Holi Festival - The Festival of Colors !
The Holi Festival,is usually in the month of march the date differs every year as per the Hindu calendar. Its the time of the year when we can be kids again, we gather with our loved ones and play holi together, it is undoubtedly the most colorful festival in the world! The spirits of Holi begin much before the festival itself, by throwing water filled balloons at each other. Holi is played with water and mainly dry colors. People apply color at each other and soak each other in water.
The colors are mainly in powder form, now a days you can get organic colors so that it won't harm your skin. - still it is advised not to play Holi too aggressively!
History of Holi Festival
There is a legend behind the use of colors on Holi. According to the Hindu mythology, Lord Krishna started the tradition of playing with colors during the festival. He was jealous of his soul mate - Radha's fair complexion, because he was dark in color. The young Krishna often complained about his dark skin tone to his mother - Yashoda. To placate the child, Yashoda asked him to smear color on Radha's face, so that her fair complexion is masked. Obeying his mother, Lord Krishna applied color on Radha's face, which changed her complexion. The playful and mischievous Krishna started the game of playing with colors and this is how, the celebration of Holi with colors was started.
Tomatina Festival
The Tomationo Festival that is celebrated in Valencia, Spain( Most of us know already through friends in Spain and mainly due to the movie - Zindagi na milengi dobara). It is held on the last Wednesday of August, during the week of festivities of Buñyol. Although the partying starts earlier in the week. The highlight of the festival is the tomato fight which takes place between 11am and 1pm on that day.
History of La Tomatina
The origins of La Tomatina aren't clear with several theories explaining how Bunyol has become home to the world's biggest tomato fight. However, the most plausible suggests that the most likely explanation dates back to 1945 when an annual parade of enormous figures with big heads (Gigantes y Cabezudos) was passing through the streets of Bunyol.
It seems that some youngsters tried to join in the parade and accidentally knocked over one of the giants who got to his feet and started swinging out at everyone around him. In retaliation the youngsters grabbed some tomatoes from a nearby vegetable stall and started throwing them at him until the police arrived to break things up.
The following year on the same last Wednesday of August these young people returned to the town hall square and started another tomato fight using their own tomatoes. Again the police intervened and in subsequent years the local council tried to ban the 'El día de la Tomatina' but with little success as event continued to grow year after year reaching the ludicrous size it is today.
Rules of La Tomatina
The following rules have been set down by the Bunyol Town Council:
It is illegal to bring any kind of bottles or other objects that could cause an accident.
You must not tear t-shirts.
Tomatoes must be crushed before throwing so that they don't hurt anybody.
You must be careful to avoid the lorries which carry the tomatoes.
As soon as you hear the 2nd banger you must stop throwing tomatoes.
"Try to enjoy yourself as much as possible but respect these rules and the people. In the "tomatina" festival there has never been a mishap and we would like it to stay that way so everybody around the world can have a good time."
Orange Throwing Festival
The Orange Throwing Festival in Ivrea is 3 days leading up to Fat/pancake Tuesday every year, the Ivrea Carnaval occurs in the Piedmont district of Turin. A small town in the north-west of Italy.
History
Something about an emperor in the 12th century, but the tradition of oranges in Ivrea emerged last century. Women were responsible for this new age take on an ancient festival. To get the attention of an appropriate suitor they found that it was easier to get noticed when you throw oranges.
Rules of Orange Throwing Festival
Anyone can throw an orange... However you must join a team. As with so many Italian festival, local competition propels the extravagant unnecessary celebrations. If you only want to look but not throw, then you can get a red hat there which declares neutrality and guarantees you no orange hits. There are 9 local orange throwing teams to choose from.
Fiesta de la Vendimia
The Valencian town of Requena stages an unusual festival to celebrate the beginning of the grape harvest, known as Fiesta de la Vendimia. One of the highlights is the Noche de Zurra, when everyone gets a thorough soaking.
People take to the streets to beseech the powers-that-be for the water needed for the next harvest. Their neighbours waste no time in granting their request, with the help of buckets and hoses...
The event also gives visitors the opportunity to taste wine from the first pressing, as well as featuring a procession with offerings of fruit and flowers.
Sorry I don't have much more information on this then the above...
Songkran Water Festival
It is held annually on 13-15th April, Songkran Festival is the most festive and celebrated event of the year in Thailand. Songkran marks the Thai New Year (Thai Lunar Calendar year) and is the biggest and most fun-filled time of the year.
