During the Up Helly Aa festival, participants actually light up replica of a Viking ship. — www.uphellyaa.org
Every nation – in fact, every culture – has its own unique festival or two, some of which have existed for many generations.
These festivals are often held in celebration of a particular event, most commonly with a religious significance. There are also festivals that are held in conjunction with the changing seasons, for example, or to welcome a new harvest year.
For example, Indigenous communities in Sabah and Sarawak traditionally celebrate Kaamatan and Gawai (respectively) to mark the end of the annual harvesting season. These days, everyone joins in the celebrations, with all communities coming together to express gratitude for a bountiful harvest, and to seek blessings for the coming season.
If you’re keen to explore either state and learn new cultures, Kaamatan (celebrated on May 30 and 31) and Gawai (June 1 and 2) are probably the best times to visit.
Sarawak has also been hosting the country’s top international music event – the Rainforest World Music Festival – since 1998. The programme normally runs for three days in June in the state’s capital city, Kuching, featuring world music artistes from all over the globe.
Attending a festival gives visitors the opportunity to learn about a particular culture while cultivating an appreciation for its heritage. We’ve listed a few festivals around the world that are worth experiencing.
On Loy Krathong, Thais set afloat beautifully-made krathongs as offerings to deities, loved ones and other important figures in their life. — CHAN BOON KAI/The Star
Yi Peng and Loy Krathong (Thailand)
A vibrant display of lanterns illuminates the dark skies of Thailand during Yi Peng, also known as the Sky Lantern Festival. It is celebrated during the full moon of the 12th month of the traditional Thai lunar calendar. In the Gregorian or Western calendar, this typically falls in November, but the date changes each year.
On this day, locals will release thousands of paper lanterns, known as “khom loi”, in the sky.
The festival is said to exist since the Lanna Kingdom (13th to 18th century), and has Brahmin roots. Some also say that Yi Peng was traditionally held to welcome the beginning of the cold season in the northern region. These days, however, Yi Peng is observed on the same day as Loy Krathong, or the Thailand Light Festival.
The name “Loy Krathong” describes the floating parcel that the Thais release in large bodies of water on the day; “loy” means “to float” while “krathong” means “a small offering”. Who these offerings are made for depends on the giver – they can be for deities, spirits, the Lord Buddha and the dearly departed.
The biggest celebration of Yi Peng and Loy Krathong are observed in Chiang Mai, where khom lois and krathongs are usually released simultaneously – filling up both the sky and the lakes, ponds and rivers.
ONLINEThe Shetlands in Scotland has a fire tradition that celebrates the island's Norse heritage. — www.uphellyaa.org
Up Helly Aa (Scotland)
The Scottish Shetland Islands host the Up Helly Aa, a spectacular fire festival celebrated between January and March.
Each year, 12 fire festivals are held across the archipelago, with the main town of Lerwick being the most popular destination for this event.
Up Helly Aa reflects the islands’ rich Viking heritage, tracing back over 150 years. The commemoration involves the Guizer Jarl (or chief) leading his squad in a march through the town, hauling the replica galley to where the burning will take place.
Spectators congregate at the Islesburgh Community Centre to watch the morning parade, where warriors clad in traditional Viking costumes march.
As dusk falls, the galley is set ablaze, accompanied by traditional Shetland music sung by both the warriors and spectators.
To become a chief, one must serve a minimum of 16 years on the committee, with the appointment commonly made by the guisers or members.
Formerly led by men, the fire procession in Lerwick saw the participation of women for the first time last year following the repeal of gender restrictions.
La Tomatina is held on the last Wednesday of August each year. — Flydime/Wikimedia Commons
Bay To Breakers in San Francisco welcomes thousands of participants every year. — GEOFFREY WEBER/Wikimedia Commons
La Tomatina (Spain)
Light festivals and fire processions aside, the Spanish town of Bunol in Valencia is home to the world’s largest food fight – a tomato throwing festival!
Started in the mid-1940s, La Tomatina is a yearly cultural event worth experiencing when visiting Spain. Bunol is located just 40km from Valencia city.
Thousands of festivalgoers throng the main street to pelt each other with tomatoes at this massive, messy “brawl”. After an hour of merrymaking, the festivities continue in the neighbouring public squares throughout the day, featuring music, dancing, and an abundance of food and drinks.
To avoid having incredibly messy streets, local authorities will clean up the tomato-filled area as soon as participants head to the next venue.
The festival takes place on the last Wednesday of August every year.
Carnival (Brazil)
Celebrated for centuries, Carnival is Brazil’s grandest party, with links to Christianity, though it isn’t a religious festival. It is held prior to Lent, a 40-day period of fasting, praying and giving alms that’s observed by most Christian groups around the world.
