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		<pubDate>Tue, 29 Aug 2006 09:00:00 -0400</pubDate><image><title>exploriada.com</title><link>http://en.exploriada.com</link><url>http://en.exploriada.com/imgs/logo.jpg</url></image><item><title><![CDATA[Santiago Carnival (Santiago de Cuba, Cuba, 2011-07-20)]]></title><guid>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/central-america-and-caribean/cuba/santiago-carnival</guid><link>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/central-america-and-caribean/cuba/santiago-carnival</link><pubDate>Sun, 20 May 2012 18:36:16 +0100</pubDate><description><![CDATA[The main festival of the year in Cuba is without doubt the annual Carnival in Santiago de Cuba. A week of intense colour, activity, dancing in the streets, live music and fabulous costumes brings the city alive every July and the evening parade each night along Garzon Avenue is a must-see. ...]]></description><imgthumb>http://en.exploriada.com/imgs/fests/fi49ec854388093.jpg</imgthumb></item><item><title><![CDATA[Festival of the Tooth (Dalada Maligawa, Kandy, Sri Lanka, 2011-07-31)]]></title><guid>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/asia/sri-lanka/festival-of-the-tooth</guid><link>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/asia/sri-lanka/festival-of-the-tooth</link><pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 18:52:06 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Kandy is a beautiful city in Sri Lanka. On a small hill is a great temple which was especially built to house a relic of the Buddha - his tooth. The tooth can never be seen, as it is kept deep inside may caskets. But once a year in August, on the night of the full moon, there is a special procession for it. But other festivities occur on ten days leading to that final ...]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Havana Carnival (Havana, Cuba, 2011-08-01)]]></title><guid>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/central-america-and-caribean/cuba/havana-carnival</guid><link>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/central-america-and-caribean/cuba/havana-carnival</link><pubDate>Sun, 20 May 2012 18:36:16 +0100</pubDate><description><![CDATA[The famous Havana Carnival is a riot of noise and colour that takes place each weekend during July and August as the Cuban holiday season gets into full swing. Cubans and tourists alike take to the streets to enjoy music, dancing, processions and parades while consuming copious quantities of the national drink, Cuban rum. The colourful parade of costumed dancers and decorated floats makes its way along the Malecon - Havana's famous seafront street. The ...]]></description><imgthumb>http://en.exploriada.com/imgs/fests/fi4a47a98833c1d.jpg</imgthumb></item><item><title><![CDATA[Hungry Ghost Festival (Beijing, China, 2011-08-14)]]></title><guid>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/asia/china/hungry-ghost-festival</guid><link>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/asia/china/hungry-ghost-festival</link><pubDate>Sun, 20 May 2012 18:36:16 +0100</pubDate><description><![CDATA[The Ghost Festival is said to be the time when ghosts roam the world every year. In some areas of China, visitors can see small roadside fires, where believers burn paper money and other offerings to appease the restless spirits, who have temporarily been released from Hell.
The Ghost Festival is also called Half July (Lunar). It is a popular occasion celebrated throughout China on the 15th day of the seventh lunar month.
The Ghost Festival is ...]]></description><imgthumb>http://en.exploriada.com/imgs/fests/fi4a018161aa3ec.jpg</imgthumb></item><item><title><![CDATA[Tango Festival (Buenos Aires, Argentina, 2011-08-23)]]></title><guid>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/south-america/argentina/tango-festival</guid><link>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/south-america/argentina/tango-festival</link><pubDate>Sun, 20 May 2012 18:36:16 +0100</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Buenos Aires and tango are about as inseparable as, well, a pair of tango dancers. In celebration of its sultry and mysterious dance, the Argentine capital stages this annual festival, with events spread out accross the city. Dancers and musicians perform at various intimate venues, and it offers a great way to see some of the best tanguistas from around the world do their thing.
Once you&apos;ve been inspired, there&apos;s plenty of opportunity to discover tango ...]]></description><imgthumb>http://en.exploriada.com/imgs/fests/fi49ec82e90fef2.jpg</imgthumb></item><item><title><![CDATA[Imilchil Wedding Festival (Imilchil, Morocco, 2011-08-25)]]></title><guid>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/africa/morocco/imilchil-wedding-festival</guid><link>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/africa/morocco/imilchil-wedding-festival</link><pubDate>Sun, 20 May 2012 18:36:16 +0100</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Morocco&apos;s very own Romeo and Juliet story is the inspiration for this tribal marriage festival in Imilchil, at which up to 40 couples tie the knot while Berber tribes dance and give impromptu musical performances.
The legend goes that a man and a woman from two local tribes fell in love but were forbidden to marry by their families. They cried themselves to death, creating the neighbouring lakes of Issly (his) and Tisslit (hers) near Imilchil, ...]]></description><imgthumb>http://en.exploriada.com/imgs/fests/fi49ec659a16330.jpg</imgthumb></item><item><title><![CDATA[International Festival of Mariachi (Guadalajara, Mexico, 2011-08-25)]]></title><guid>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/central-america-and-caribean/mexico/international-festival-of-mariachi</guid><link>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/central-america-and-caribean/mexico/international-festival-of-mariachi</link><pubDate>Fri, 08 Jan 2010 17:54:35 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[The event was founded in 1994 and has since got famous at local, national and international levels. It has always benefited from the presence of personalities from the world of art, culture and international and national politics.

Mariachis come from everywhere to jam, battle and enjoy.
Besides the participation of the best mariachis of the world as the Mariachi Vargas, America and the Camperos de Naty Cano, and the best mariachi of Jalisco, mariachi come from countries ...]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Durbar (Kano, Nigeria, 2011-08-29)]]></title><guid>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/africa/nigeria/durbar</guid><link>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/africa/nigeria/durbar</link><pubDate>Sun, 20 May 2012 18:36:16 +0100</pubDate><description><![CDATA[The Durbar festival is celebrated at the culmination of the two great Muslim festivals Eid al Fitr and Eid al Kabir (Eid al Adha). On the big day, in Katsina and Kano, there is a parade of ornately dressed horsemen, Emirs dressed in ceremonial robes, muscle-bound wrestlers and lute players in headdresses.
The day begins with prayers outside each town, followed by processions of horsemen to the public square in front of the Emir's palace. Here, ...]]></description><imgthumb>http://en.exploriada.com/imgs/fests/fi4a1404d9c5a14.jpg</imgthumb></item><item><title><![CDATA[Umhlanga (Reed) Dance (Mbabane, Swaziland, 2011-08-31)]]></title><guid>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/africa/swaziland/umhlanga-reed-dance</guid><link>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/africa/swaziland/umhlanga-reed-dance</link><pubDate>Sun, 20 May 2012 18:36:16 +0100</pubDate><description><![CDATA[The Umhlanga attracts young maidens from every area of the Kingdom and provides the occasion for them to honour and pay homage to the Queen Mother (iNdlovukazi). Some say this is also the opportunity the king uses to pick his wife and some say it is not.

