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