Global Festivals That Unite The World
cultural insightsWritten by RoamRadar Crew
Festivals have a wonderful power to unite people across boundaries and civilizations. Celebrating the rich tapestry of human experience, they highlight distinctive customs reflecting the history, values, and inventiveness of many societies. This page will look at some of the most fascinating celebrations worldwide, exploring the customs that bind us all.
The Fundamental Nature of Festivities
Festivals are, fundamentally, expressions of community, thanks, and delight. They include food, music, dance, and customs that really speak to the participants. Festivals, as a little local gatherings or major worldwide events, help to create a feeling of shared history and belonging. They remind us that despite our variations, mankind is connected by universal themes.
Diwali
Celebrated among India's most important holidays, Diwali—the Festival of Lights—symbolizes the triumph of good over evil and light over darkness.It is so popular, that millions of people see it, it starts the Hindu New Year.
Diwali Customary Practices
Diyas, or oil lamps, and vibrant rangoli designs abound in homes. Fireworks brighten the evening sky to generate a festive mood.Families get together to enjoy mouthwatering food and sweets, so strengthening ties and customs.
Brazil Carnival
Carnival in Brazil is one of the most colorful and exciting festivals in the world.It is held every year and leads up to lent, it is famous for its parades, samba music and elaborate costumes.
Traditions of Carnival
- Parades: The samba schools parade their floats and dancers.
- Street Parties: All of the cities erupt into street parties where anyone can come and dance and celebrate.
- Costumes: People dress up in very colorful, and usually very outlandish, costumes, and its just a time to be creative and feel free.
Oktoberfest
Oktoberfest, in Munich, Germany, is the world's largest beer festival, occurring every year. Millions of people come to experience the atmosphere, the oompah music, and, of course, the fine German beer.
Traditions of Oktoberfest
Beer Tents: People go into these huge tents, and each tent is sponsored by a different beer company, and they go in and sample different types of beer.
Traditional Food: It's all about foods, from pretzels to sausages, German food is a big part of the celebration.
Cultural Performances: With the sound of live music and people doing those Bavarian dances, it is very festive.
Holi
Holi, is the festival of colors, it is mostly celebrated in India and Nepal. It is the dawning of spring and a time when people can forget about the wrongs of the past and enjoy themselves with each other.
Traditions of Holi
- Color Throwing: They all throw colored powders and water on each other because it's like the renewal of spring and happiness.
- Bonfires: On the night before Holi, there are fires that are supposed to represent the burning of evil.
- Sweets and Music: Also, families make sweets and listen to the music and watch the dances, which adds to the whole "unity" feeling.
La Tomatina
Apparently, they have every year some strange party in Buñol, Spain called La Tomatina, where everyone throws an insane amount of tomatoes at each other, this party really is some kind of community, and fun.
Traditions of La Tomatina
- Tomato Fight: 50,000+ people come from around the world for the festival for the sole purpose of having a HUGE brawl where they all throw SQUISHY ROTTEN TOMATOES at each other.
- Street Parties: They also have the most awesome block parties with music and dancing and food.
- Cleaning Up: But then again, after the party they all go and clean the streets, so it's not really bad, it's just a kind of camaraderie.
Chinese New Year
The Chinese New Year, Lunar New Year, is celebrated by over a billion people all over the world. It's new years day on the lunar calander and that is when the whole fam damily gets together and prays to the ancestors.
Traditions of Chinese New Year
- Family Gatherings: They all get family reunion dinner with the same old foods.
- Red Envelopes: The old people dole out hongbao (red envelopes) with money in them to the kids and the younger generation for "luck.
- Lion Dances: It's also when they do the lion dances, they are so colorful, I've read that they are to ward off evil spirits and bring good luck.//www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/chinese-new-year.htm).
Eid al-Fitr
Eid al-Fitr is the holiday after ramadan, the Islamic month of fasting. It is a time of celebration, reflection, and gratitude.
Traditions of Eid al-Fitr
- Prayers: Muslims pray together, to thank and to be blessed.
- Feasting: They all have these HUGE dinners and even visit with their neighbors and poor people.
- Giving Zakat: Well even on eid charity is a really big thing, everyone gives.//www.islamic-relief.org/eid-al-fitr/).
Mardi Gras
It is Mardi Gras and it is a large carnival in New Orleans, LA, USA, and it is famous for it's parades and music and costumes. It goes all the way until "Fat Tuesday, " the day before "Ash Wednesday".
Traditions of Mardi Gras
- Parades: The parades are neat, there are these floats and "krewe" people riding on the floats with masks and they throw beads and stuff out to the crowd.
- King Cake: And then the plain cake (with the little toy surprise). And whomever finds it is king or queen of the day.
- Costumes: They wear the most bright and detailed clothing, that's what the festival is most famous for.
Reflection of Humanity
Festivals don’t just involve events, rather they represent human values, creativity, and resilience. It depicts common broom strings among people dwellings around the world which tell them that despite their many cultural differences there is a common chain that links a human being from diverse backgrounds.
People travel throughout the world’s festivals and not only see diversity of traditions but share in a common that is beyond language and geography. Great, whether it’s dancing in the streets of Rio, throwing color in India or cracking open a pint in Munich, festivals are a celebration of life that every person can join in.
SIMILAR ARTICLES
Cultural Etiquette: Do’s and Don’ts in Japan
RoamRadar Crew
Attracting millions of tourists annually Japan is a wonderful fusion of old customs and modern innovation For firsttime visitors its distinctive culture and ingrained customs can be both fasci ...
READ THE ARTICLEHow Different Cultures Say Hello
RoamRadar Crew
Hello there Yes you our loyal reader In this article were gonna talk about greetings around the world Greeting customs vary greatly across the globe and are important role in communication Kno ...
READ THE ARTICLEHow Learning Systems Differ Across Cultures
RoamRadar Crew
Education is a universal concept but how its practiced varies dramatically across the globe From the United States to Japan from Finland to India every country has carved its own way through teac ...
READ THE ARTICLE