Most of the maidens who participate are in their teens, although there are some younger girls who take part. During the first week the young maidens gather reeds from ...]]></description><imgthumb>http://en.exploriada.com/imgs/fests/fi49f462a6d4b50.jpg</imgthumb></item><item><title><![CDATA[Matchmaking Festival (Lisdoonvarna, Ireland, 2011-09-02)]]></title><guid>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/europe/ireland/matchmaking-festival</guid><link>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/europe/ireland/matchmaking-festival</link><pubDate>Sun, 20 May 2012 18:36:16 +0100</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Throughout the month of September, the spa town of Lisdoonvarna close to the Burren in Co. Clare, celebrates the world famous Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking Festival with music and lots of fun.
The small spa town of Lisdoonvarna, with a population of around 800 people, has attracted visitors from all over Ireland to its mineral springs, since the 18th century. A long held traditional in this central town on the southern edges of the scenic Burren area, is ...]]></description><imgthumb>http://en.exploriada.com/imgs/fests/fi4a1e826508175.jpg</imgthumb></item><item><title><![CDATA[Salt Cure (In-Gall, Niger, 2011-09-10)]]></title><guid>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/africa/niger/salt-cure</guid><link>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/africa/niger/salt-cure</link><pubDate>Sun, 20 May 2012 18:36:16 +0100</pubDate><description><![CDATA[One of the most important festivals in West Africa is celebration Cure Salée (Salt Cure). It's held annually and each Nomad ethnic group has its own celebration. The biggest celebration you can see at Wodaabé (Bororo) tribe, held in September around small town In-Gall, in North-east Niger. The festival takes about a week, but two days are major. The exact date is not known, it's changing every year and it's announced approximately one month before ...]]></description><imgthumb>http://en.exploriada.com/imgs/fests/fi49ec5dee13116.jpg</imgthumb></item><item><title><![CDATA[Archaeological Festival in Biskupin (Biskupin, Poland, 2011-09-17)]]></title><guid>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/europe/poland/archaeological-festival-in-biskupin</guid><link>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/europe/poland/archaeological-festival-in-biskupin</link><pubDate>Sun, 20 May 2012 18:36:16 +0100</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Every year, usually during third week of September, one of the greatest archaeological, popular-scientific festivals in Europe takes place in Biskupin.
During 9 days within the 24 hectares area of Biskupin reservation different crafts, handiworks and various aspects of spiritual life from prehistory to Middle Ages are presented to public.
Concerts, dances, knights, tournaments, slavonic-viking ship replica sailing, minting coins, bow and oxbow shooting, underwater archaeology, baking bread as well as smelting iron in furnaces - it ...]]></description><imgthumb>http://en.exploriada.com/imgs/fests/fi49ec8b84c247b.jpg</imgthumb></item><item><title><![CDATA[Vegetarian Festival (Phuket, Thailand, 2011-09-27)]]></title><guid>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/asia/thailand/vegetarian-festival</guid><link>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/asia/thailand/vegetarian-festival</link><pubDate>Sun, 20 May 2012 18:36:16 +0100</pubDate><description><![CDATA[The Phuket Vegetarian Festival is an annual event held during the ninth lunar month of the Chinese calendar. It is believed that the vegetarian festival and its accompanying sacred rituals bestow good fortune upon those who religiously observe this rite. During this time, local residents of Chinese ancestry strictly observe a 10-day vegetarian or vegan diet for the purposes of spiritual cleansing and merit-making. Sacred rituals are performed at various Chinese shrines and temples and ...]]></description><imgthumb>http://en.exploriada.com/imgs/fests/fi4a1d3199a5dc1.jpg</imgthumb></item><item><title><![CDATA[Dasain (Kathmandu, Nepal, 2011-09-28)]]></title><guid>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/asia/nepal/dasain</guid><link>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/asia/nepal/dasain</link><pubDate>Sun, 20 May 2012 18:36:16 +0100</pubDate><description><![CDATA[During the month of Kartik (late September and early October), the Nepalese people indulge in the biggest festival of the year, Dashain. Dashain is the longest and the most auspicious festival in the Nepalese annual calendar, celebrated by Nepalese of all caste and creed throughout the country. The fifteen days of celebration occurs during the bright lunar fortnight ending on the day of the full moon. Thorough out the kingdom of Nepal the goddess Durga ...]]></description><imgthumb>http://en.exploriada.com/imgs/fests/fi4a4e03d692152.jpg</imgthumb></item><item><title><![CDATA[Masskara Festival (Bacolod, Philippines, 2011-10-01)]]></title><guid>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/asia/philippines/masskara-festival</guid><link>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/asia/philippines/masskara-festival</link><pubDate>Sun, 20 May 2012 18:36:16 +0100</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Masskara Festival takes place here Oct. 1-20 in Bacolod City. Local and foreign visitors get a chance to enjoy 20 days of merry making, beer drinking, dining and street dancing. On the weekend nearest to 19 October, the biggest party in Bacalod is scheduled to take place. Bacalod is the capital city of the country's sugar-producing province of Bocalenos.
The term Masskara is created from two words: mass, meaning crowd, and the Spanish word cara, for ...]]></description><imgthumb>http://en.exploriada.com/imgs/fests/fi4a1fc3d9a2e08.jpg</imgthumb></item><item><title><![CDATA[October Festivals (Guadalajara, Mexico, 2011-10-10)]]></title><guid>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/central-america-and-caribean/mexico/october-festivals</guid><link>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/central-america-and-caribean/mexico/october-festivals</link><pubDate>Fri, 08 Jan 2010 17:59:30 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[ Mexico's second largest city and the capital of the state of Jalisco, Guadalajara gave the world tequila and the troubadour's descendant, the mariachi. Every October a series of events celebrate Jaliscan culture, including dance, music, art, sports and, most importantly, great food, with free entertainment daily in the fairgrounds of the Benito Juarez Auditorium.

Throughout the festival's month-long period there are concerts, rodeos, football matches, folk dance displays and art exhibitions scattered around the city.

