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Spring festivals around the world (22 photos)
We present our calendar of 12 festivals and celebrations around the world that can make your April and May amazing and unforgettable.
Buzkashi
Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan: Spring
Please note Soviet tank helmets Central Asian sports game called "Buzkashi" compared with polo - only instead of a ball headless carcass of a goat here, and the winners receive prizes - such as motorcycles. The cruel sport is part of the spring celebrations in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
Dead goat being dragged along the ground
Land Diving
Pentecost Island (the island of Pentecost), April-May
Getting a jump
On Pentecost Island in the South Pacific every year grows wooden tower made of wood 27-32 meters in height, which the locals jump. During the festival, bald man from the tribe of Ca climb the tower, and tying vines ankle, soar into the air. Injuries and even death are not uncommon. The brutal tradition influenced the emergence of the popular all over the world bungee jumping, but it is much safer pastime in comparison to land-diving.
Preparing to jump from the tower
Kanamara Matsuri
Kawasaki, Japan: April 6,
Festival 2012.
Every year on the first Sunday in April, the feast Kanamara Matsuri, the Japanese city of Kawasaki overflows every kind of phallic attributes. In this category are processions, sold the appropriate form and type of candy, souvenirs, sculptures and costumes. The origins of the festival should be sought in the Edo period and the temple Kanayama, which for centuries was considered a refuge for prostitutes who sought protection from sexually transmitted diseases. Later, the festival has become a playful celebration of fertility and prosperity.
Songkran Water Festival
Thailand 13-15 April
Elephant in the Songkran festival
Participants pour out the water guns, buckets, even elephants produce jets of water from their trunks - so it is unlikely someone will be dry in the Thai New Year holiday. Songkran - is actually the biggest water fight in the world, but this tradition is also a symbol of cleansing from adversity last year and allows you to enter the new year clean. In addition, the water break as it is impossible to place in the hottest month of the year.
Water Festival in Burma
Holy Week (Semana Santa) in Seville
Seville, Spain: April 13-20
Penitent in the cathedral
During the week before Easter in the Spanish Sevilla held about 60 demonstrations where you can see the sinister figure, closed hooded persons, as well as huge statues of saints. So-called "nazarenos" wearing pointed hoods that cover the faces of the penitents. Some say the hoods represent a touch to the skies. Others argue that it all resembles the eve of the end of the world.
Nazarenos 2003
Walpurgis Night
Central and Northern Europe, April 30
Walpurgis Night in Heidelberg
Walpurgis Night takes its name from the Holy Walpurga day in the calendar which is close to the date of April 30, but the celebration is far from Catholic tradition. The tradition has pagan origins, it began as a special ritual against witches. Now, however, it is a celebration with bonfires on which effigies are burned. Crowds of people in Central and Northern Europe are going dressed as witches, and arrange crazy dancing around bonfires.
Beltane Fire Festival
Edinburgh, Scotland, April 30
Festival 2006
On a par with Walpurgis night you can put another "dissolute" holiday - Beltane Fire Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland. As in the continental celebrations in Europe are leaving the winter and the coming of spring is marked by fire. Celtic festival was revived in 1980 as a tribute to the pagan traditions of these places, and now thousands of people are involved in wild dances with fire.
In 2012, the festival at the National Monument in Scotland Calton Hill
Serpent Festival
Cocullo, Italy: May 1
San Domenico and snakes
It is said that the abbot of San Domenico, clean the area around the Italian city Cocullo from snakes, but since then the story has merged with the pagan traditions in the annual festival, which returns kites. Prochessone dei Serpari - Procession of the Snakes - begins with Mass, followed by the statue of Domenico solemnly sneaked through the city. Along the way, snake charmers snakes wrapped statue. You can even buy local bread, made in the form of a snake-eating its own tail. After that snakes released into the wild in the vicinity Cocullo as a good deed to cancel Domenica.
Thrissur Pooram
Thrissur, India, May 9
Festival 2013
Thrissur Pooram is a kind of Super Bowl elephant processions. The action is centered around Vadakkunatan Temple in Thrissur, India. 30 gorgeously dressed elephants drovers on their backs are involved in a carefully choreographed artistic performances staged with umbrellas. And if this seems not enough, plenty of fireworks will delight even the most sophisticated audience.
Speech with umbrellas
Festivals Rockets
Laos and Thailand, 10-11 May
Rockets in Yasothon in 2013
Every year before the start of the rainy season in Laos and Thailand are the largest celebration Bun Bang Fai, the center of which is the town of Yasothon, located in the eastern part of Thailand. The highlight of this festival is a competition to launch homemade rockets. Rockets are traditionally made of bamboo, which recently replaced the PVC tubes, and the contest winner is the rocket that will fly higher and fly farther than others. Those whose missiles fly, throw in the dirt.
The parade of missiles
Festival Karabau
Pulilan, Philippines, May 14
Race buffalo
Karabau (or water buffalo) are vital to Filipino farmers, and in May in the city of Pulilan animals carefully brush, rubbed with oil, decorated with garlands of flowers and ribbons, and then bring to the church square. There are huge animals kneel for blessing. This culmination of the festival is held in Karabau day of St. Isidore the Peasant, the patron saint of farmers. The festival will take place Karabakh as water buffalo racing and magnificent lush parades.
Parade festival Karabau
Cooper's Hill Cheese-Rolling and Wake
Coopers Hill, England, May 26
Cheese race in 2013
In this unusual annual competition participants race run away down a very steep and uneven hill in Gloucestershire after the nine-head cheese Double Gloucester. Cheese race regularly leads to injury, although this does not diminish the enthusiasm, and did not prevent the English become an international festival: last year the race was won by an American.
