India, Jaipur

Diwali is regarded as one of the most important festival of the Hindu calendar. It is celebrated across the nation with great pomp and excitement. The festival is mainly associated with lights as it is called the festival of light. On the day of the festival diyas (small clay lamps) are lit in everybody\\\'s home irrespective of their social status. The name Diwali signifies \\\'rows of lighted lamps\\\'. Diwali is a five-day festival, beginning on ...

Poland, Dobre Miasto

Italy, Venice

The Historical Regatta is one of the most spectacular, colourful, pictoresque and moving events of Venetian life Every year, the first Sunday of September, the Historical Regatta comes back in Venice, the most traditional among the venetian events, which took place for the first time the 10th of January 1315 under the rule of the doge Giovanni Soranzo. The sumptuous event, organized in the Serenissima times to celebrate the military victories or to honour the foreign dignitaries, ...

Ethiopia, Lalibela

Christmas, called Lidet, is not the primary religious and secular festival that it has become in Western countries. Falling on 7 January (29th December Ethiopian calendar), it is celebrated after 43 days fasting known as Advent, with a spectacular procession, which begins at 6 a.m. and lasts until 9 a.m. After the mass service, people go home to break the fast with the meat of chicken or lamb or beef accompanied with injera, a pancake ...

Poland, Kielce

United Kingdom, Leeds, Quarry Hill

Quarry Hill Festival is a day of free performances, workshops, classes and behind-the-scenes insights from some of Leeds’ leading cultural organisations all based on and around the Quarry Hill area of the city. For one day only we take you behind the scenes of our venues and workshops and invite you to take part in a whole range of activities. Places for some events are limited so we suggest you book on-line in advance, using the ...

Poland, Gniew

United States of America, Sedona, Arizona

The first annual Festival of Native American Culture will be held from June 5 through 13, 2009 in Sedona, Arizona. The Festival is designed to encourage a greater understanding of our land's indigenous peoples, and to preserve their cultural heritage in the Verde Valley. The Festival, in association with the Sedona International Film Festival, begins with a Native American Film Festival featuring documentaries, fiction and music videos by Native American filmmakers. The Yavapai-Apache Nation will be showing ...

China, Beijing

The Chinese Dragon Boat Festival is a significant holiday celebrated in China, and the one with the longest history. Dragon Boat races are the most exciting part of the festival, drawing crowds of spectators. They commemorate Qu Yuan, a patriotic poet who drowned on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month in 277 B.C. Chinese citizens now throw bamboo leaves filled with cooked rice into the water. Therefore the fish could eat the rice rather ...

United States of America, Fayetteville, West Virginia

It's almost that time of year again, time to head for the mountains of West Virginia for the fall foliage and for watching people parachute into the New River in the annual celebration called Bridge Day. And while you're there, you can hike forest trails, see a couple of the wildest whitewater rivers east of the Rockies or find a place to just relax. Bridge Day takes place the third Saturday in October every year in ...