Colourful, Religious and Weird Carnivals

Festival or feasts is an event organized by local community which centers on some religious beliefs and weird aspects of any community. Most of the feasts or festival is celebrated in honor of gods or God and saints. Festivals are commonly referred to religious feast day rather than film or art festival. Seasonal festivals provide entertainment, celebration for religious geographical and social community, and depends on the lunar or solar calendars and seasonal cycles. For instance, in the Alps, during Autumn, a festival called “Almatrielo”(during the summer, the cows are pastured back in the mountains a practice called “Yaylag” or “yaylak” pastoralism). The tradition of bringing the cows by the cow herders, from the Alps into the Allgau and nearby each September 18th or mid of the month of September, which marks the starting of the festival. Carnival a public celebration and festive season which occurs before the Lenten season. During carnivals the people celebrate the festive in bright coloured costumes, masquerade parades, circus and street parties or Mardi Gras. Carnival is a festival by the Catholics and even Eastern Orthodox societies. Although in the Protestants areas, they do not celebrate Carnivals or they have modified traditions or other celebration of Shove Tuesday like the Danish Carnivals.

1) Winter Solstice Festival or Dong Zhi Festival

The Solstice festival or Dong Zhi festival means “the Extreme of Winter”, commonly celebrated on or around December 21 to 22, when the sunshine is the weakest and shortest daylight. Winter Solstice is the time at which the sun is in southern point in the Northern hemisphere during noontime at its lowest altitude above the horizon occurring on mid December yearly and in the Southern hemisphere during the month of June 20 to 21.

2) Dree Festivals of the Apatanis

The Dree Festival of the Apatanis tribe living in the Lower Subansiri District of Arunachal Pradesh celebrated annually every month of July 4 to July 7 praying for abundant harvest of crops.

Esala Perahera or Festival of Tooth in Esala, Sri Lanka

Shigmo Festival in Goa, India

Shigmo Festival a prominent festival of the Konkari Hindu community, celebrated in Goa, India annually during the month of March.

Thaipusam Festival by Tamil Community

The Thaipusam Festival is a Hindu festival celebrated by the Tamil community during the Tamil month of Thai in the month of February or March that falls on the full moon. The Thaipusam Festival is celebrated among Tamil communities in any part of Asia.

Holi Festival in India

The Holi Festival or Festival of Colours celebrated by the Hindus, in India, Pakistan and Nepal, and Asia where there population of India diaspora following Hinduism.  Holi is also called Dhuli, in Sanskrit, Dhulheti, Dhuhandi or Dhulendi, and celebrated the Holi Festival by throwing scented coloured powders and perfumes at each other. On the eve of Holi Festival bonfires are lit and called “the burning of Holika” or Holika Dahan or Chhoti Holi (Little Holi). after the prayers of Holika Dahan, comes the offering and praise. Holi Festival falls in the later part of February to mid part of March.

3)  Sinulog Festival in Cebu City, Philippines (Feast of the Santo Nino)

The Sinulog Festival lasts for nine days, and on the 9th day, the grand parade of Sinulog is held. One day before the gran parade, a Fluvial procession is held, carrying the statue of the Santo Nino on a decorated pump-boat from Mandaue City to Cebu City, ending at the Basilica.

Ati-Atihan Festival in Kalibo, Aklan

Ati-Atihan Festival in Kalibo, Aklan, is the “mother” of the Sinulog Festival in Cebu City and Dinagyang Festival in Iloilo, the festival in honor of the Infant Jesus (Santo Nino). The Ati-Atihan Festival (which means “Aetas”, first settlers of Panay Islands), is held every third Sunday of January, annually, just like the Sinulog and Dinagyang Festival.

Dinagyang Festival in Iloilo City

Pahiyas Festival

The colourful San Isidro Pahiyas Festival in Lucban, Quezon province in the Philippines, held annually,  every May 15th of the month. The festival is held in honor of San Isidro, the patron saint for the abundant harvests of crops, vegetables and fruits.

Maskara Festival, Bacolod, Philippines

The Masskara Festival held every third weekend of October and also the city’s Charter Anniversary, held annually in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental. The Masskara Festival features competition of colourful masks, street dances competition, musical concerts, food festivals of Bacolod’s delicacy, sports events and search for Queen Masskara of the Festival.

Flores De Mayo Festival (Santa Cruzan) Philippines

Flores de Mayo or Flowers of May is a festival held in the Philippines every month of May each year, lasting for one month celebration in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary, where cities, towns and small communities known as “nayon or baryo” participated and held a beauty pageant for the Reyna Elena, and Reyna Emperatriz and other queen titles for the festivals. It is also called “Sagala” or Santacruzan. The Santacruzan is a festival

4) Leeds Carnival, United Kingdom

The Leeds Carnival, also known as the Leeds West Indian Carnival or the Chapeltown Carnival, which begun in 1967 that makes it the longest festivals n Europe. The Leeds West Indian Carnival is held every month of August Bank Holiday weekend. Bank Holiday is a public holiday in the United Kingdom and also Ireland’s colloquialism public holiday. The Leeds West Indian Carnival is a three-days holidays that ends up with the parade. This festival has been joined by the Notting Hill Carnival.

Notting Hill Carnival, UK

The Notting Hill Carnival is an annual event held also in August bank holidays which begun in 1964. The Notting Hill Carnival takes place on the Notting Hill streets to Royal Borough of Kesington and Chelsea, London in the United Kingdom over two days celebration of August bank holiday Monday and the one day before the feast day.

 Nice Carnival and Paris Carnival (two major carnivals in France)