Buzkashi
Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan: Spring
Please note Soviet tank helmets Central Asian sports game called "Buzkashi" compared with polo - only instead of a ball headless carcass of a goat here, and the winners receive prizes - such as motorcycles. The cruel sport is part of the spring celebrations in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
Dead goat being dragged along the ground
Land Diving
Pentecost Island (the island of Pentecost), April-May
Getting a jump
On Pentecost Island in the South Pacific every year grows wooden tower made of wood 27-32 meters in height, which the locals jump. During the festival, bald man from the tribe of Ca climb the tower, and tying vines ankle, soar into the air. Injuries and even death are not uncommon. The brutal tradition influenced the emergence of the popular all over the world bungee jumping, but it is much safer pastime in comparison to land-diving.
Preparing to jump from the tower
Kanamara Matsuri
Kawasaki, Japan: April 6,
Festival 2012.
Every year on the first Sunday in April, the feast Kanamara Matsuri, the Japanese city of Kawasaki overflows every kind of phallic attributes. In this category are processions, sold the appropriate form and type of candy, souvenirs, sculptures and costumes. The origins of the festival should be sought in the Edo period and the temple Kanayama, which for centuries was considered a refuge for prostitutes who sought protection from sexually transmitted diseases. Later, the festival has become a playful celebration of fertility and prosperity.
Songkran Water Festival
Thailand 13-15 April
Elephant in the Songkran festival
Participants pour out the water guns, buckets, even elephants produce jets of water from their trunks - so it is unlikely someone will be dry in the Thai New Year holiday. Songkran - is actually the biggest water fight in the world, but this tradition is also a symbol of cleansing from adversity last year and allows you to enter the new year clean. In addition, the water break as it is impossible to place in the hottest month of the year.
Water Festival in Burma
Holy Week (Semana Santa) in Seville
Seville, Spain: April 13-20
Penitent in the cathedral
During the week before Easter in the Spanish Sevilla held about 60 demonstrations where you can see the sinister figure, closed hooded persons, as well as huge statues of saints. So-called "nazarenos" wearing pointed hoods that cover the faces of the penitents. Some say the hoods represent a touch to the skies. Others argue that it all resembles the eve of the end of the world.
Nazarenos 2003
Walpurgis Night
Central and Northern Europe, April 30
Walpurgis Night in Heidelberg
Walpurgis Night takes its name from the Holy Walpurga day in the calendar which is close to the date of April 30, but the celebration is far from Catholic tradition. The tradition has pagan origins, it began as a special ritual against witches. Now, however, it is a celebration with bonfires on which effigies are burned. Crowds of people in Central and Northern Europe are going dressed as witches, and arrange crazy dancing around bonfires.
Beltane Fire Festival
Edinburgh, Scotland, April 30
Festival 2006
On a par with Walpurgis night you can put another "dissolute" holiday - Beltane Fire Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland. As in the continental celebrations in Europe are leaving the winter and the coming of spring is marked by fire. Celtic festival was revived in 1980 as a tribute to the pagan traditions of these places, and now thousands of people are involved in wild dances with fire.
In 2012, the festival at the National Monument in Scotland Calton Hill
Serpent Festival
Cocullo, Italy: May 1
San Domenico and snakes
It is said that the abbot of San Domenico, clean the area around the Italian city Cocullo from snakes, but since then the story has merged with the pagan traditions in the annual festival, which returns kites. Prochessone dei Serpari - Procession of the Snakes - begins with Mass, followed by the statue of Domenico solemnly sneaked through the city. Along the way, snake charmers snakes wrapped statue. You can even buy local bread, made in the form of a snake-eating its own tail. After that snakes released into the wild in the vicinity Cocullo as a good deed to cancel Domenica.
Thrissur Pooram
Thrissur, India, May 9
Festival 2013
Thrissur Pooram is a kind of Super Bowl elephant processions. The action is centered around Vadakkunatan Temple in Thrissur, India. 30 gorgeously dressed elephants drovers on their backs are involved in a carefully choreographed artistic performances staged with umbrellas. And if this seems not enough, plenty of fireworks will delight even the most sophisticated audience.
Speech with umbrellas
Festivals Rockets
Laos and Thailand, 10-11 May
Rockets in Yasothon in 2013
Every year before the start of the rainy season in Laos and Thailand are the largest celebration Bun Bang Fai, the center of which is the town of Yasothon, located in the eastern part of Thailand. The highlight of this festival is a competition to launch homemade rockets. Rockets are traditionally made of bamboo, which recently replaced the PVC tubes, and the contest winner is the rocket that will fly higher and fly farther than others. Those whose missiles fly, throw in the dirt.
The parade of missiles
Festival Karabau
Pulilan, Philippines, May 14
Race buffalo
Karabau (or water buffalo) are vital to Filipino farmers, and in May in the city of Pulilan animals carefully brush, rubbed with oil, decorated with garlands of flowers and ribbons, and then bring to the church square. There are huge animals kneel for blessing. This culmination of the festival is held in Karabau day of St. Isidore the Peasant, the patron saint of farmers. The festival will take place Karabakh as water buffalo racing and magnificent lush parades.
Parade festival Karabau
Cooper's Hill Cheese-Rolling and Wake
Coopers Hill, England, May 26
Cheese race in 2013
In this unusual annual competition participants race run away down a very steep and uneven hill in Gloucestershire after the nine-head cheese Double Gloucester. Cheese race regularly leads to injury, although this does not diminish the enthusiasm, and did not prevent the English become an international festival: last year the race was won by an American.
