year. In essence, this marathon is an ordinary sporting event, but in fact it is something big, long ago turned into the largest street party in the world.
The marathon distance is 26.2 miles. Throughout its length, there is a rumble of drums, street performances and performances, and everyone can watch the sports procession from the windows of numerous pubs, whose regulars support the participants of the marathon with loud screams. Every self-respecting London organization, no matter how small it is, tries to prepare for the holiday its own performance, which any of the guests or residents of the city can see.
Flower contest
At the end of April in the Netherlands held a grand parade of flowers. Numerous moving platforms decorated with flower expositions cover forty-two kilometers. This tradition of holding a flower contest appeared in the late forties of the last century. Tired after the Second World War, people wanted to become participants in some unusual and bright holiday.
The route of the parade runs through the cities of the so-called "onion" region of Holland, such as Noordwijk, Hilleg, Haarlem, Lisse and others. The holiday is held for several days in late April, during the flowering period of tulips, hyacinths, daffodils and other flowers belonging to the bulbous family.
UK Whiskey Festival
While the Spring and Labor Day is celebrated in Russia and a number of other countries, the progressive society of Scotland celebrates the national Whiskey Festival from May 1 to 3. And all because this drink is almost the only product that all Scots are proud of and which is known all over the world. Only these days ordinary people are allowed to visit the territory of the most famous factories producing elite brands of whiskey.
Usually no one from the street is allowed in the holy of holies. But visitors are interested not so much in the process of producing their favorite alcoholic drink as in its tasting, since only on festival days can they taste the best varieties of flavored whiskey, which are rare brands.
Parrot holiday in France
Every first Sunday of May, about forty crossbowmen from all over France gather in Haute-Garonne. Dressed in medieval costumes, they try to hit an arrow in a parrot weighing seven kilograms, sitting on top of a long mast, whose height is 45 meters. Anyone who manages to shoot an unfortunate bird automatically takes the place of the king of the holiday. This tradition is rooted in history. Centuries ago, residents of the city of Curtre, located in Flanders, had to repulse the siege of the French knights.
For many years, it was believed that it was almost impossible to cope with long-distance riders armored - ordinary arrows fired from bows were not able to penetrate their armor. However, the inhabitants of the city were armed with crossbows, with the help of which they shot the knights, like partridges in the forest.
Cat Festival in Belgium
This festival is an old Belgian tradition, the origins of which go back to the distant Middle Ages. In those days, cats were considered fiends of hell, and getting rid of them was the most important thing for all self-respecting superstitious Christians. Today the festival is held in May in the city of Ypres, where from a high bell tower in a crowd of people are dumped in large numbers toy cats and cats. All this action is accompanied by spectacular costumed performances and parades with the participation of people dressed in cats.
Montreal International Jazz Festival
For more than thirty years now, every July in Montreal, one of the most popular jazz festivals has been held, to visit which is the dream of all fans of this musical direction. It was even included in the Guinness Book of Records, as the largest among the similar ones in the world. The jazz festival is almost the only attraction of this Canadian city, the streets, squares, cafes and restaurants of which during its implementation turn into real concert venues.
Celebration of Lights in Cuba
Held from July 3 to 9 in Santiago, located in the east of Liberty Island. The highlight of the holiday is the enchanting performance of the fakirs, illusionists, pyrotechnics and other "overlords" of fire. Especially beautiful is the spectacle of the night Santiago, on the boulevards of which there are "fiery performances", all kinds of games with fire, and any disco is held under the light from flaming torches. Each night of the Festival of Lights ends with a magnificent salute, capable of delivering aesthetic pleasure to any fan of "fiery" spectacles.
Tomatina in Spain
The second name of this holiday sounds like the Battle of Tomatoes. Tomatina is held in the last week of August and is a kind of farewell to the departing summer. The Tomato Festival is held in Bunyol. Like most Spanish holidays, it is accompanied by dancing, fireworks, music and traditional “free” treats. The beginning of the fun festival is the clapping of firecrackers, which they throw from the city hall on Wednesday at exactly 11 o’clock in the afternoon. At this time, trucks were driving into the streets of Bunyola, whose bodies were clogged with tomatoes. Immediately, all the inhabitants of the city rush to them, grab ripe tomatoes and begin to throw them at all.
Surprisingly stupid and meaningless holiday, but very bright and funny. In addition, it also has some psychological peculiarity - thanks to the throwing of tomatoes, a person can get an emotional discharge and frustrate his anger on unfortunate tomatoes and people in which they can be launched with pleasure.
Oktoberfest in Germany
Beginning in Munich on the third weekend of September, the largest beer festival in the world is rightfully the dream of any alcoholic. For 16 days, you can try an unimaginable amount of foamy drink, biting them with traditional Bavarian sausages and sausages. Oktoberfest is considered the birthday of October 12, 1810, when the wedding of Princess Teresa of Saxony and Crown Prince Ludwig the First took place. All the Munichers were invited to the festival, for whom they set up free beer, and mounted horse races as spectacles.