The ...]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Festival Tisse Metisse (Nantes, Cité Internationale des Congres, France, 2011-10-20)]]></title><guid>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/europe/france/festival-tisse-metisse</guid><link>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/europe/france/festival-tisse-metisse</link><pubDate>Sun, 20 May 2012 18:36:16 +0100</pubDate><description><![CDATA[]]></description><imgthumb>http://en.exploriada.com/imgs/fests/fi4aa8e5061aac4.jpg</imgthumb></item><item><title><![CDATA[Fantasy Fest (Key West, Florida, United States of America, 2011-10-21)]]></title><guid>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/north-america/united-states-of-america/fantasy-fest</guid><link>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/north-america/united-states-of-america/fantasy-fest</link><pubDate>Sun, 20 May 2012 18:36:16 +0100</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Fantasy Fest is the party of all parties. It's an adult costume party, much like Mardi Gras in New Orleans, that is held over a ten-day period in the streets and on private properties of Key West, Florida. And the best part is the stroll up and down Duval Street the last couple of hours before the big parade starts. Lots of body painters are busy doing a fine job painting on costumes in lieu ...]]></description><imgthumb>http://en.exploriada.com/imgs/fests/fi4a293a90705f3.jpg</imgthumb></item><item><title><![CDATA[Day of the Dead (Todos Santos Cuchumatán, Guatemala, 2011-11-01)]]></title><guid>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/central-america-and-caribean/guatemala/day-of-the-dead</guid><link>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/central-america-and-caribean/guatemala/day-of-the-dead</link><pubDate>Sun, 20 May 2012 18:36:16 +0100</pubDate><description><![CDATA[The Day of the Dead spins out to a three-day binge in this small highland town. Day one features horse racing, in which the winner is the one who stays on longest. Riders charge from one end of the course to the other, capes billowing behind them, to take a tot of liquor before charging back again. This mad, chaotic, heavy-drinking scramble goes on for hours. Next day, the Day of the Dead, people hold ...]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Kite Festival (Santiago Sacatepequez, Guatemala, 2011-11-02)]]></title><guid>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/central-america-and-caribean/guatemala/kite-festival</guid><link>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/central-america-and-caribean/guatemala/kite-festival</link><pubDate>Sun, 20 May 2012 18:36:16 +0100</pubDate><description><![CDATA[This small town near the capital brings two popular Latin American themes together, kite flying and the Festival of the Day of the Dead. Kites made of paper and bamboo up to six or seven metres in diameter soar in the skies, wielded by teams of kite flyers, while many hundreds of visitors look on. The idea is to release the souls of the dead from their agony. The whistling and weaving of the kites ...]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Pirates Week (Grand Harbor, Grand Cayman, Caymans, 2011-11-10)]]></title><guid>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/central-america-and-caribean/caymans/pirates-week</guid><link>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/central-america-and-caribean/caymans/pirates-week</link><pubDate>Sun, 20 May 2012 18:36:16 +0100</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Music, street dances, costumes, games, food and drink, "pirate invasion", Kids Day, glittering parade, sports events, Heritage Days, fireworks! It's 11 fun-filled, festive days in the sun with something for everyone, and a lot of it FREE!
First it's fireworks, followed by a local song contest and then, almost every day for 11 days, Caribbean rhythms pulsate in open-air street dances until the wee hours of the morning. An authentic slice of the native Caribbean!
A mock ...]]></description><imgthumb>http://en.exploriada.com/imgs/fests/fi4a293a9071592.jpg</imgthumb></item><item><title><![CDATA[Day of the Rooster (Asakusa, Tokyo, Japan, 2011-11-12)]]></title><guid>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/asia/japan/day-of-the-rooster</guid><link>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/asia/japan/day-of-the-rooster</link><pubDate>Sun, 20 May 2012 18:36:16 +0100</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Tori no Ichi Fair (open-air market) is a famous annual event in November on the day of the Tori (Rooster) in Chinese calendar. The origin of Tori no Ichi Fair was a fair of Hanamatamura located in a suburb of Edo (today it is Otori Shrine located in Adachi-ku, Tokyo). Its original form was a harvest festival by peasants who thank to Hanamata Washidaimyojin.
Tori no Ichi is held at Temple of Tori (Juzaisan Chokoku-ji) in ...]]></description><imgthumb>http://en.exploriada.com/imgs/fests/fi4a2a34cec06c3.jpg</imgthumb></item><item><title><![CDATA[Guadalajara Winefest (Guadalajara, Mexico, 2011-11-24)]]></title><guid>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/central-america-and-caribean/mexico/guadalajara-winefest</guid><link>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/central-america-and-caribean/mexico/guadalajara-winefest</link><pubDate>Fri, 08 Jan 2010 18:10:23 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Wines from Mexico, South America and further afield are sampled at Guadalajara Wine Fest every year. Sip and swill at tastings and food and wine matchings in restaurants across the city, watch dance shows and attend free outdoor parties. ...]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Guadalajara International Book Fair (Guadalajara, Mexico, 2011-11-26)]]></title><guid>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/central-america-and-caribean/mexico/guadalajara-international-book-fair</guid><link>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/central-america-and-caribean/mexico/guadalajara-international-book-fair</link><pubDate>Fri, 08 Jan 2010 18:30:54 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Authors, agents, booksellers and countless publishing houses from more than 40 countries descend on Mexico for the annual Guadalajara International Book Fair, one of Latin America's key literary events. Attend presentations and workshops, buy books and read, read, read.

