Worldwide
FYI calling this month “da most wonderful time of da year”. Lots of countries from most south and far north celebrate Christmas and New Year’s Eve in December: evening parties, dancing, drinking, music, eating, fireworks and more. Most celebrations go on past midnight into the early hours of the next day (1st of Jan), people stay up till early morning or branch time.
Amazing if you would have a chance to see how this 31st of December is celebrated in different places including all kinds of creative, traditionally related, and culturally unique ways!
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- USA : Watching the ball drop at the stroke of midnight on the streets of Times Square, or on the tv, avoiding standing in the crowd in freezing temps). Kiss someone at the midnight might be also counted as a tradition or not…
- Haiti: Sharing soup joumou since it was a forbidden delicacy for enslaved Black people. Haitians are usually bring some of their soup and swap with others for their dishes.
- Japan: Tradition of soba noodles (eat the soba noodles) that tied to a Buddhist temple and their will to feed the poor.
- India: Burning down a sculpture of an old man that was just built for it – symbolise of all grievances from the old year.
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Few countries that have certain rooted cultural New Year celebrations:
- Ecuador: Held a parade around the city with scarecrows made to look like popular politicians and cultural icons, then burn scarecrows in a bonfire at the midnight to cleanse the new year of everything evil.
- Brazil: Heading to the beach wearing all white (symbolise purity) and make 7 wishes when jumping 7 waves. Throw white flowers into the ocean to make offerings to Yemoja.
- Colombia: Three potatoes under each family member’s bed—one peeled, one not, and the last one half peeled. With eyes closed each person grabs one potato at midnight and the potato they select, can either expect a year of good fortune (peeled one), financial struggle (not peeled), or a mix of both.
- Russia: Clean your house and yourself (body and soul) by going to a banya – a Russian sauna – or take a hot bath on the 31st December. Putting gifts for loved ones under the tree. Lots of drinking celebrations going for 5 days. Jan. 7th is Christmas and all fun or drink-rave-sleep-repeat goes again! There is also tradition that involves the lake of Baikal.
- Turkey: Sprinkle salt on your doorstep when the clock strikes midnight for a good luck.
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- Spain: Eating all 12 grapes in a matter of seconds (strike of the clock) till the time the clock finishes striking midnight. If you tried and failed to do so then you miss-out on your chances for prosperous and lucky new year – sounds rough but c’est la vie need to wait for another year.
- Denmark: One of the loudest braking home traditions is throwing plates at your friends’ and neighbours’ front doors on the New Year’s Eve. It’s a Danish tradition, so watch out, never cross someone’s front door on the New Year.
- Italy: Italians wear red underwear on New Year’s Eve as the colour red symbolises fertility.
- Greece: Hang onions to welcome growth throughout the New Year.
- Ireland: Place mistletoe under the pillow on New Year’s Eve if you are single lady to help find a future husband.
ICEANIA
Festival in Sydney for New Year’s Eve that is held in Sydney Harbour. Every year Australia impress people around the world with its fireworks that light up beautiful scenery of Aussie’s Harbour. It’s not as huge on fireworks as like Hong kong where fireworks never seem to stop, or Dubai that hosting the world’s largest fireworks display, but to see unreal pyrotechnics on the Sydney Harbour Bridge, above the Sydney Opera House is something to worth visiting!
There are also music bands play at different locations around the harbour. Family Fireworks scheduled at 9pm and then the Midnight Fireworks.
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Europe
Every year top level artists working hard to impress the audience with new and more creative light sculptures at Lightopia Festival. To add more mix to this interactive atmosphere of lights there will be street lasers and dynamic floors.
Lightopia is an award-winning light festival. Marked as one of the best Art Events, Celebration Events. Winner of the Interactive Outdoor Event and The Best Art Exhibition. Festival is been recognised by many professional artists.
Unfortunately, this festival requires a ticket ; about 23$ (Adult), Family ticket is also available. There are peak pricing and off-peak pricing days.
London in Winter will be even more fun with this festival, no doubt ! November for many folks is about Christmas preparation so Lightopia Festival would bring that Christmas magic mode illuminating the surroundings by amazing art installations: luminous animals or flowers, interesting constructions and weird sculptures .
Festival starts in the middle of November(17th) and lasts until the beginning of January (2nd), thus there is plenty of time to explore this illuminated installations throughout the city.. If you ask Londoners about that festival they will tell you its one of the must-see events in England. If by chance you are in Manchester or Alton Towers Lightopia Festival will be there as well.
