Spring Festivals and Traditions around the World

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Have you been experiencing again that irresistible urge to pack everything and just take the first plane to whatever it may take you? Well, this either means that you are an incurable traveler, or that spring time is already filling you with energy and an increasing desire to travel and experience as much as you can.

The whole world (or, at least, the entire Northern Hemisphere) is celebrating the return of spring: wherever your instincts or your favorite travel guides might lead you this spring, be sure that you will find yourself in the middle of the action. Spring time is the ideal time for festivals: just as the winter goes away and nature comes back to life, people switch on the party mood. So let the party begin and  check what can be seen in terms of spring festivals and celebrations:

Easter

Throughout the Christian world, Easter is the most important spring holiday. Although the significance of Easter is mainly religious, one can’t neglect that, in addition to being a reminder of the day when Jesus Christ resurrected, Easter is also an occasion to celebrate spring.

Easter is associated with the most beautiful and unique traditions, from coloring eggs and cooking the delicious Easter pie, to making gifts and throwing water on women. In Spain, the Semana Santa (the Easter Week) has a special significance: the events and processions that take place in Seville are probably the most famous. Here, the religious brotherhoods are walking on the city’s streets and carrying huge religious sculptures, named pasos.

St. Patrick’s Day

Initially a religious holiday, Saint Patrick’s Day is now celebrated all over the world. Whether this holiday’s popularity has anything to do with the invasion of Irish pubs, or it is just the Irish taking their traditions everywhere they go, one things is for sure: it worths attending the noisy parade, tasting a slice of soda bread and wearing something green.

Indian Spring Festival

In India, each region and ethnic group has its own way of welcoming spring time. But one of the biggest and most colorful spring festival in the country remains the Holi, which usually takes place in late March. During the Holi, people are trying to let their senses loose, charge with positive energy, dance on drum rhythms and eat home made cookies named Goojhas.

Takayama Spring Festival

Takayama Spring Festival is among the most popular festivals in Japan. The festival takes place in the picturesque city of Takayama, in the Gifu prefecture. The biggest attractions are the shinto music and dance representations, together with the parade of the huge floats (each float is actually a stage for puppet theater representations – the region is famous for its traditional crafts and hand made puppets). In case you have other plans this spring, you could also go to Takayama during autumn, as the festival takes place two times a year.

St. Petersburg White Nights Festival

Visiting the splendid city of St. Petersburg might prove to be the most inspired idea you had in years. This is the time when daytime starts reaching incredible durations, marking the beginning of the White Nights, a period when St. Petersburg nightlife and cultural activity are reaching their climax.

The white nights are not only called this way because the sun doesn’t set, but also because visitors and locals refuse to sleep. On the 27th of May, the city’s day, the streets will be filled by the the sound of military orchestras and colorful parades.

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