There are special sections for young people and children and individual 'avenues' for poets, story-tellers, novelists, journalists, editors and illustrators. Top international and hispanic authors such as Gabriel García Márquez and Mexico's own Carlos Fuentes attend every ...]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Burning the Devil (Guatemala City, Guatemala, 2011-12-07)]]></title><guid>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/central-america-and-caribean/guatemala/burning-the-devil</guid><link>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/central-america-and-caribean/guatemala/burning-the-devil</link><pubDate>Sun, 20 May 2012 18:36:16 +0100</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Guatemalans are habitual victims of early spring cleaning. By late afternoon on 7 December each year, the eve of the Fiesta de La Virgen de Inmaculada Concepción (Feast day of the Virgin of the Immaculate Conception), town and cityfolk have cleared their homes of all unwanted bits and pieces and erected vast heaps of rubbish on the streets.
By 6pm the piles are set alight and throngs of onlookers gather round to celebrate an ancient tradition ...]]></description><imgthumb>http://en.exploriada.com/imgs/fests/fi4a8ea12e58e4d.jpg</imgthumb></item><item><title><![CDATA[Whirling Dervishes Festival (Konya, Turkey, 2011-12-10)]]></title><guid>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/asia/turkey/whirling-dervishes-festival</guid><link>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/asia/turkey/whirling-dervishes-festival</link><pubDate>Sun, 20 May 2012 18:36:16 +0100</pubDate><description><![CDATA[The Commemorative Ceremony for Mevlana, the great Sufic saint (1207-1273), is one of the world\'s greatest spectacles. More than a million people descend on Konya, the ancient Seljuk capital, for the festival of the Whirling Dervishes.
At the Mausoleum of Mevlana in Konya, mystical ceremonial dances are performed in honour of the great teacher and thinker. Mevlana (which in Arabic means "Our Lord") taught the preeminence of complete tolerance, positive thinking and awareness of God through ...]]></description><imgthumb>http://en.exploriada.com/imgs/fests/fi4a8ea3662a29d.jpg</imgthumb></item><item><title><![CDATA[Feast of St Thomas (Chichicastenango, Guatemala, 2011-12-13)]]></title><guid>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/central-america-and-caribean/guatemala/feast-of-st-thomas</guid><link>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/central-america-and-caribean/guatemala/feast-of-st-thomas</link><pubDate>Sun, 20 May 2012 18:36:16 +0100</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Held over seven days in the lead up to Christmas, the Fiesta de Santo Tomas is a unique blend of Mayan and Christian traditions, held to announce winter and the mythical Christmas messenger, Olentzero. It also coincides with Saint Tomas's Day on the 21st of December. There is dancing, music and processions and it is one of South America's largest annual events, with people travelling from all over Guatemala to this tiny town to join ...]]></description><imgthumb>http://en.exploriada.com/imgs/fests/fi4a9e6d865ad6a.jpg</imgthumb></item><item><title><![CDATA[International Festival of the Sahara (Douz, Tunisia, 2011-12-22)]]></title><guid>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/africa/tunisia/international-festival-of-the-sahara</guid><link>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/africa/tunisia/international-festival-of-the-sahara</link><pubDate>Sun, 20 May 2012 18:36:16 +0100</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Once an original Bedouin marriage market, the Sahara Douz Festival is now a huge celebration, although it still retains an authentic feel. Aside from the market, there are camel and greyhound races and equestrian military exercises known as "fantasias".
The equestrian shows are particularly impressive. They involve a veritable swarm of riders cantering across the ground, turning abruptly and stopping in their tracks before shooting into the air.
If this all sounds a bit much for you, ...]]></description><imgthumb>http://en.exploriada.com/imgs/fests/fi4a9e667cea92d.jpg</imgthumb></item><item><title><![CDATA[Festival in the Desert (Essakane, Mali, 2012-01-07)]]></title><guid>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/africa/mali/festival-in-the-desert</guid><link>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/africa/mali/festival-in-the-desert</link><pubDate>Sun, 20 May 2012 18:36:16 +0100</pubDate><description><![CDATA[The Festival is a Tuareg culture event featuring traditional Tuareg music and world music, to be held in Essakane, near Timbuktu, in the Sahara Desert.
The Festival in the Desert is a unique event modeled on traditional gatherings and celebrations of the Tuareg people, the "Blue Men of the Desert." It is an opportunity to meet the Tuareg people hosting and attending the festival; the day-time festivities include traditional Tuareg music, singing, dancing, poetry, ritual swordplay, ...]]></description><imgthumb>http://en.exploriada.com/imgs/fests/fi4a0858dfd296f.jpg</imgthumb></item><item><title><![CDATA[Harvest Festival (Tamil Nadu, India, 2012-01-13)]]></title><guid>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/asia/india/harvest-festival-pongal</guid><link>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/asia/india/harvest-festival-pongal</link><pubDate>Mon, 28 Nov 2011 11:00:22 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Pongal is regarded as a harvest festival of South India. It is one of the most important and popular Hindu festivals. The four-day long harvest festival of Tamil Nadu, Pongal is all about thanksgiving to nature and takes its name from the Tamil word meaning \"to boil\" and is held in the month of Thai (January-February) it is celebrated from January 13 to 16 every year. The festival marks a period of plenty, peace and ...]]></description><imgthumb>http://en.exploriada.com/imgs/fests/fi4ed36f2fbbbe7.jpg</imgthumb></item><item><title><![CDATA[Lantern Festival (Beijing, China, 2012-01-17)]]></title><guid>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/asia/china/lantern-festival</guid><link>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/asia/china/lantern-festival</link><pubDate>Sun, 20 May 2012 18:36:16 +0100</pubDate><description><![CDATA[The 15th day of the 1st lunar month is the Chinese Lantern Festival because the first lunar month is called yuan-month and in the ancient times people called night Xiao. The 15th day is the first night to see a full moon. So the day is also called Yuan Xiao Festival in China.According to the Chinese tradition, at the very beginning of a new year, when there is a bright full moon hanging in the ...]]></description><imgthumb>http://en.exploriada.com/imgs/fests/fi4a8a96e72dc73.jpg</imgthumb></item><item><title><![CDATA[Venice Carnival (Venecia, Italy, 2012-02-04)]]></title><guid>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/europe/italy/venice-carnival</guid><link>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/europe/italy/venice-carnival</link><pubDate>Sun, 20 May 2012 18:36:16 +0100</pubDate><description><![CDATA[]]></description><imgthumb>http://en.exploriada.com/imgs/fests/fi4a9e69cdaf83e.jpg</imgthumb></item><item><title><![CDATA[Chinese New Year (London, United Kingdom, 2012-02-05)]]></title><guid>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/europe/united-kingdom/chinese-new-year</guid><link>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/europe/united-kingdom/chinese-new-year</link><pubDate>Sun, 20 May 2012 18:36:16 +0100</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Chinese New Year is the biggest festival of the year in Chinese communities.
As it is based on the lunar and solar calendars, the date varies from late January to mid-February.
2009 is the Year of the Ox. Although Chinese New Year's Day falls on 26 January, the London Chinatown Chinese Association traditionally holds the capital's Chinese New Year celebrations on the first Sunday after Chinese New Year's Day. ...]]></description><imgthumb>http://en.exploriada.com/imgs/fests/fi49ecabd5544ab.jpg</imgthumb></item><item><title><![CDATA[Pasola (Sumba, Indonesia, 2012-02-10)]]></title><guid>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/asia/indonesia/pasola</guid><link>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/asia/indonesia/pasola</link><pubDate>Sun, 20 May 2012 18:36:16 +0100</pubDate><description><![CDATA[A riotous tournament between two teams of spear-wielding, ikat-clad horsemen, the Pasola has to be one of Asia&quot;s most extravagant, and bloodiest, harvest festivals. Taking the form of a ritual battle, it represents not so much a quarrel between opposing forces as a need for human blood to be split to keep the spirits happy and bring a good harvest. Despite the blunt spears used by combatants, and the efforts of Indonesian authorities to supervise ...]]></description><imgthumb>http://en.exploriada.com/imgs/fests/fi49ec67411e6a8.jpg</imgthumb></item><item><title><![CDATA[Jorvik Viking Festival (York, United Kingdom, 2012-02-11)]]></title><guid>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/europe/united-kingdom/jorvik-viking-festival</guid><link>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/europe/united-kingdom/jorvik-viking-festival</link><pubDate>Sun, 20 May 2012 18:36:16 +0100</pubDate><description><![CDATA[The year is 1069. The kingdom of England is in the grip of new Norman masters. Their castles rise up all over the countryside, dominating the landscape. The Viking menace from the north is just a distant memory. Or is it...? The disempowered Anglo-Saxon earls of the north have few friends to help them against their hated Norman overlords. But help is at hand from an unexpected quarter. King Sweyn of Denmark has followed in ...]]></description><imgthumb>http://en.exploriada.com/imgs/fests/fi496e3befefd3f.jpg</imgthumb></item><item><title><![CDATA[Carnival in Bissau (Bissau, Guinea-Bissau, 2012-02-13)]]></title><guid>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/africa/guinea-bissau/carnival-in-bissau</guid><link>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/africa/guinea-bissau/carnival-in-bissau</link><pubDate>Sun, 20 May 2012 18:36:16 +0100</pubDate><description><![CDATA[The Guinea-Bissau Carnival is a cultural extravaganza that explodes onto the streets of the capital Bissau during February when the weather is also at its most pleasant.
The carnival takes place over the four days before Lent, is like no other. Although traditionally a Christian celebration, less than 10% of Bissau Guineans call themselves Catholic; the rest worship either Allah or the spirits of the islands and forests. Today's carnival, which has been going for as ...]]></description><imgthumb>http://en.exploriada.com/imgs/fests/fi4aa794766782f.jpg</imgthumb></item><item><title><![CDATA[International Book Fair (Havana, Cuba, 2012-02-13)]]></title><guid>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/central-america-and-caribean/cuba/international-book-fair</guid><link>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/central-america-and-caribean/cuba/international-book-fair</link><pubDate>Sun, 20 May 2012 18:36:16 +0100</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Eight days on the grand island of the Caribbean during the 19th Havana International Book Fair where dozens of countries and scores of publishers exhibit their wares.