As we also pointing out on some strange festivals in December thats is why the Klausjagen is here!
In Küssnacht locals go to the northern shore of Lake Lucerne and chase down Santa with a cowbell and a bunch of hollering..hmm yeah it happens every year.
Started from medieval pagan practice that was for to scare off evil spirits with noise and sooner has transformed into a Christian festival. The village in Swiss also held the parade just the night before, where locals wearing candlelit hats. However, once Santa appears hundreds of people (roughly 500 people) chase him down and give him a beating. Who would know that Swiss could be so violent…?! Till now Santa keeps pulling through this annual punishment.
30 November, 2023 – 21 January, 2024
What's About?:
Picturing the fascinating light displays on a winter walk along the city’s famous canals. Romantic scenery in many movies could link to this scenery. City maps are there for everyone to purchase and follow the route of the artworks.
Dont forget about the boat tour through Amsterdam’s canals if you curious for this Festival of Lights looks like from the boat. Some locals say few displays would only be seen properly from the water. There are cheap and luxury boat tours …So whatever rocks your boat.
This is not the only one festival of light for December since its – basically – the month of Christmas magic, but this one happens in one of the free-will cities – Amsterdam. The Amsterdam Light Festival is an every year event in the Dutch capital from December to January.
When the days might not be the warmest (especially in 2022) this Amsterdam Light Festival is a great way to still get out and enjoy Amsterdam.
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Want to start the new year in Scottish style? Go for Hogmanay. Celebration of the new year that comes from old times wild parties of the Vikings who annually used to mark the end of the harvest and winter solstice in late December.
The chance to participate in torchlight procession, celebrations kick off, going from Edinburgh’s old town to Holyrood Park. Also, observe some Scottish traditions; The most famous one is first footing (taken from Vikings). Its believed that the first footer is the first person to cross over your doorstep after midnight and is seen to bring good luck in the coming year.
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Party happens at Princes Street for the world famous Edinburgh Hogmanay street party. Expect a spectacular firework display on and above Edinburgh Castle.
Asia
Number of folks would say the best time to visit this festival would be in January. However, there are lots of things to engage with even if you come in October – December. India is known for its non-stop festivities for all kind of religious purposes and beliefs so undoubtedly lots of fun and lively public around are guaranteed for any event in India. Would be also suggested for a family holiday destination.
This one festival has its own uniqueness. The Rann Utsav is a Carnival of Music, Dance, nature beauty of the shimmering 7500km² landscape of the Great Rann of Kutch which is a salt marsh in the Thar Desert in the Kutch (District of Gujarat, India). Although, called as one of the largest salt deserts in the world among the well-known Bolivian Salar de Uyuni.
The perfection of this pristine white salty desert sand promises to take your breath away. Once you see it you might think where else to celebrated scenic wonder if not here; you might even pinch yourself when you see this site in the evening/night time on Full Moon day – unrealistic treeless ground illuminated softly by the moon, is like from a scene in Aladdin and other Arabian nights Fairy Tales.
Some blogs’ hints from the tent city , stories by Soumya, the India…
During the festival tourist and locals often feel like they are parting in Heaven on Earth. How cool is it to know that you can store such moments in cameras for life time, even-though no lens can transcend the large scapes that our eyes can capture. Enjoy plenty of things during the festival, including participation in Golf Cart, ATV Ride, Camel Cart Excursion, Paramotoring, Meditaiton, Yoga and more.
The festival enjoyed by more than 8000 tourists from all over the world and thus need booking for visiting and for other needs like tent. Additional recommendations . 4 days and 3 nights or 2 nights and 3 days would be ideal. Official dates were announced, from 26th Oct 2022 to 20th Feb 2023, the weather conditions make it perfect for sightseeing. Once you book the package of Rann Utsav the arrangement from Pick-up from bhuj to Drop at Bhuj will be taken care by the tourist guide.
But there are also versions for free where you can also visit some of the festivities. How to reach Rann Utsav by yourself; Bhuj is the nearest airport. From Delhi airport, fly to Kandla, then take the taxi to Rann Utsav. Or you can take the Metro to Airport then a little walk to Delhi airport, fly to Rajkot, then take the taxi to Rann Utsav.Kutch can be reached directly only by road.
