Festivals and Traditions around the world.

Hi students!

Today I´m going to talk about some strange or/and funny festivals and traditions we have around the world and I would say many people have never heard about them, even me.:-)

Let´s start by saying there are really unkown and strange things happening everyday and we don´t know or are not interested in but it´s good to know them so we can understand different cultures a little more.Dont worry! I´m sure you can deal with.



FESTIVALS:

Mardi Gras

When: Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, March 4 (for 2014)
Where: New Orleans
Why you should go: In many ways Mardis Gras’ reputation precedes itself — if you want to party like there’s no tomorrow, New Orleans is where you belong.

When: Last weeks of September to the first weekend in October
Where: Munich, Germany 
Why you should go: Though there are many smaller offshoots of Oktoberfest around the world, Munich’s original fair is the biggest beer festival in the world. In 2013, more than $96,178,668 worth of beer was served every day during the festival.

When: The last Wednesday in August
Where: Buñol, Spain
Why you should go: As crazy as it may seem, this festival is held every year purely for fun, meaning it isn’t tied to any ancient traditions. In 1945 a few locals began throwing fruits and vegetables during a parade — and ever since then the tomato-throwing festival has continued on.

When: Jan. 5–Feb. 5
Where: Harbin, China 
Why you should go: The Harbin festival is the largest snow and ice festival in the world, and it features carvings towering over 20 feet in height and full-size buildings made from gigantic blocks of ice.

When: Feb. 14–March 4 (for 2014)
Where: Venice, Italy
Why you should go: Carnevale, or “Carnival,” has been a Venice tradition since the 13th century. People flock from all over the world to participate in the masked celebrations, arguably making it one of the best parties on Earth.

When: June 27–29 (for 2014)
Where: Boom, Belgium 
Why you should go: Tomorrowland has quickly grown to become one of the world’s largest electronic dance music (EDM) festivals. Each year over 100,000 visitors flock to Belgium to dance the day and night away.

Each country has its traditions and some are really strange. Let´s see:

Finland's Cemetery Tradition

In Finland it’s a tradition to visit your buried relatives at sunset on Christmas Eve. Many cemeteries and churches hold brief services complete with hymns and moments of reflection while family members lay lanterns and lit candles on the graves to remember departed loved ones. Often a special section is created for people who have relatives buried far away, so they can commemorate their family members, too. This touching custom began in the 1920s when candles were placed on the graves of World War I soldiers.

Iceland's Yule Lad

In Iceland, children put their best foot forward at Christmas. From December 12th to the 23rd, Icelandic kids leave a shoe on their windowsill. While they sleep each night, 13 magical Yule Lads climb down from the mountains to leave gifts in the shoes of well-behaved children. Naughty kids end up with a potato instead! Originally, the Yule Lad tradition had a more sinister tone and many parents used their mysterious nighttime visits to scare their children into behaving.

Hindu Thaipusam Festival Piercings 

During the celebration of the religious holiday Thaipusam, Hindus declare their devotion to Lord Murugan by piercing various parts of their bodies. It is mainly observed in countries where there is a significant presence of Tamil community such as India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Mauritius, Singapore, Thailand and Myanmar.

Bullet Ant Gloves

The most painful Initiation Ritual – For the Satere-Mawe tribe of the Amazon, you can’t become a man if you don’t take part in this ritual. When a young boy becomes sexually mature he goes out into the jungle with the Medicine man and other boys his age to find and gather bullet ants. 

Well, we live in a very interesting planet,don´t we? There is so much to know and we can also live part of it if we want. Do you know any strange tradition? Do you want to know more about this kind of subject? Don´t miss the opportunity to read about other festivals and traditions on the web.

 For more information take a look at :

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