Thanksgiving is one of the most significant holidays in the USA. It marks the start of the holiday season that runs through to Christmas. The holiday commemorates the first harvest of the settlers from England who had arrived in North America in 1620. Its cultural impact is immense, so it is interesting to take a look […]
Continue Reading
Otherwise known as the Festival of Lights, Diwali is a holiday of Hindu origin and is widely celebrated throughout India. The five-day event begins on the 13th day of the month of Kartik in the Hindu calendar, which falls in October or November. Celebrants light clay lamps, said to represent the destruction of anything negative […]
Continue Reading
India is often called the ‘land of festivals and fairs’ where each day brings some kind of celebration and there are more festivals celebrated in India than anywhere else in the world. Some festivals, such as Holi or Diwali transcend their rural roots and are famous across the world. On the tenth day of the […]
Continue Reading
The Harvest Moon Festival, or Chuseok (meaning ‘Autumn Eve’), is one of Korea’s most cherished holidays. One of the main Harvest Moon Festival traditions is the food preparation, especially of songpyun; a traditional Korean rice cake made with pine needles. In Korean, Song means ‘pine tree’ and Pyun means ‘rice cake’. Oddly for a festival that takes […]
Continue Reading
Janmashtami or Gokulashtami, is one of the most popular and important Hindu festivals. It marks the birthday of Lord Krishna, the eighth re-incarnation of Lord Vishnu, who gave the vital message of the Bhagwat Gita – the guiding principles for every Hindu. In 2024, it falls on Monday August 26th and is celebrated with great […]
Continue Reading
It is hard to overstate the importance of Mary to Catholic and Orthodox Christians around the world, but in Greece, the worship of Mary is elevated to another level. This importance of Mary to the Greeks is demonstrated by the wide number of local customs that are celebrated across Greece. The churches of Panayia Evangelistria […]
Continue Reading
In a country blessed with a healthy number of public holidays, the most notable run of holidays is the country’s renowned Golden Week. This string of public holidays at the end of March and beginning of April results in most of the country taking off for over a week. The Golden Week is a period […]
Continue Reading
For most Islamic countries, Monday March 11th 2024 will be the first day of the Islamic month of Ramadan. The month of Ramadan will last for 28 days, though the exact start and end dates in some countries is dependent on sightings on the moon. During Ramadan Muslims will fast from dawn until dusk, pray […]
Continue Reading
On the days before Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent, the streets of Latin America erupt in nosiy, colourful exuberence with music, parades and dancing, with the most famous Carnival in Rio being dubbed ‘the greatest show on Earth’. The tradition of a Carnival was brought to the Americas by Europeans. It was a […]
Continue Reading
On October 31st, it’ll be time to dress up the kids in a spooky outfit and hit the streets in search of candy. Halloween is one of the most popular amd enduring traditions in North America, and while the risk of COVID-19 hasn’t gone away, it feels that bit more normal this year, and families […]
Continue Reading