Historically, Chichibu Night Festival started in the middle of the Edo period (1603 – 1867)when the silk market was developing. Since then this festival goest for about 300 years thereby now is in top 3 of most popular float festivals in Japan, with the Kyoto Gion Festival and the Hida Takayama Festival.
The early bird gets the worm, so get there few hours before this actual festival starts! Once you arrive in Chichibu (small town) don’t miss a chance to get some true taste Japanese street food from pop up food/cooking stands. Since its winter and you might need something to keep you warm, would be a pity not try the Amazake (sweet rice wine)…
Japan in winter might seem a bit odd, but quiet rewarding if you go for their winter Chichibu Night Festival.
The grand festival of Chichibu Shrine is when people pull gorgeous floats around small town of Chichibu, while kabuki (highly-styled Japanese dance-drama performances) is performed inside the floats. Kabuki is is very popular and each community compete with each other making it more impressive to watch.
Behind these dance performances are days of preparations, including personal time and financial investments; More than a year before an actual event, artists of the kabuki were diligently preparing their stage performances on the floats: picking the theme of the program, cast the performers, and practicing it throughout the year.
As a result – colours, colours, and more colours sway on the floats in from of Bonbori (lanterns) with fireworks, lighting up the winter sky. Its a massive Japanese party that gets packed fast! Besides being just 90 minutes from Tokyo people come to watch it for gorgeous winter decorations: built floats, paper-covered lanterns (“Bonbori”), wood carvings, music, traditional firework show, kabuki performances.
Dwijing Festival of Chirang is relatively new festivals that started in 2016-2017. It is a river festival celebrated on the banks of River Aie close to Hagrama Bridge (Assam state of India). In Bodo language (Sino-Tibetan language) Dwijing means riverbank and Aie means mother.
The time to celebrate the Assamese culture and traditions. Held annually in the last week of December and first week of January. Weeks of music from local artists, cultural dances (Bihu dance), art/handicraft exhibitions, and food (rice cakes, silkworms, and more).
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Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival is about massive ice buildings and complex sculptures of people, animals, and mythical creatures. Its like a surreal winter wonderland when the lights shine through the ice in the night, making an array of colours. Started in 1985, the festival earned a Guinness Record for the world’s largest snow sculpture – 250 meters long and 8.5 meters high.
This year (2022) this event might be difficult to attend as for COVID restrictions should be checked in advance. However, anyway it’s time to see the works of the ice Sculpting Masters from around the world, wherever you are as there are many Ice Shows in December- January. If we are talking about this one, where worldwide artists and engineers work side by side to assemble the giant blocks of ice into flawless 3D work of art, we can ensure that this festival is worth to visit.
Harbin Ice will be located in the Heilongjiang province of North China where weather can go low to -25oC (-13oF). The event will last for about a two months. Check out the tickets prices – roughly 250 Yuan (roughly $40).
When you there, don’t forget to take a part in ice slides and skating rings, and other fun activities.
One of the most amazing festivals on Earth especially for those who love to look at that winter celebrated scenic wonder. Walking through the CITY OF ICE in ASIA; all its height and grandeur seemed to be impossible to create by hands, noticing various yet infinitely repetitious figures of ice, a whole city of snow with monuments that silencing our words. The Harbin Ice and Snow Festival is created to show the snow wonderland season in China!
By the way it is very crowded on the week of Chinese New Year (Jan 31 – Feb 6, 2022). Keep that in mind and, if possible, pick another time for your visit.
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Middle East
December - January
What's About?:
Bedouin lifestyle in Abu Dhabi! Al Dhafra Festival is up to a caravan of camels, hundreds of tribes, stunning sand dunes on the background for a breathtaking view.
The Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and deputy commander in chief of the UAE armed forces hosting this festival at the border of the Ar Rub’ al Khali Sand Sea or Empty Quarter desert (650,000 km² ), which is considered to be the largest continuous sand desert on Earth. For 3 weeks there will be a chance to see Saluki dog races, falconry, photography competitions and try the most tastiest cultural dishes.
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Whirling Dervishes, is it sound familiar? Maybe not by the name but by the image of men wearing white long dress and spinning with their arms spread wide. Picture on the right. This tradition started 700 years, likes to commemoration of the death of the muslim philosopher, who looked on by many muslims as a saint, and so he believed such dance and music led to a higher consciousness, therefore, connects you to divine love; as men whirl, one of their foot remains firmly on the ground, which symbolise a fixed channel through which divine blessings can flow to the earth, while body moves constantly and independently from the head and feet. Men are spinning their bodies by controlling their rocking movements to the rhythmic music of chanting, drums and the reed pipe. It’s tough and exciting at the same time, many can get dizzy or feel euphoria from turning into hyperconscious state. Definitely practice is needed!
