Celebration..

 Fasching..

~Do you know that the fasching celebration?  Fasching is Germany's carnival season. It starts on the 11th day of November at exactly 11minutes after 11am often referred to as Fat Tuesday . Fasching is more or less a Roman Catholic and Christian Orthodox celebration and most Protestant and non-Christian areas do not celebrate it.Fasching (also known as Karneval) is a time of festivity and merry making.It is a time to break the rules, poke fun at those who make them and then to make your own new rules.

~During karneval time, they would make a mock government of eleven people, as well as other officials. A price and princess were selected to rule the country during the Fasching season. Political authorities, high placed persons and king were the target of ridicule. To avoid persecution and punishment, these antics were played out from behind masks and costumes. Parades, dancing in the streets, masquerade balls and others.

Karneval festivities have become annual events around the world. Also known as Fasching, Carnival and Mardi Gras, the most famous are located in the following places:

• Köln, Germany
• Nice, France
• Trinidad
• Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
• New Orleans, Louisianna

The picture of fasching celebration..

http://www.theholidayspot.com/mardigras/celebration.htm

Songkran..

Songkran is a celebration of Thai traditional New Year, . Not only Thai people living in Thailand accompany of Songkran, but also people who speak the language such as Laotian, Thai people in Myanmar who live near the border at the north of Thailand, and Thai spoken Chinese people in Hunan.

Troot' means 'cut' or 'separation' which refers the end or the separation of the year. Therefore, 'troot' represents a celebration that the old year is ended and people manage to live throughout the year.Monks are invited to reprove. Merit-making, food giving are performed, especially to monks. In turn, people get blessed.

      Songkran means movement or displacement, refers to the Sun is moving into the new year. New year days last from April 13^th-15^th, annually.

     April 13^th is called Maha Songkran day.April 14^th is called Wan Nao , and April 15^th is called the beginning of new year day. These may be called differently in the North, but still easy to understand. For example, April 13^th, called Sungkarnlong day, means the old body, mind and spirits of the old year are leaving. April 14^th, called Wan Nao, April 15^th, called Wan Paya Wan, means a first important day of the New Year.During festivies,people spray water and put poowder on each other's face to symbolise washing away the sins from the old year.

http://www.google.com.my/search?sclient=psy&hl=en&site=&source=hp&q=songkran&btnG=Search

Obon..

~Obon is one of the most important Japanese traditions. People believe that their ancestors' spirits come back to their homes to be reunited with their family during Obon and pray for the spirits. For the reason, Obon is an important family gathering time, and many people return to their hometowns.

~Obon was originally celebrated around the 15th day of the seventh month in the lunar calendar. Obon periods are nowadays different in various regions of Japan. In most regions, Obon is celebrated around August 15th, and it typically begins 13th and ends 16th of August. In some areas in Tokyo, Obon is celebrated around July 15th, and it is still celebrated on the 15th day of the seventh month in the lunar calendar in many areas in Okinawa.

~On the first day of Obon, people go to their family's grave to call their ancestors' spirits back home. It's called mukae-bon. In some regions, fires called mukae-bi are lit at the entrances of houses to guide the spirits. On the last day, people bring the ancestor's spirits back to the grave, hanging chochin painted with the family crest to guide the spirits. It's called okuri-bon. In some regions, fires called okuri-bi are lit at entrances of houses to send the ancestors' spirits. During Obon, the smell of senko (Japanese incense sticks) fills Japanese houses.

~Obon is not a Japanese national holiday, but many people take vacations during this time so that they can visit their hometowns. Especially, mid August is the peak travel season like Golden Week in Japan. Airports, train stations, and highways are jammed with travelers.

http://gojapan.about.com/cs/japanesefestivals/a/obonfestival.htm

Inti raymi..

~The day when the sun was the most far away from Cusco is also the day when it comes back with the soil fertility. This day is the most important of the year, and people needed to be ready for the new year of the Inca's world: the Inti Raymi.
At the time of the Inca, the present Plaza de Armas in Cusco was called "Aucaypata Square" and was much larger than it is now (its size was reduced by the Spanish). This magnificent square was used as a stage for the great sun celebration: the "Inti Raymi".
On June 24th, the winter solstice, the Inca, his priests and main vassals stood in the middle of the square, people who waited for the sunrise. Once the sun there, the Inca offered two golden tumblers.
Immediately after, all the people meet at the Qoricancha, where the priests gave their offering to the sun. Next, they went back to the square for the sacrifice ceremony. During this ceremony, a lama was sacrificed. The ceremony designated the end of the predictions of the priests to the Inca. Then, the Inca indicated the end of the year and the beginning of the new year, and a general popular feast started and lasted for several days.

http://www.peruhotel.com/english/article.php3?idarticle=30

Festivals around the world........

 Carnival

  ~Brazil’s most popular and festive holiday is Carnival. In fact, many people consider Carnival one of the world’s biggest celebrations. Each spring, on the Saturday before Ash Wednesday, the streets of Brazil’s largest city, Rio de Janeiro, come alive with wild parties, festivals and glamorous balls.