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent so in Brazil, Carnival is traditionally held the weekend before, though these days the festival can last for five to even seven days!
Carnival was said to be first staged in 1723, where it was more about eating as much as you can. Today, Carnival is a full-blown festival of parades, music, over-the-top costumes and more.
During Carnival season, the streets in various parts of Brazil (including Sao Paulo, Minas Gerais and Bahia) transform into a lively atmosphere as thousands of people come together for the merriment. The highlight of the parade is the samba performance, featuring intricate costumes and floats.
The main samba parade takes place in Sambadrome Marques de Sapucai in Rio de Janeiro, an area built specifically for the Carnival.
A snow sculpture of a church on display at China's Harbin. — RINCEWIND42/Wikimedia Commons
Bay To Breakers (United States)
Every third Sunday of May, the streets of San Francisco in California fill to the brim with runners participating in the Bay To Breakers race. Held since 1912, thousands pound the roads donning colourful costumes during this event.
The run kicks off at the Embarcadero neighbourhood, passing through several other neighbourhoods before finishing at Ocean Beach in the Great Highway.
The 12km-long race earned recognition as the world’s largest running event in the Guinness Book Of World Records in 1986, when over 110,000 people took part.
It was originally introduced to inject life back into the city after it was struck by the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, a tragedy that led to destructive fires and claimed the lives of over 3,000 people.
A participant of the Boryeong Mud Festival in South Korea being interviewed by a journalist. — Wikimedia Commons
Harbin International Ice & Snow Festival (China)
Dubbed China’s “Ice City”, Harbin offers a glimpse into its frosty winter through the city’s annual ice and snow fest.
Regarded as the biggest winter event in the world, the Harbin International Ice & Snow Festival is a visual spectacle, drawing tens of thousands of visitors every year amid the biting cold.
The festival boasts impressive collections of sculptures made from ice and snow, made by local and international sculpt artists.
It is held for one month at three main venues, namely Harbin Ice & Snow World, Sun Island Scenic Area and Zhaolin Park.
While the festival officially welcomes visitors in early January, you can also visit during the Christmas season and see how the sculptures are crafted.
Spanning some 81ha, visitors at Harbin Ice & Snow World will be dazzled by the exquisite ice structures during the day and vibrant bright lights at night.
Located near the Songhua River, Sun Island Scenic Area, meanwhile, is famed for its enormous displays of snow sculptures. A breathtaking artwork titled Romantic Feelings, which stood 8.5m tall and measured over 200m long, was a Guinness record holder in 2007.
Unlike ice, which is illuminated by colourful lights, the stunning snowy displays are best appreciated during the day.
Zhaolin Park, situated about 10km from Sun Island, is free to enter and houses hundreds of ice exhibits carved by college students and emerging sculptors.
If you missed the city’s ice festival, you can also explore its Little Ice & Snow World, an indoor theme park open all year round. This newly-opened attraction consists of nine-themed spots featuring beautiful ice sculptures.
Boryeong Mud Festival (South Korea)
What began as an initiative to promote the health and therapeutic benefits of the city’s mineral-rich mud in 1998, has now become one of South Korea’s biggest annual summer affairs.
The Boryeong Mud Festival, which attracts many curious visitors, both local folks and international, takes place at Boryeong’s Daecheon Beach in July.
From mud baths to mud massages and mud marathons, there are plenty of activities to enjoy at this sprawling Mud Experience Land.
Over the course of nearly two weeks, revellers can immerse themselves in the vibrant live performances by local K-artists as well.
Kirkpinar Oil Wrestling Festival (Turkiye)
Steeped in history, the tradition of Turkish oil wrestling dates back to the 1360s. Initially a pastime among the communities, the sport eventually established itself as an annual tournament, inviting local wrestlers in Turkiye to participate.
Hosted by the city of Edirne, located approximately three hours from the nation’s largest city, Istanbul, the week-long Kirkpinar Oil Wrestling Festival commences at the end of June and continues through early July.
In 2010, it was inscribed in Unesco’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List.
Every year, thousands of wrestlers, known locally as “pehlivans”, compete for the title of Baspehlivan (chief wrestler).
The competition, accompanied by traditional singing and dancing, starts with pouring olive oil on the pehlivans’ bodies. Clad in knee-length leather pants, the pehlivans are “oiled” by the “yagci”.
Spectators can enjoy an array of local food as they watch the match, making the event a culinary experience as well.
Beyond the 660-year-old contest, visitors – especially history lovers – will be delighted by Edirne’s abundant historical landmarks that reflect the city’s rich Ottoman history. For nearly half a century (from 1413 to 1458), the city functioned as the capital of the Turkish Empire.