Be a special guest at the Havana International Book Fair. Visit Cuban libraries, meet Cuban authors, converse with members of writers and cultural associations, tour museums, schools and intellectual institutions all involved in the written word. This year's Book Fair theme is To Read is to Grow. The country ...]]></description><imgthumb>http://en.exploriada.com/imgs/fests/fi4a4e06c7e7e00.jpg</imgthumb></item><item><title><![CDATA[Festival on the Niger (Ségou, Mali, 2012-02-15)]]></title><guid>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/africa/mali/festival-on-the-niger</guid><link>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/africa/mali/festival-on-the-niger</link><pubDate>Sun, 20 May 2012 18:36:16 +0100</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Founded in 1852, Segou, keeper of one of the most ancient histories of West Africa, capital of the ancient Bambara kingdom, has an undeniable charm which is well worth discovering. Ancient kingdom of culture and tradition, Segou has inspired numerous writers and historians. Among the most famous is Maryse Condé.
Segou is also a region of traditional music and dance. The fith Festival on the Niger, which will take place in Segou at the end of ...]]></description><imgthumb>http://en.exploriada.com/imgs/fests/fi4a9fc62813801.jpg</imgthumb></item><item><title><![CDATA[Mazatlan’s Carnival (Mazatlán, Mexico, 2012-02-16)]]></title><guid>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/north-america/mexico/mazatlans-carnival</guid><link>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/north-america/mexico/mazatlans-carnival</link><pubDate>Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:21:37 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[The second-largest city in Sinaloa state (after the capital, Culiacan), Mazatlan boasts one of the largest carnival celebrations in Mexico. It’s also one of the oldest, and has been celebrated in more or less its present form for more than a hundred years. Less wanton than Rio’s and more sedate than that of New Orleans or Veracruz, it is nonetheless a spectacular affair that captures the seaside city and holds it hostage for five days ...]]></description><imgthumb>http://en.exploriada.com/imgs/fests/fi4b2240a2eca05.jpg</imgthumb></item><item><title><![CDATA[Maulid (Lamu, Kenya, 2012-02-20)]]></title><guid>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/africa/kenya/maulid</guid><link>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/africa/kenya/maulid</link><pubDate>Sun, 20 May 2012 18:36:16 +0100</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Lamu annually hosts the historic Maulidi festivities which have for more than a century been a permanent feature of East Africa's Islamic festivities. Maulidi or Maulid is the popular name given to Milad-un-Nabi an Islamic festival held during the third month of the Muslim calendar (Rabi ul Awwal) to celebrate the birth of the Prophet Mohammed. The Lamu Maulidi celebrations bring together thousands of Muslims from Kenya as well as other parts of East Africa, ...]]></description><imgthumb>http://en.exploriada.com/imgs/fests/fi49f4131bc5cc1.jpg</imgthumb></item><item><title><![CDATA[Oruro Carnival (Oruro, Bolivia, 2012-02-20)]]></title><guid>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/south-america/bolivia/oruro-carnival</guid><link>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/south-america/bolivia/oruro-carnival</link><pubDate>Sun, 20 May 2012 18:36:16 +0100</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Listed by Unesco as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity, Bolivia's largest annual celebration is a massive event said to draw in around 400,000 people. Its centrepiece is La Diablada, the 'Dance of the Devils', an extraordinary parade that showcases demonic dancers in extravagant costumes.
The 4km-long entarda (entrance procession) takes place on the Saturday before Ash Wednesday and features 20,000 dancers and 10,000 musicians - so many people that the lasts ...]]></description><imgthumb>http://en.exploriada.com/imgs/fests/fi49f40f32371de.jpg</imgthumb></item><item><title><![CDATA[IDITAROD Trail Sled Dog Race (Anchorage, Alaska, United States of America, 2012-03-03)]]></title><guid>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/north-america/united-states-of-america/iditarod-trail-sled-dog-race</guid><link>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/north-america/united-states-of-america/iditarod-trail-sled-dog-race</link><pubDate>Sun, 20 May 2012 18:36:16 +0100</pubDate><description><![CDATA[You can&apos;t compare it to any other competitive event in the world! A race over 1150 miles of the roughest, most beautiful terrain Mother Nature has to offer. She throws jagged mountain ranges, frozen river, dense forest, desolate tundra and miles of windswept coast at the mushers and their dog teams. Add to that temperatures far below zero, winds that can cause a complete loss of visibility, the hazards of overflow, long hours of darkness ...]]></description><imgthumb>http://en.exploriada.com/imgs/fests/fi4a1e84d199fa5.jpg</imgthumb></item><item><title><![CDATA[Festival of Colours (Barsana, India, 2012-03-08)]]></title><guid>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/asia/india/festival-of-colours-holi</guid><link>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/asia/india/festival-of-colours-holi</link><pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 20:38:12 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Holi is the first major Hindu Festival of the year.

HOLI HAI... Come holi and the streets will reverberate with the chants of Holi hai...

Colours will fill the atmosphere as people throw abeer and gulal in the air showing great joy and mirth in the arrival of this Spring Festival.
Holi marks the end of the winter gloom and rejoices in the bloom of the spring time. It is the best time and season to celebrate; Holi ...]]></description><imgthumb>http://en.exploriada.com/imgs/fests/fi4ed36e0065310.jpg</imgthumb></item><item><title><![CDATA[Salvador's Carnival (Salvador da Bahia, Brazil, 2012-03-11)]]></title><guid>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/south-america/brazil/salvador-carnival</guid><link>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/south-america/brazil/salvador-carnival</link><pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 21:01:27 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Salvador's Carnavals have surpassed that of Rio de Janeiro, making it the biggest street party on the planet. For an entire week, almost 2 million people celebrate throughout 25 kilometers (15 miles) of streets, avenues and squares. The direct organization of the party involves the participation of 100 thousand people. Its dimensions are gigantic. Salvador receives an average of 800 thousand visitors from municipalities located as far as 150 kilometers (93 miles) away, from several ...]]></description><imgthumb>http://en.exploriada.com/imgs/fests/fi4b47352550cdd.jpg</imgthumb></item><item><title><![CDATA[Las Fallas (Valencia, Spain, 2012-03-15)]]></title><guid>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/europe/spain/las-fallas</guid><link>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/europe/spain/las-fallas</link><pubDate>Sun, 20 May 2012 18:36:16 +0100</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Exhuberant and anarchic, Las Fallas is Europe&apos;s wildest spring party, which is a pretty big deal for what is essentially a glorified puppet show. It&apos;s a time when the city is all but taken over by the fallas, which are huge sculptures of papier-mache on wood, built by teams of local artists. Each neighbourhood sponsors its own falla, and when the town wakes after the planta (overnight placement of the fallas) on the morning of ...]]></description><imgthumb>http://en.exploriada.com/imgs/fests/fi4a13e22c9c0ff.jpg</imgthumb></item><item><title><![CDATA[Saint Patrick&apos;s Day Parade (Chicago, United States of America, 2012-03-17)]]></title><guid>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/north-america/united-states-of-america/saint-patricks-day-parade</guid><link>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/north-america/united-states-of-america/saint-patricks-day-parade</link><pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 20:45:49 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[St. Patrick's Day is a huge holiday in Chicago, and the parade is the largest in the city (you may have seen Harrison Ford utilize the large crowds to escape in "The Fugitive"). Led by our Irish king, "Hizzoner" Mayor Richard M. Daley, thousands line up along Columbus Drive the Saturday before St. Patrick's Day. No matter your heritage, everyone at the parade is full of Irish blood, blarney, and green beer.

