The St Patrick's Day Parade in Dublin, Ireland is a unique event that unites locals and visitors in a carnival atmosphere of music, dancing and partying; and leaves the world green with envy. Expanded in recent years from a one-day holiday to a six-day event, the St Patrick's Festival brings people together from all over the world to celebrate all things Irish. The centrepiece of the Festival is, of course, the St Patrick's Day Parade; an event that has been copied the world over. The 1.5 mile St Patrick's Day Parade route winds its way from Parnell Square on the city's north side, down O'Connell Street (the city's main thoroughfare), past the Spire of Dublin, over the River Liffey and up to Trinity College, before ...
Despite the common misconception, Cinco de Mayo is not actually Mexico's Independence Day. Cinco de Mayo celebrates the Mexican militia's victory over the French army at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. It is more of a regional holiday than a national one, and most of the celebrations occur in the city of Puebla. Those parts of the United States with large Mexican populations will also enjoy the thrill of Cinco de Mayo celebrations, which have become a bigger tradition than in Mexico itself. Cinco de Mayo is seen more as a day to celebrate Mexican culture within the United States. The Battle of Puebla took place over forty years after Mexico gained its independence from Spain. The years following independence were riddled with war, ...
While wine lovers the world over have different palates and different favourites, France is undoubtedly the most famous wine-producing country, and the Beaujolais is its most famous red wine. On the stroke of midnight on the third Thursday of November each year, Beaujolais Nouveau is celebrated by drinking the wine from grapes harvested that summer. Dubbed “Beaujolais Nouveau Day,” parties are held all over France and further afield to celebrate the first wine of the season. There are about 120 Beaujolais Nouveau related festivals held in the Beaujolais region alone, and some bottles from the six-week-old crop are also sent to oenophiles around the globe in time to be uncorked for the occasion. Located in the heart of the Rhone-Alpes region of eastern central France, ...
For most Dubliners, the pub is the centre of Irish society. Every occasion takes place here, be it happy or sad, culinary or alcohol-fuelled, literary or sporting, business or pleasure, family or friends. And no matter where you go in Dublin, you'll find a public house or two or three on every street. As James Joyce wrote in his classic novel Ulysses, “A good puzzle would be to cross Dublin without passing a pub.” One of the best aspects of Dublin pub life is that it's a culture open to all, locals and visitors alike. Everyone is welcome to sample the charm, “craic” (fun in Gaelic), music, drink and conversation. Whether you're after a quiet pint, a rock music bar, cocktails, traditional music and dancing, ...
If you’ve had your fill of temples, treks or museums, or are just plain ready to party, Vang Vieng in Laos is the place to head for. All backpackers on the Southeast Asia route talk about the epic partying that goes on in this surprisingly tiny town. While everyone refers to it as “tubing in Vang Vieng,” there is in fact very little tubing that actually goes on. Instead, the banks of the Nam Song River are lined with bamboo hut bars, pounding speakers and dancing travellers all looking for a good time. When I first arrived in Vang Vieng, I was taken aback by how small the town actually is. Vang Vieng consists of about three streets filled with restaurants, bars, guest houses and ...
If you're a kite lover then you can't miss the Kite Festival in Jaipur, India on January 14th each year. Kite flying is traditional celebratory fare in various parts of India, as this day marks the the occasion of Makar Sankranti - the retreat of the winter season. Family and friends gather in throngs on top of roofs, celebrating Makar Sankranti and unleashing their kites on the sky. The band of revelers is so great, that the sky becomes almost invisible behind the mosaic of colourful paper creations. The Jaipur Kite Festival is a three-day celebration that starts on the Polo Grounds in Jaipur. Indian Air Force helicopters commence the Makar Sankranti festivities by releasing kites from the sky, while hundreds of schoolchildren release balloons ...
The Carnival of Venice is a city-wide masquerade, which originated as a vacation day on the last day before Lent during the 14th Century. Despite the fact that the Venetian Carnival marks the beginning of Lent, it has no direct religious connection and was traditionally a night of debauchery, drinking, blurred social status, costuming and masks. Ironically, the Venetian Carnival was regulated by strict rules back in the 14th Century, and Carnival-goers were not allowed to wear masks around the city at night time, and men could not enter convents if they were disguised as women. Celebrations within the nun parlours were strictly prohibited, and in the face of the Carnival's lack of religious significance, the city officials were determined to uphold the morality of ...
Every January since 1996, international ice climbers have flocked to the Uncompahgre River Valley in southwestern Colorado for the Ouray Ice Festival. Nicknamed "Little Switzerland," the Colorado town of Ouray (you-ray) plays host to a premier ice-climbing gathering at the world's first man-made ice park. Exhibitors and spectators alike come to the Ouray Ice Festival to enjoy and celebrate the art of climbing up a sheer wall of ice (sometimes supplanted with rock, wood and plastic) in the Uncompahgre Gorge. It's an experience unlike any other. Sitting at the other end of the famous Million Dollar Highway from Durango, Ouray is almost equidistant from Denver, Salt Lake City and Albuquerque (all of which are nearly six-hour drives). It once was a booming mining town that ...
When the month of April arrives in The Republic of Vanuatu, it brings with it a tradition people have begun to recognize the world over—albeit in a different form. New Zealander A.J. Hacket has done an amazing job popularizing what we now know as bungee jumping. However, on the island of Pentecost in Vanuatu it is still known as land diving or Naghol. As the rainy season draws to a close, villages far and wide come together for the yearly tradition of Naghol, so that they may give thanks and guarantee a bountiful harvest. Local materials of logs and vines are gathered from the bush and brought together to construct the towers that the land divers will jump from, looming an astonishing 25 meters high. ...
White sandy beaches and tropical climates are not for everyone. Believe it or not, there are those who live for the winter and treasure the snowy months; and one of the best places for such people is Igloofest in Montreal, Canada. The Canadian province of Quebec is famous for celebrating winter with its Ice Hotel, its skiing, and its Winter Carnaval festival. In recent years, Quebec’s biggest city, Montreal, has devised its own way to appreciate winter with the introduction of Igloofest: a large outdoor party at the heart of winter. Igloofest takes place at Jacques-Cartier Quay in the city’s Old Port. Being surrounded by water, the Quay is a few chilly degrees colder than the centre of the city, but few urban places are ...
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