Embracing the Magic of Carnivals by Angel Anne Regaza

Rio Carnival, Brazil

regazaangelann — 2024-02-04 20:09:09 UTC

The streets of Rio de Janeiro are flooded for five sleepless days, colourful parades, costumes and over-the-top parties making it the ‘greatest show on Earth’. The flamboyant festival arose out of tradition, where everyone removed the temptation to wine and dine during Lent. As you can imagine, this means a hedonistic party where everything goes – including feathered headpieces and exuberant Brazilian dances.

Jaisalmer Desert Festival, India

regazaangelann — 2024-02-04 20:10:58 UTC

Another Indian festival and international event in February not to be missed is the Jaisalmer Desert Festival. Often a monthly affair, the festivities draw plenty of tourists to Rajasthan where it is held. You can imagine all kinds of quirky contests and still be surprised at the innovation behind them. From camel racing to turban tying and even ranking the longest moustaches in attendance, visitors can watch and participate in various activities.

Taiwan Lantern Festival, Taiwan

regazaangelann — 2024-02-04 20:14:26 UTC

If your birthday wish hasn’t come true, try your luck at the Taiwan Lantern Festival!

Piggybacking off age-old Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival and Yanshui Fireworks Festival, this combination festival is spread out over the country. You know the famous flying lantern scene in Disney’s Tangled? Well, you can watch the beautiful drift of lights in person. The lanterns once signaled safety but now, they carry our deepest wishes and hopes into the sky.

Saidaiji Eyo Hadaka Matsuri, Japan

regazaangelann — 2024-02-04 20:17:44 UTC

Nearly naked men might not be your idea of a festival, but Okayama’s annual fest (in the winter no less) is all about luck and happiness. Priests toss lucky objects for thousands of men to fight over, a ritual that started over 500 years ago. Dressed in simple loincloths and tabi socks, these brave souls spend an hour or two running around the temple to ‘purify the body and soul’. Pay your respects to the patron goddess of mercy at the temple where it takes place. It’s actually the first stop of the Chugoku Pilgrimage, an extremely meaningful journey for worshippers.

Quebec Winter Carnival, Canada

regazaangelann — 2024-02-04 20:28:29 UTC

The largest winter carnival in the world takes place in frosty Quebec, this February festival leans into the winter spirit. In a city besieged with harsh winters, festivities and community really warm the heart. It’s one of the best winter festivals around the world. It’s one of the most important festivals in Canada.

Chinese New Year’s Festival – Worldwide

regazaangelann — 2024-02-04 20:32:14 UTC

Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, is the most celebrated event on the lunar calendar. Although not a religious festival, families have their own rituals and traditional activities scheduled throughout the week including visiting a temple to make an offering to the Buddha or the gods, for blessings for a prosperous new year. Generally, ancestors are honored in the home with incense, flowers and candles. However, Chinese New Year is publicly celebrated all around the world and a walk through any city’s Chinatown is an amazing experience. You will see festivities such as street parades, lion dances, elaborate dragons, and stilt-walking. What makes Chinese New year celebrations special is how the Chinese people come together, with the spirit of their cultural identity on display.

Sa Sartiglia – Oristano, Sardinia, Italy

regazaangelann — 2024-02-04 20:36:07 UTC

The core of the festival is a horse race that involves around 120 knights per day, each dressed in traditional costumes and riding beautifully adorned horses. They carry a sword or spear with which they have to catch a star-shaped token that’s hung in the streets of Oristano, while galloping at full speed. Another race is all about acrobatics: groups of three knights gallop along the streets of the city while making acrobatic figures on their horses’ backs.

Sun Festival – Abu Simbel, Egypt

regazaangelann — 2024-02-04 20:38:54 UTC

Visitors from Egypt and around the world travel to the small town of Abu Simbel, at the southernmost edge of Egypt, for a brief glimpse of the sun’s rays lighting the carved figures. As sunrise approaches, crowds gather and anxiously await the opportunity to file quickly through the inner chamber, cameras at the ready. For two days before and after each festival the solar alignment is less precise but still observable, and visitors looking for a more peaceful experience can enjoy the phenomenon with less of a crowd.

Panagbenga Festival

regazaangelann — 2024-02-04 20:45:21 UTC

A colorful display of flowers, floats and costumes. At Panagbenga Festival, dubbed as the mother festival of North, expect Baguio to go in full bloom figuratively and literally. Highlights of the festival include the Parade of Floats, Street Dancing and Band Competition, Session Road in Bloom, and the Pony Festival Boys Day.

Tinagba Festival

regazaangelann — 2024-02-04 20:49:13 UTC

Tinagba Festival is a yearly celebration in Iriga City, Camarines Sur during the month of February. In this festival, the locals bring our their best bullcarts which are managed by men and women in traditional colorful regalia. There is a parade in carabao-drawn carts or motored floats packed with the best of the province’s products. It’s very colorful and made more amazing with marching bands producing lively sounds.

4 recipes perfect to celebrate carnival

regazaangelann — 2024-02-04 21:10:17 UTC

Rio Carnival, dance performance

regazaangelann — 2024-02-04 21:14:27 UTC

Panagbenga festival, dance performance

regazaangelann — 2024-02-04 21:16:49 UTC

Taiwan Lantern Festival

regazaangelann — 2024-02-04 22:15:06 UTC

Chinese New Year

regazaangelann — 2024-02-04 22:16:54 UTC