Sweets Day in the USA
Every third October Saturday, Americans are happy to celebrate Sweets Day. Its roots go back to 1922, when a compassionate Cleveland pastry chef named Herbert Kingston decided to arrange a holiday for all those who were not having their best times in those days — orphans, poor people and other people in need.
Karva Chout in India
In October, residents of India, as well as Indians outside it, celebrate the traditional festival of Karwa Chout, which is the festival of all married women. On this day, all married Indian women are fasting, refusing to eat or drink. Thus, they allegedly wish their husbands a long life. This ritual speaks of the loyalty of Indian women to their husbands, for which they agree to abandon their own needs for the well-being of their beloved spouses.
Yule
Celebrated in late December and is one of the most beloved holidays in Scandinavia. Despite the fact that Yule is actually a purely pagan ritual, the Vikings and their descendants do not consider it shameful to celebrate it along with Christian holidays. However, as in our case with everyone's favorite carnival. It is generally accepted that during the days of Yule, the gods descend to the earth, all sorts of mythical creatures come into contact with ordinary people, and the dead leave their Lower World for a while.
Camel festival
Held in January in India. The festival begins with a bright parade of festively dressed camels, one kind of which is able to captivate the audience with its splendor and exoticism. Further at the festival, all kinds of competitions take place, accompanied by music and fun. This festival reaches a special celebration in Delhi, where a military parade takes place. The horses, elephants, and, of course, camels, participating in it and dressed up in bright horse blankets carry spectators centuries ago to the heroic past of the country.
Feast of Thaipusam
The holiday is celebrated in January in Singapore. On this day, every self-respecting local can make a wish, and the gods will certainly fulfill it. And those who want his dream to come true soon can bring an unusual sacrifice to the higher powers.For example, introducing himself into a religious trance, piercing his cheeks or tongue with a silver needle, representing the spear “led”, with the help of which Muruga was able to drive away the evil demons asuras.
Carnival Trinidad and Tobago
The celebration takes place in February in Trinidad, five days before the beginning of Lent. In appearance, the carnival looks a lot like the famous Brazilian one, but it also has a number of significant differences. For example, he goes to the music of calypso and the game of the so-called steel bands - orchestras consisting of "steel drums".
Dead Rat Ball
Every second Saturday of March in Belgian Ostend, an unusual celebration is held - the Dead Rat Ball. Despite such a frightening name, there is nothing wrong with it. Just everyone who decides to take part in the celebration is obliged to throw aside all fashion trends and dress up in the most provocative and colorful costume. This masquerade is rooted in 1896, when the Brotherhood of the Dead Rat decided to create something unusual so that it would be possible to spend time as fun and carefree as possible.
Songkran Holiday
Songkran is the beginning of the Thai New Year, and it is celebrated in April. On this day, everyone pours water on each other. This ritual refers to the ritual cleansing adopted in Buddhism. Foreign tourists especially get it, which, apparently, the locals consider the most vicious and requiring purification.
Pyrotechnic show "Scoppio Del Carro"
In April days, the day of the celebration of Catholic Easter, an unusual parade takes place in Florence, called "Scoppio Del Carro". Across the city, in a large bandage led by two dazzling white oxen, a dove-shaped rocket is transported. She even has her own name - Columbine. After the archbishop consecrates the rocket, a huge number of fireworks are lit from it in the central square of the city, thanks to which the holiday becomes truly unforgettable.
Rain in the lights
For more than seven decades, in all German cities, standing along the banks of the Rhine and Moselle rivers, the so-called “wine” festivals have been held in September, the main highlight of which is the pyrotechnic performance that takes place in the evenings.
The effect of the seen fire show becomes stronger thanks to the reflections of salutes and fireworks in the river water. Standing on the shore, the audience enthusiastically watches the ships passing by, showered with colorful sparks. And high in the sky "amazing" fiery flowers bloom, refreshing with some kind of mystical light coastal historical buildings - palaces, fortresses, castles, colorful ruins.
Temple procession
The temple procession, or in Japanese "Sanja Matsuri," takes place in Tokyo in May. Almost two million people who are representatives of one or another Buddhist temple (mikoshi) are in a hurry to take part in the festival. This procession is called “Temple” because its participants carry copies of Japanese temples on a stretcher. At the same time, no model should weigh more than 220 kg.
In total, about a hundred mikoshi are represented in the festive procession. Sanja Matsuri is also a festival of Japanese national costume. On this day, the streets of Tokyo walk around residents dressed in the outfits of geishas, medieval musicians and dancers, samurai and other traditional clothes.
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