Today, in Turkey there are two celebrations of Whirling Dervishes (real name Mevlevihanesi) – one in Konya, which we are focused on, and second one in Galata, Istanbul.
Melvana Festival is full of Sufi dance and music ceremonies. And the Mevlevi Sema Ceremony is now recognised by UNESCO for Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. The Whirling Dervishes Ceremony is performed every year on the anniversary of Rumi’s death. Large audience who wish to see the display of the Whirling Prayer Ceremony, roughly 1 million of tourists with pilgrims comes to Konya.
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This man’s spiritual ascent through mind and love going through seven parts of ritual where each having its own meaning. To become one of a Dervish, must take a vow of poverty and live in monastic conditions, as like Christian monks. For Dervishes, spinning is their way to worship.
Anyway, no matter how i would describe it its better to see in real life. So if you up to it – good news – this festival in Konya is free of charge(in the theatre), which means you must get there earlier to takes place in a building that easy to spot as is shaped as a big lit-up cone and a few meters from Mevlana Museum. The one in Istanbul will need a ticket (more of ticket info).
New Year’s celebration in Brazil does seem exotic: Christmas palm tree, goldy sand instead of bleached white snow. So once again, the New Year’s Celebration in Brazil is the beach celebration of a lifetime…
31st of December in Rio held the 2nd biggest party in the city (following the Rio Carnival in February / March). NYE in Rio is visited by more than 2.5 million spectators that come to Copacabana Beach for the year’s biggest beach party; music, dances, colourful fireworks that light up the seaside crowd that wearing white clothes (Brazilian New Year’s tradition).
You can pick the bars or a restaurants that allow you to get a perfect view of the firework show.
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The Caribbean
Be Caribbean on the last week before a New Year !
You know how they say(Russian belief) “As the new year to meet – so spend it”,basically meaning that celebrating the first seconds, hours, and days just before the new year and a few days after the New Year’s Eve should be truly extraordinary, which will gladly contributed to Junkanoo Festival in Bahamas.
Behind this one week of fun, and countless laughs, or ‘omg’ shouting, this four-day celebration takes months of preparations from its organisers and performers. So this party is serious. Locals, who are the performers, prepare their costume, dances (mastering their moves), make ups, and other related things. As they know this is all for thousands of spectators who will be there to watch their performances on the side of the street.
Junkanoo can be called as the heart and soul of Bahamian culture.
Apparently, this massive parade in Bahamas, by some mean, is celebrating its Akan origin which is originated from ancient Ghana and today is the biggest Ethnic groups in West Africa today, not sure how accurate is that, therefore, makes me wonder and yet keen to check this festival in real live.
The festival brings the Garifuna culture to life (mixed free African and indigenous American ancestry, originated in the Caribbean island of Saint Vincent) through dance that controlled by the beat of drums and cowbells. You might have seen this even in some Hollywood movies, which happened to film on the Caribbean land.
On the Islands of The Bahamas, in downtown Nassau just after Christmas till New Year’s Eve there will be massive street parades! If you miss it there then other Caribbean Islands, like Samll Islands ( Abacos, the Exumas), Harbour Island, and Grand Bahama would also held theme related street parades to showcase Bahamian culture and traditions, music, costumes, dances, and surely their exotic cuisine – for many this would be a brownie point to come!
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North America
November and December (101 Nights)
What's About?:
Oh at the firts glance this view on the Niagara Fall is mesmerising, if this can describe that beauty of the Winter Festival of Lights in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. Festival made for the Christmas season and features over 3 million lights on display.
Open to the public from November through to February and its free! Its up to you to leave some 💰 for a donation as its suggested; event organisers assume that by a donation money people can show their appreciation for live entertainment, free hot chocolate, a Christmas parade, light shows, fireworks, and a tree lighting ceremony.
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The ultimate beano mix…
Snowglobe in Lake Tahoe, CA, tend to combine the world’s best musicians with the world’s best snow conditions. It says to be ‘one-of-a-kind experience’ that you can have in your lifetime as it gives you jumping into music beats right beside the mountains; Skiers, snowboarders, and music lovers will be packed in one place. World-class musicians will be there (need to check the list) thus making the SnowGlobe to satisfy thousands of music fans.