The parade is the ...]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Spring Equinox at Chichen Itza (Chichen Itza, Mexico, 2012-03-20)]]></title><guid>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/north-america/mexico/equinox-at-chichen-itza</guid><link>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/north-america/mexico/equinox-at-chichen-itza</link><pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 20:50:20 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Ancient stone masons built and aligned this stone pyramid centuries ago to project the sun's rays into a diamond-back rattlesnake of light and shadow.

On the morning and evenings of Equinox March 20, 21 and September 21, 22 thousands flock to Chichen Itza to view the same dramatic display.

In the spring, the sight is clearly visible in the early evening from mid to late February, and through mid-April. In the fall the appearence is visible from ...]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[International Music Festival (Lucerne, Switzerland, 2012-03-24)]]></title><guid>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/europe/switzerland/international-music-festival</guid><link>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/europe/switzerland/international-music-festival</link><pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 18:34:32 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Lucerne's reputation as one of the leading international organizers of classical and contemporary music festivals is well established, as host of the renowed Lucerne International Festival of Music. ...]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Roots International Festival (Banjul, Gambia, 2012-04-04)]]></title><guid>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/africa/gambia/roots-international-festival</guid><link>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/africa/gambia/roots-international-festival</link><pubDate>Sun, 20 May 2012 18:36:16 +0100</pubDate><description><![CDATA[The International Roots festival is held annually in Banjul and other towns. It commemorates the enslavement of Africans who were captured and shipped to the Americas as a part of the transatlantic slave trade. This festival gives Africans and people from the African Diaspora the opportunity to learn more about their heritage as they delve into the culture and history
of the Continent.
Festival attendees can visit many of the nearby historical sites, including Alex Haley's ancestral ...]]></description><imgthumb>http://en.exploriada.com/imgs/fests/fi4aa1067dabb71.jpg</imgthumb></item><item><title><![CDATA[Beltane Fire Festival (Edinburgh, Calton Hill, United Kingdom, 2012-04-30)]]></title><guid>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/europe/united-kingdom/beltane-fire-festival</guid><link>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/europe/united-kingdom/beltane-fire-festival</link><pubDate>Sun, 20 May 2012 18:36:16 +0100</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Edinburgh's Beltane festival originates in the Scottish and Irish Gaelic pre-Christian festival of the same name.
The name itself is thought to have derived from a Gaelic-Celtic word meaning 'bright/sacred fire'. It was held to mark and celebrate the blossoming of spring, and coincided with the ancient pastoral event of moving livestock to their summer grazing. It did not occur on any fixed solar date (the tradition of solstices and equinoxes is later in origin) but ...]]></description><imgthumb>http://en.exploriada.com/imgs/fests/fi49ec68edd8fe3.jpg</imgthumb></item><item><title><![CDATA[Rose Festival (Kelaa M'Gouna, Morocco, 2012-05-14)]]></title><guid>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/africa/morocco/rose-festival</guid><link>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/africa/morocco/rose-festival</link><pubDate>Sun, 20 May 2012 18:36:16 +0100</pubDate><description><![CDATA[The Rose Festival is a magical event that usually takes place at the beginning of May every year and has become a favorite attraction and festival for tourists to attend.
The Dades Valley in Morocco is also known as the Valley of the Roses, as it is here where the fragrant rose oil and rose water is produced for the country, and the landscapes are a sea of pink Persian roses. Their beauty and subtle aromas ...]]></description><imgthumb>http://en.exploriada.com/imgs/fests/fi49ec6278252b3.jpg</imgthumb></item><item><title><![CDATA[Dragon Boat Festival (Beijing, China, 2012-05-28)]]></title><guid>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/asia/china/dragon-boat-festival</guid><link>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/asia/china/dragon-boat-festival</link><pubDate>Sun, 20 May 2012 18:36:16 +0100</pubDate><description><![CDATA[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 ...]]></description><imgthumb>http://en.exploriada.com/imgs/fests/fi4a8a9960c3919.jpg</imgthumb></item><item><title><![CDATA[VI International Festival in Podlasie and Polesie (Bielsk Podlaski, Poland, 2012-05-28)]]></title><guid>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/europe/poland/vi-international-festival-in-podlasie-and-polesie</guid><link>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/europe/poland/vi-international-festival-in-podlasie-and-polesie</link><pubDate>Sun, 20 May 2012 18:36:16 +0100</pubDate><description><![CDATA[]]></description><imgthumb>http://en.exploriada.com/imgs/fests/fi4a13e49995d76.jpg</imgthumb></item><item><title><![CDATA[Heiva I Tahiti (To&apos;ata Sq, Papeete, Tahiti, French Polynesia, 2012-06-04)]]></title><guid>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/australia-and-oceania/french-polynesia/heiva-i-tahiti</guid><link>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/australia-and-oceania/french-polynesia/heiva-i-tahiti</link><pubDate>Sun, 20 May 2012 18:36:16 +0100</pubDate><description><![CDATA[The largest annual cultural festival in Tahiti taking place at beautiful To&apos;ata Square in Papeete.
Events over this period are sumptuous and are characterized by heated contests between the best artistic groups with singing, dancing and their costumes, not to mention the sports contest of canoe racing, fruit bearing, javelin throwing, copra preparation, stone lifting and weaving etc. ...]]></description><imgthumb>http://en.exploriada.com/imgs/fests/fi49ec87e8ee60f.jpg</imgthumb></item><item><title><![CDATA[Festival of the Sun (Cuzco, Peru, 2012-06-24)]]></title><guid>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/south-america/peru/festival-of-the-sun</guid><link>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/south-america/peru/festival-of-the-sun</link><pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 20:10:52 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Machu Picchu was an important place for sun worship during the Incan era and as a civilization that held the sun in such high regard, you can imagine that for the Incas, winter was not a pleasant time of year. They feared that the annual disappearance of the sun would mean the onslaught of famine and to prevent this from happening would take an annual pilgrimage to Cuzco to honour the sun god and plead ...]]></description><imgthumb>http://en.exploriada.com/imgs/fests/fi4b3b4cc2093eb.jpg</imgthumb></item><item><title><![CDATA[Smithsonian Folklife Festival (Washington, District Columbia, United States of America, 2012-06-27)]]></title><guid>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/north-america/united-states-of-america/smithsonian-folklife-festival</guid><link>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/north-america/united-states-of-america/smithsonian-folklife-festival</link><pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 18:19:07 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[The two week Smithsonian Folklife Festival takes place at the beginning of July each year. Over a million visitors flock to the National Mall, which is filled with music, entertainement, crafts and food. The Independence Day festivities of the 4th of July always fall during this festival period, bringing a real vibrancy to the city.