Songkran (Song Kran) is an important holiday for Thai people, the large majority of whom are practicing Buddhists. It is a time to reunite with their families, make merits in temples, visit and show their respect to older folks (just like how we celebrate diwali and other festivals like Holi)and perhaps above all, it is a time to get soaked up and cooled down in the Songkran ‘Water Fight’ that takes place on just about every street in this country during this hottest month of the year.
Since Thai people celebrate the Thai New Year so vigorously, this Songkran event can be extended into a weekend and is easily the longest holiday in Thailand. This extended period often signals a return to home provinces, time for family get-togethers, serious merit making, and massive water splashing.
Songkran Custom & Tradition
Although the Water Festival is supposed to start on 13th April, Thai people are very zealous about this festival, so much that they may begin throwing water a few days before the official date (just like how in cities like Mumbai, India... kids start throwing water balloons much before the actual Holi day). This is particularly true in Chiang Mai and other northern areas; so do not get frustrated if a Thai person approaches you with a bucket of water ready to soak you up – this is all part of the fun so enjoy it!
Traditionally on the first day of the Songkran festival, Thai people will go as a family to their temple in the early morning. Typically people will be well dressed and equipped with their family’s specialty dishes to offer to monks. After the service at the temple is through, Thai people will spend time with their family and extended family – this can be very much like a yearly family reunion (very similar to Diwali, Eid & Christmas). In some areas, Thai people will go to a certain pagoda with scented water to spray and bath on the pagoda and Buddha images for good lucks and merits.
The second day of the Songkran Festival is called “Wan Nao” or “Preparation Day” and is considered to be the Thai New Year’s Eve. It is traditionally believed that one should refrain from cursing, acting improperly or committing any malicious deed on the Wan Nao. Also, it is considered lucky to clean out the house and get rid of unwanted junk on this day.
On the last day of the Songkran Festival or the Thai New Year (Wan Phaya Wan), Thai people will visit their elder relatives and perform a ‘Dam Hua” ceremony or gently pouring scented water on the elder’s hands, which is believed to show respect and love to them. This belief gives birth to how Thai people used to gently ‘sprinkling’ water on each other in the traditional Songkran Festival but in the modern times, the gentle pouring of water has evolved into the somewhat crazy water fight. Songkran has therefore become well-known as the time that Thai people spray and splash water at one another and have fun with no reservation.
If you are a tourist at this time of year, be prepared to join-in and take part in the world’s biggest water fight!!
Boryeong Mud Festival
Mud Festivalis an annual festival which takes place during the summer in Boryeong, a town around 200 km south of Seoul, South Korea. The first Mud Festival was staged in 1998 and, by 2007, the festival attracted 2.2 million visitors to Boryeong.
The mud is taken from the Boryeong mud flats, and trucked to the Daecheon beach area, where it is used as the centrepiece of the 'Mud Experience Land'. The mud is considered rich in minerals and used to manufacture cosmetics. The festival was originally conceived as a marketing vehicle for Boryeong mud cosmetics.
Although the festival takes place over a period of around two weeks, it is most famous for its final weekend, which is popular with Korea's western population. The final weekend of the festival usually falls on the second weekend in July.
History of the Festival
In 1996 a range of cosmetics was produced using mud from the Boryeong mud flats. The cosmetics were said to be full of minerals, bentonites, and germaniums, all of which occur naturally in the mud from the area.
In order to promote these cosmetics, the Boryeong Mud Festival was conceived. Through this festival, it was hoped people would learn more about the mud and the cosmetics. The festival has become popular with both Koreans and western tourists, as well as American Military personnel stationed in the country, and foreign English teachers working in Korea.
Attractions
For the period of the festival several large attractions are erected in the seafront area of Daecheon. These include a mud pool, mud slides, mud prison and mud skiing competitions. Colored mud is also produced for body painting. A large stage is erected on the beach, which is used for live music, competitions and various other visual attractions.
A small market runs along the seafront selling cosmetics made using the mud from Boryeong. Various health and beauty clinics offer massages, acupuncture and other treatments utilising the medicinal qualities of the mud. The festival is closed with a large firework display.
Happy reading friends...
(PS: Thea gave me the names for most of these festivals, and then I did further research online to gather information)
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