  ~The Samba School Parade is the highlight of the four-day event. About 3,000 performers, clad in ornate costumes embellished with feathers, beads and thousands of sequins, dance down the parade route alongside dazzling floats and into the Sambadrome-a dance stadium built for the event. Judges award a prize to the most spectacular group of dancers.

Diwali

  ~Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, is the best known of Hindu celebrations and certainly the brightest. Amid the darkest skies of autumn, lights brighten homes throughout India—a sign of welcome to the gods Rama and Lakshmi. Families get together and celebrate with gifts and feasts. Many families decorate their homes with flowers and draw a colorful rangoli, an intricate pattern made in rice flour, at the entrance of the home.

Hina Matsuri

  ~Each year, Japanese girls eagerly await the third of March, called Hina Matsuri, or Doll's Festival. In Japanese, “hina” means “small doll.” Girls display their most precious dolls on a seven-tiered platform in their home. Families visit shrines and pray for the health and happiness of their girls. 

  ~Japan also celebrates a special day for boys, called Kodomono-hi. On May 5th, families that have boys fly spectacular kites shaped like carp and decorate their homes with figures of traditional warriors to inspire the boys to be strong and brave. The carp is known for its strength and determination. The boys dress up in a kimono and often take baths with iris leaves, which are believed to keep boys healthy and strong. 

Eid al-Fitr

  ~More than a billion Muslims around the world observe Ramadan (“month of blessing”), with prayer, fasting and charity. They celebrate the end of Ramadan with a three-day festival, called Eid al-Fitr, which means “breaking of the fast.” It's one of the most important holidays in Islam. (Islam is the name of the religion practiced by Muslims.) During Eid al-Fitr, people dress in their finest clothes, adorn their homes with lights and decorations, give treats to children and visit with friends and family.

Holi

  ~Holi is literally one of the most colorful festivals in the world. Hindus celebrate the festival in early March, when wheat is harvested. Holi commemorates spring and the mythological stories of the god Krishna and the king Prahlad. In Hindu legend, during Holi Krishna covered Radha and her friends with colored water and stole off with their clothes as they bathed. In the other story, Prahlad, the son of the king, refused his father’s demand that he worship him rather than God. God saved Prahlad from death twice, first when the king ordered him killed, and again, when the king’s evil sister, Holika, led Prahlad into a huge bonfire.

  ~On the eve of Holi, Hindus dress in their finest clothes and watch a bonfire. A large tree branch, representing Prahlad, is placed in the middle of the fire. The branch is removed, recreating Prahlad’s rescue. The next morning, people put on old clothes and douse each other with colored powders. It’s the one day of the year that parents encourage their children to get filthy!

 Çocuk Bayrami

  ~Each April 23, Turkey celebrates Çocuk Bayrami, or Children’s Day. Turkish leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk declared the holiday in 1920, as Turkey was becoming an independent nation after the fall of the Ottoman Empire, to illustrate that children were the future of the new nation.

Children all over Turkey dress up in special outfits or the national costume for Çocuk Bayrami. Boys who dress in the national costume typically wear baggy silk pants, a colorful vest, a white shirt and a sequined hat, called a tepelik. Girls wear a long colorful gown called a kaftan and an ornate veil. Many children perform in plays or musicals. The centerpiece of Çocuk Bayrami takes place in Turkey’s capital, Ankara, where children from all over the world sing and dance in a spectacular pageant.

Raksha Bandhan

  ~Every August, brothers and sisters in northern India show their love for each other by celebrating Raksha Bandhan. This tradition dates back more than 500 years. The girls tie a bracelet of silk threads, called a rakhi, around their brothers’ wrists. The boys then promise to protect their sisters. The siblings also give each other a piece of Indian candy, called laddu. At the end of the ceremony, the children exchange gifts.

 Purim

   ~The holiday of Purim celebrates the salvation of the Jews from the wicked Haman. Through the leadership of Queen Esther and her cousin Mordecai, a decree against the Jews in the Persian Empire was suddenly overturned. 

  ~Purim takes place on the 14th day of Adar, the 12th month of the Jewish calendar. (In a leap year, it takes place in Adar II, while a minor holiday, Purim Katan, takes place in Adar I.) It usually falls in March. In 2008, Purim begins at sundown on March 20. 

  ~The traditional observances of Purim include public readings of the Book of Esther, feasting, gifts of charity to the poor, and gifts of food among friends. Other popular activities include staging comedic plays, dressing up in costumes, holding beauty contests, and marching in parades. The carnival-like atmosphere of Purim sometimes leads to it being referred to as the “Jewish Mardi Gras” or “Jewish Halloween” by non-Jews.

As with many holidays, Purim has a food of its own: hamantaschen. Literally “Haman's pockets,” these triangular cookies are said to resemble Haman's three-cornered hat. These traditionally contain poppy-seed or prune fillings, but other fruit fillings are also popular.