The Festival is a research-based educational 'museum without walls' devoted to grassroots cultural heritage and each year's event focus on different ...]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[International Jazz Festival (Montreal, Quebec, Canada, 2012-06-28)]]></title><guid>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/north-america/canada/international-jazz-festival</guid><link>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/north-america/canada/international-jazz-festival</link><pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 20:02:38 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Montreal is a hotbed of fun in summer and the International Jazz Festival is its shining star. Best combine music-filled days with the lasting charms of this dynamic city - culture, shopping and nightlife galore, but also lush parklands and ther outdoor diversions in and arround the Laurentian Mountains.

The Festival International de Jazz de Montréal (FIJM), also called the Jazz Fest, is the largest jazz festival in the world. It is typically attended by over ...]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Kielecki Festiwal Tańca (Kielce, Poland, 2012-06-28)]]></title><guid>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/europe/poland/kielecki-festiwal-tanca</guid><link>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/europe/poland/kielecki-festiwal-tanca</link><pubDate>Fri, 17 Jun 2011 16:24:34 +0100</pubDate><description><![CDATA[]]></description><imgthumb>http://en.exploriada.com/imgs/fests/fi4dfb73b0e5727.jpg</imgthumb></item><item><title><![CDATA[International Sobieski Knights Tournament (Gniew, Poland, 2012-06-30)]]></title><guid>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/europe/poland/international-sobieski-knights-tournament</guid><link>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/europe/poland/international-sobieski-knights-tournament</link><pubDate>Sun, 20 May 2012 18:36:16 +0100</pubDate><description><![CDATA[]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Fire Festival (Santiago de Cuba, Cuba, 2012-07-02)]]></title><guid>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/central-america-and-caribean/cuba/fire-festival</guid><link>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/central-america-and-caribean/cuba/fire-festival</link><pubDate>Sun, 20 May 2012 18:36:16 +0100</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Some say that in Santiago de Cuba everything centers on music and dance. Here, in the Fiesta del Fuego (the fire festival) visitors have the chance to see for themselves, in what is probably one of the best preludes to a full carnival. Every year the event is focused on a particular Caribbean country, and musicians and dancers from all over the region travel to Santiago to perform. The most interesting feature of this festival ...]]></description><imgthumb>http://en.exploriada.com/imgs/fests/fi4a4e053452ea3.jpg</imgthumb></item><item><title><![CDATA[Quarry Hill Festival (Leeds, Quarry Hill, United Kingdom, 2012-07-02)]]></title><guid>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/europe/united-kingdom/quarry-hill-festival</guid><link>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/europe/united-kingdom/quarry-hill-festival</link><pubDate>Mon, 27 Jun 2011 13:31:04 +0100</pubDate><description><![CDATA[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 ...]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Wild West Stampede (Calgary, Alberta, Canada, 2012-07-06)]]></title><guid>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/north-america/canada/wild-west-stampede</guid><link>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/north-america/canada/wild-west-stampede</link><pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 18:13:53 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[It's the longest eight seconds in the world - an eternity ticking by, as a cowboy grips with hand and knees and heart to the bull or the horse that's twisting and tuning beneath him, doing everything in its power to buck him off.

The Calgary Stampede, which bills itself as The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth, is a large festival, exhibition, and rodeo held in Calgary, Alberta for 10 days every summer from early to ...]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Le Off Avignon Theatre Festival (Avignon, France, 2012-07-07)]]></title><guid>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/europe/france/le-off-avignon-theatre-festival</guid><link>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/europe/france/le-off-avignon-theatre-festival</link><pubDate>Sun, 26 Jun 2011 14:42:44 +0100</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Bazaar, party, fair, a theatre supermarket, the Festival Off is all that and more. During the 4 weeks of the festival, the living arts take over the city, theatres flourish in the bosom of the city, sometimes in some improbable locations, and the number of shows offered may seem inordinate to the simple spectator. No prior selection takes place; from inexperienced amateurs to the most famous of actors, all converge on Avignon to present their ...]]></description><imgthumb>http://en.exploriada.com/imgs/fests/fi4e0738611b28e.jpg</imgthumb></item><item><title><![CDATA[Nadaam Festival (Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, 2012-07-11)]]></title><guid>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/asia/mongolia/nadaam-festival</guid><link>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/asia/mongolia/nadaam-festival</link><pubDate>Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:32:11 +0100</pubDate><description><![CDATA[The Nadaam festival, or eriyn gurvan nadaam, is the biggest festival of the year for Mongolians. Usually occuring in July, it runs for three days in all parts of the country and highlights the greatest athletes in horse racing, archery, and wrestling: Mongolia's most popular sports. Women participate in all but the wrestling category. The word Nadaam means game or competition in Mongolian. Competitions take place days on the first two and merry-making is reserved ...]]></description><imgthumb>http://en.exploriada.com/imgs/fests/fi4ae07e3ddf686.jpg</imgthumb></item><item><title><![CDATA[FETA International Street & Open-Air Theatres Festival (Gdansk, Poland, 2012-07-12)]]></title><guid>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/europe/poland/feta-international-street-open-air-theatres-festival</guid><link>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/europe/poland/feta-international-street-open-air-theatres-festival</link><pubDate>Sun, 20 May 2012 18:36:16 +0100</pubDate><description><![CDATA[For four days Gdańsk becomes a city of theatre?Youth Creative Club ?Plama? has the main aim of producing International Street and Open-Air Theatres Festival FETA?loved by citizens and tourist alike. The festival has continued to develop and become more strong, attracting theatre and actors from around the world. The festival promotes art and culture of the whole world, educating and entertaining people, bringing laughter, tears, knowledge and the love of art.

