Fuji Shibazakura Festival, Japan (April and May)
Japan celebrates springtime with many different flower festivals and gardens, the most famous being hanami or cherry blossom festivals. No less stunning is the fairytale-like Fuji Shibazakura Festival, which celebrates the breathtaking view of Shibazakura, (Moss pink or creeping phlox) at the base of Mt. Fuji. 800,000 Moss pink flowers create a beautiful scene of contrasting colors: six shades of moss pink flowers compete with emerald green grasses to outshine the bright blue sky. Elaborate designs in two shades of pink, two shades of white, a pink-and-white-pinstriped, and a lavender-like purple span as far as the eye can see. The 2020 festival runs from April 11 to May 31. The dates for 2021 have not yet been announced, but plan for mid-April to late May.
Camels dressed up to celebrate the Jaisalmer Desert Festival in Rajasthan, India by Prateek Singhal.
Jaisalmer Desert Festival of Rajasthan, India (February)
For three days every February, in the Hindu month Magh, the sand dunes of the Thar Desert welcome extravagant festivities to celebrate a prophecy made by Lord Krishna. According to legend, Lord Krishna predicted one of his successors would create a kingdom in Rajasthan. His prophecy came true, and so his words were honored with a celebration. Today, the Indian government promotes the Jaisalmer Desert Festival as an international festival. Rajasthani musicians play traditional folk music while dancers perform the Gair dance, one of the most famous folk dances of Rajasthan. Camel races and a turban tying competition are some of the more prominent events at the festival, along with the Longest Mustache contest and a Mr. Desert Contest. The upcoming 2021 festival runs from February 7th to February 9th.
“Masskara Festival Bacolod” by Ceslou is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
MassKara Festival of Bacolod City, Philippines (October)
One of the world’s most bright and colorful festivals arose from a time of disaster and economic uncertainty: the world market prices for sugar, the main crop of the Negros Occidentals province, crashed, and 700 people died in a ferry disaster. Citizens of Bacolod City, known as the City of Smiles, needed something to revitalize their economy and to smile about. Two artists proposed mask making as an alternate livelihood, and so, the MassKara festival was born. The “Festival of Many Faces” (“mass” = many; “kara” = face) became an annual tradition since its inception in 1980. The noisy, joyful atmosphere is host to activities such as a beauty pageant, a party specific for the youth, fireworks competition, a street showdown of the city’s top choreographers, and, of course, the Electric MassKara—a night-time parade of floats decorated in brilliant lights of all colors. 2020 and 2021 dates have not yet been announced.
“Sinchon Water Gun Festival on July 26, 2014” by Republic of Korea is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
Sinchon Water Gun Festival, South Korea (July)
Held every summer since 2013, the Sinchon Water Gun Festival gives festival goers a chance to go back in time to childhood summers that were spent playing outdoors with water balloons and water guns. Each year the festival has a new theme, past ones including “Aliens and Earthlings,” “Man Versus Robot” and “Retake the Kingdom.” Past events have included a parade, concerts, street dancing and even a water gun wedding. If the water gun festival is not cancelled due to COVID-19, the 2020 festival will be held on July 6th to July 7th. Expect 2021 dates to be around the same time.
Dancers and musicians on the spectacular Kandy Esala Day Perahera in Sri Lanka, August 2015 by Denish C is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Kandy Esala Perahera Festival, Sri Lanka (June, July, August)
The Kandy Esala Perahera Festival, also known as the Festival of the Tooth, honors the Sacred Tooth Relic of Buddha, Sri Lanka’s most important Buddhist relic. According to Sri Lankan legend, Buddha’s left canine tooth was retrieved from his funeral pyre by one of his disciples. It was believed that whoever possessed the tooth relic had the divine right to rule. After a long, tumultuous history, the tooth is peacefully housed in the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy, Sri Lanka. In addition to honoring the Sacred Tooth, the festival honors four “guardian” Gods: Natha, Vishnu, Kataragama, and Pattini. The Esala Perahera festival is one of the oldest Buddhist festivals in Sri Lanka and features musicians, acrobats, fire-breathers, jugglers, and elaborately decorated elephants. The festival is held in Esala, the month that commemorates the first teachings of Buddha, after he achieved enlightenment. The religious festival is marked by five processions, each procession dedicated to a shrine of the four gods and the Sri Dalada Maligawa temple, Sri Lanka’s most revered. The 2020 festival will run from July 25th to August 4th.
“Snow and Ice World Festival in Harbin, China” by Derek Harkness is licensed under CC BY 2.0
Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival, China (December to February)
The world’s largest winter festival takes place annually in Harbin, China. Harbin is considered to be one of the coldest places on Earth, perfect for towering sculptures made of ice and snow. At night, the stunning sculptures are lit up in a spectacular array of colors. The 2020 Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival’s theme was “Ice Snow Integration, Happy to Go Together. The 36th annual festival consisted of four theme parks constructed from 170,000 cubic meters of ice: Sun Island International Snow Sculpture Art Expo, Harbin Ice and Snow World, Songhua River Ice and Snow Harbin Valley, and the Zhaolin Park Ice Lantern Fair. The 2020 festival featured a mass wedding and an “ice plunge” into a pool carved from the frozen Songhua River, along with a stunning fireworks display. The 37th annual festival is set to begin on January 5, 2021. Next year’s theme is “Magical Harbin, Ice Snow Charming China.”
“Traditional Giant Kites were flown at International Bali Kite Festival 2018” by Johannnindito Adisuryo is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
Bali Kite Festival, Indonesia (Begins July/August and lasts until October)
During the Bali Kite Festival, hundreds of giant kites swoop and sway amongst the clouds in the beautiful blue skies of Bali, Indonesia. The Bali Kite Festival is an annual international festival meant to promote and conserve the Balinese tradition of kite flying, which is thought to get one closer to the gods. Kite flying began as a way to show gratitude toward the Hindu gods for their bountiful harvests, and to seek their blessings. The traditional kites are constructed by the entire village and are blessed by a Balinese priest before the giant kites can take to the skies. Hundreds of Balinese villages take part in the kite competition where prizes are awarded to the biggest and most creative kites. The 2020 festival is set for August 17th, unless it is cancelled. 2020 festival dates have not yet been announced.
Asiya Haouchine
is an Algerian-American writer who graduated from the University of Connecticut in May 2016, earning a BA in journalism and English. She was an editorial intern and contributing writer for Warscapes magazine and the online/blog editor for Long River Review. She is currently studying for her Master’s in Library and Information Science. @AsiyaHaou