St. Lucia

  ~On December 13, one of the longest and darkest nights of the winter, Swedes celebrate the festival of St. Lucia, the patron saint of light. In many homes, a girl gets up early in the morning and puts on a long white dress, with a red sash at the waist, and a laurel crown decorated with four candles. She serves her family warm lussekatt buns for breakfast. The buns, shaped like the number eight, are usually flavored with saffron and topped with raisins or nuts. Boys, called star boys, wear long white shirts and pointed hats. They help serve the buns. Children often go to school dressed in the costumes and serve the buns to their teachers.

May Day

  ~Children in England celebrate the end of winter and the arrival of spring on May 1 each year. The festivities center around a huge striped maypole that’s decorated with flowers and streamers. Children hold the streamers as they dance around the pole, weaving intricate patterns as they pass each other. Men also join in on the fun. A group of six or eight Morris dancers arrange themselves in two lines and wave handkerchiefs or sticks as they dance by each other. A May Queen is crowned each year to preside over the celebration. May Day dates back to ancient times, when Romans honored Flora, the goddess of spring.

Trung Thu

  ~Vietnamese children look forward to the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, when they celebrate Trung Thu, a mid-fall festival commemorating the moon at its brightest and most beautiful. Traditionally, the festival also marked the end of harvest, and parents who had been hard at work in the fields enjoyed spending extra time with their children and lavishing gifts on them.

The children wear colorful masks and dance in the streets with star lanterns that are illuminated by candles. The lanterns, which are made out of bamboo and plastic, represent the moon.

The children also feast on moon cakes. Shaped like fish or flowers, the sweet cakes are filled with sugar and meat or eggs.

  ~During Trung Thu, Vietnamese also remember relatives who have died. They light incense and burn fake money as tributes to them.

Esala Perahera

  ~Every July or August, thousands of Sri Lankans travel to the hill city of Kandy to watch dancers, acrobats, drummers, whip crackers, flame throwers and more than 100 elegantly decorated elephants parade through the streets during Esala Perahera. This is a 10-day festival in honor of to the country’s most prized possession, the Tooth Relic of Lord Buddha. 

  ~Esala Perahera, first celebrated in the third century B.C., kicks off with the cutting of a ceremonial jack tree. Pieces of the tree are then planted near the shrines of the four Buddhist gods that protect Sri Lanka: Natha, Vishnu, Kataragama and Pattini. For the next five nights, ceremonies with festive dancing and drumming take place outside each of the temples. On the sixth night of the festival, processions begin from each shrine and parade toward the Temple of the Tooth (Dalada Maligawa). The processions grow longer and more spectacular each night.

    ~During the last night of the pageant, an enormous elephant carries a relic of the Tooth Relic in a gold casket on its back as the performers entertain crowds along the route. The ceremony ends at dawn after the full moon with a water-cutting ceremony. Priests representing each of the four temples walk into the Mahaweli River, “cut” a circle in the water with a sword and fill pitchers with water from within the circle. They keep the water in the pitcher for the entire year.

Day of the Dead

  ~Day of the Dead is celebrated on November 1 in Mexico, Ecuador, Guatemala and other parts of Central and South America. Families gather to pray to the souls of dead relatives, asking them to return for just one night. People decorate altars in their homes and gravesites with food, candles, candy skulls and marigolds to welcome the souls back to earth. Skeletons are displayed throughout cities, and people dressed as skeletons parade through the streets. Pan de los muertos (bread of the dead) is baked in the shape of skulls and crossbones, and a toy is hidden inside each loaf. The person who bites into the toy is said to have good luck. Day of the Dead sounds like a grim event, but it’s a time to celebrate and remember the lives of dead family members.

 N'cwala

  ~Each February, the Ngoni people of Zambia's Eastern Province celebrate the first harvest of the year with an N'cwala ceremony. Twelve local chiefs and their best dancers travel to a village called Mutenguleni to perform a warrior dance for the chief. The dancers wear outfits and headdresses made from animal furs. The chief chooses the best group of dancers. The villagers feast on beef stew and corn.

Chinese New Year

  ~Chinese New Year is the longest and most important celebration in the Chinese calendar. The new year begins on the first day of the Chinese calendar, which usually falls in February, and the festivities continue for 15 days.

At Chinese New Year celebrations, people wear red clothes, give children “lucky money” in red envelopes and set off firecrackers. Red symbolizes fire, which the Chinese believe drives away bad luck.

 ~Family members gather at each other's homes for extravagant meals. Chinese New Year ends with a lantern festival. People hang decorated lanterns in temples and carry lanterns to an evening parade under the light of the full moon. The highlight of the lantern festival is often the dragon dance. The dragon-which can stretch a hundred feet long-is typically made of silk, paper and bamboo. 



Example image of several fesitval around the world:

      

Ella enchanted: my comment

 ~My comment is,first I wanna say I love this movie.This story is very well watched by the whole family. Anne Hathaway is perfect in this role, and the direction flows. A wonderful combination of fairy tale and modern sensibilities, and a great use of modern music. Second, I wanna say the saddest thing about the step sisters is their cruelty and realistic. Third,I must say the best parts and lines coming from the ending which ella was married a prince and they are very happy.This movie is interesting, but I expected a lot more.Anne Hetaway is great actress, she is perfect. So great is also her new movie:Princess Diaries:A Royal Engagement.