The FETA program includes many ...]]></description><imgthumb>http://en.exploriada.com/imgs/fests/fi49ec30fe20e0f.jpg</imgthumb></item><item><title><![CDATA[Battle of Grunwald - Reconstruction (Tannenberg, Poland, 2012-07-14)]]></title><guid>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/europe/poland/battle-of-grunwald-reconstruction</guid><link>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/europe/poland/battle-of-grunwald-reconstruction</link><pubDate>Sun, 20 May 2012 18:36:16 +0100</pubDate><description><![CDATA[People in Poland celebrate the historical reconstruction of the Grunwald Battle every year at the second weekend in July. It attracts about 70 thousands of visitors from far and near.
The Battle of Grunwald took place on 15 July 1410 with the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, led by the king Jogaila (Władysław II Jagiełło), ranged against the Knights of the Teutonic Order, led by the Grand Master Ulrich von Jungingen.
A trip ...]]></description><imgthumb>http://en.exploriada.com/imgs/fests/fi495cef4321439.jpg</imgthumb></item><item><title><![CDATA[Mozart Festival (Salzburg, Austria, 2012-07-20)]]></title><guid>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/europe/austria/mozart-festival</guid><link>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/europe/austria/mozart-festival</link><pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 18:23:09 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[During Salzburg's five weeks of festival, which spans late July and August, city evening take on a truly elegant air. In four days you can visit museums, follow the Mozart trail, enjoy the music, soak up the atmosphere, and even have time to take a tour into the surrounding lakes and mountains. ...]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Summer Art &amp; Craft Fair (Dobre Miasto, Poland, 2012-07-20)]]></title><guid>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/europe/poland/summer-art-craft-fair</guid><link>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/europe/poland/summer-art-craft-fair</link><pubDate>Tue, 27 Apr 2010 16:29:54 +0100</pubDate><description><![CDATA[]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Edinburgh International Festival (Edinburgh, United Kingdom, 2012-08-09)]]></title><guid>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/europe/united-kingdom/edinburgh-international-festival</guid><link>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/europe/united-kingdom/edinburgh-international-festival</link><pubDate>Sun, 20 May 2012 18:36:16 +0100</pubDate><description><![CDATA[The Edinburgh International Festival presents a rich programme of classical music, theatre, opera and dance in six major theatres and concert halls and a number of smaller venues, over a three-week period in late summer each year.
In addition to mounting the annual three week programme of events, the Festival has a year-round programme of education and outreach work, aimed at all ages from primary school pupils to adults.
The Festival began in 1947, with the aim ...]]></description><imgthumb>http://en.exploriada.com/imgs/fests/fi49ecad6a2185e.jpg</imgthumb></item><item><title><![CDATA[Notting Hill Carnival (London, United Kingdom, 2012-08-28)]]></title><guid>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/europe/united-kingdom/notting-hill-carnival</guid><link>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/europe/united-kingdom/notting-hill-carnival</link><pubDate>Sun, 20 May 2012 18:36:16 +0100</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Second only to Rio de Janeiro, Notting Hill Carnival is one of the world\'s greatest street festivals. A world-class example of diversity that celebrates ethnic diversity and freedom through music, movement and masquerade making this uniquely cosmopolitan part of London come alive in a vibrant kaleidoscope of colour, sound and aroma.

More than a million visitors can be expected to watch the thousands of artists perform over the two-day August bank holiday. The weekend is the ...]]></description><imgthumb>http://en.exploriada.com/imgs/fests/fi49f6ea8106f86.jpg</imgthumb></item><item><title><![CDATA[Historic Regatta (Venice, Italy, 2012-09-02)]]></title><guid>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/europe/italy/historic-regatta</guid><link>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/europe/italy/historic-regatta</link><pubDate>Sun, 20 May 2012 18:36:16 +0100</pubDate><description><![CDATA[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, ...]]></description><imgthumb>http://en.exploriada.com/imgs/fests/fi49f4696b65825.jpg</imgthumb></item><item><title><![CDATA[Bavaria's National Beer Festival (Munich, Theresienwiese, Germany, 2012-09-22)]]></title><guid>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/europe/germany/bavarias-national-beer-festival</guid><link>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/europe/germany/bavarias-national-beer-festival</link><pubDate>Sun, 20 May 2012 18:36:16 +0100</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Many special trains of the German Federal Railway bring in visitors from Germany's main towns and also from abroad.  Thousands of coaches run special trips to the 'Wies`n', to give the Oktoberfest in Munich its traditional popular name.
When the Oktoberfest opens in Munich, all the brewers and publicans march in procession through the town accompanied by gaily decked carts and brewers' drays, drawn by teams of hefty dray horses.
No motorised vehicles are tolerated in ...]]></description><imgthumb>http://en.exploriada.com/imgs/fests/fi4a13ec70540ff.jpg</imgthumb></item><item><title><![CDATA[Festival of Native American Culture (Sedona, Arizona, United States of America, 2012-09-28)]]></title><guid>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/north-america/united-states-of-america/festival-of-native-american-culture</guid><link>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/north-america/united-states-of-america/festival-of-native-american-culture</link><pubDate>Sun, 20 May 2012 18:36:16 +0100</pubDate><description><![CDATA[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 ...]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Galway Oyster Festival (Galway, Ireland, 2012-09-28)]]></title><guid>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/europe/ireland/galway-oyster-festival</guid><link>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/europe/ireland/galway-oyster-festival</link><pubDate>Tue, 29 Dec 2009 19:37:08 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Oysters and Guiness are the staple diet of guests at the Galway Oyster Festival, which hits this charming Irish city at the end of every September. ...]]></description><imgthumb>http://en.exploriada.com/imgs/fests/fi4b473525533eb.jpg</imgthumb></item><item><title><![CDATA[New River Gorge Bridge Day (Fayetteville, West Virginia, United States of America, 2012-10-20)]]></title><guid>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/north-america/united-states-of-america/new-river-gorge-bridge-day</guid><link>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/north-america/united-states-of-america/new-river-gorge-bridge-day</link><pubDate>Sun, 20 May 2012 18:36:16 +0100</pubDate><description><![CDATA[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 ...]]></description><imgthumb>http://en.exploriada.com/imgs/fests/fi4a1fc6b8d55c8.jpg</imgthumb></item><item><title><![CDATA[Days of Polish Mountaineering Club (Bukowina Tatrzańska, Poland, 2012-11-09)]]></title><guid>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/europe/poland/days-of-polish-mountaineering-club</guid><link>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/europe/poland/days-of-polish-mountaineering-club</link><pubDate>Sun, 20 May 2012 18:36:16 +0100</pubDate><description><![CDATA[]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Festival of Lights (Jaipur, India, 2012-11-13)]]></title><guid>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/asia/india/festival-of-lights-diwali</guid><link>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/asia/india/festival-of-lights-diwali</link><pubDate>Mon, 28 Nov 2011 10:39:20 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[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 ...]]></description><imgthumb>http://en.exploriada.com/imgs/fests/fi4ed3711867fe3.jpg</imgthumb></item><item><title><![CDATA[Ethiopian Christmas (Lalibela, Ethiopia, 2013-01-07)]]></title><guid>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/africa/ethiopia/ethiopian-christmas</guid><link>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/africa/ethiopia/ethiopian-christmas</link><pubDate>Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:33:16 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[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 ...]]></description></item><item><title><![CDATA[Epiphany (Lalibela, Ethiopia, 2013-01-19)]]></title><guid>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/africa/ethiopia/epiphany</guid><link>http://en.exploriada.com/festival/africa/ethiopia/epiphany</link><pubDate>Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:44:39 +0000</pubDate><description><![CDATA[Timkat (which means "baptism" in Amharic) is the most important festival in the Ethiopian calendar. 

It is the Ethiopian Orthodox celebration of Epiphany celebrated on January 19 (or 20 on Leap Year), corresponding to the 10th day of Terr following the Ethiopian calendar. Timket celebrates the Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan River. This festival is best known for its ritual reenactment of baptism (similar to such reenactments performed by numerous Christian pilgrims to the ...]]></description></item></channel></rss>
