Tag: Festivals
Dragon Boats Go Global
by Julia Ross | 06.01.09 | 10:31 AM ET
Though the Chinese Dragon Boat Festival has long enjoyed popularity in Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan, mainland China only made it a public holiday last year—one of many signs that traditions abandoned during the country’s Cultural Revolution are finally being restored.
The funny thing is, the festival—which commemorates the death of a famous poet who drowned himself in a river—has become so globalized that China itself looks like it’s late to the party.
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Yahoo! BuzzColombo, Sri Lanka
by World Hum | 05.26.09 | 4:06 PM ET
REUTERS/David Gray Dancers dressed in traditional costumes perform during a street parade in central Colombo, part of continuing celebrations following the end of Sri Lanka's 25-year civil war
Lessons From The Dancing Chickens
by Sophia Dembling | 05.14.09 | 1:44 PM ET
Photo by Sophia Dembling When I heard about the Lesser Prairie Chicken Festival in Woodward, Okla., my mind went directly to funnel cakes, face painting, and maybe a parade with a Lesser Prairie Chicken Queen. Sign me up, I said! I love small-town fests.
I’m kind of a moron sometimes. It wasn’t until I had my trip planned that I fully understood that a bird festival is where bird watchers gather to watch birds—in this case, lesser prairie chickens. Not only was funnel cake not part of the event, but the centerpiece of the weekend involved waking before dawn to spend three hours in a field watching chickens dance.
Pogost, Belarus
by World Hum | 05.12.09 | 1:14 PM ET
REUTERS/Vasily Fedosenko People celebrate Yurya, a pagan harvest protector, in the village of Pogost, some 155 miles south of Minsk
Magelang, Indonesia
by World Hum | 05.07.09 | 12:20 PM ET
REUTERS/Dwi Oblo Indonesian Buddhist monks collect holy water ahead of a Vesak Day procession in Magelang, central Java. Vesak Day honors the birth, enlightenment and death of Buddha more than 2,000 years ago.
Elbach, Germany
by World Hum | 05.05.09 | 12:59 PM ET
REUTERS/Michael Dalder Bavarian mountain riflemen in traditional outfits march during a parade in the southern village of Elbach, near Fischbachau. About 5000 mountaineers from Bavaria joined the traditional annual parade to honour Patron Bavariae, the Patron of Bavarian mountain rifleman.
May Day Is Lei Day in Hawaii
by Pam Mandel | 04.27.09 | 2:39 PM ET
May 1, 1928, was the first Lei Day, the holiday that celebrates the Hawaiian tradition of making and wearing leis. Island festivities include lei-making contests and Prom King and Queen-like coronations. After the contests are over, the leis are taken to the tombs of the ali’i—the Hawaiian royalty—and left there as offerings. I’m more than a little delighted to be arriving in Kaua’i just in time for the island’s Lei Day festivities. There’s a rather nice video montage of some older and new Lei Day photos here:
Woodstock: Disneyland for Hippies?
by Eva Holland | 04.10.09 | 2:23 PM ET
Well, the 40th anniversary of the mother of all music festivals may still be a few months away, but the “reflecting on Woodstock” pieces are already cropping up. This week, Rock’s Backpages digs up a vicious Rolling Stone piece—circa 1999—from David Dalton, eviscerating the festival as the death of the ’60s dream.
Here’s a sample: “Woodstock, if anything, amounts to the Disneyfication of the entire hippie enterprise—a just-so story about generational togetherness, a sort of temporary ’60s theme park that (alas!) has become an annual institution.”
Holloko, Hungary
by World Hum | 04.09.09 | 11:22 AM ET
REUTERS/Laszlo Balogh Local residents from the village of Holloko, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in northeast Hungary, celebrate Easter with the traditional "watering of the girls," a fertility ritual rooted in Hungary's pre-Christian past.
Keeping Austin Weird: The iPhone Slideshow
by Valerie Conners | 03.31.09 | 9:00 AM ET
Armed with her iPhone during the South by Southwest festival, Valerie Conners roamed Austin's streets and captured the town's indie spirit
See the full photo slideshow »
A Global Rite of Spring
by Julia Ross | 03.27.09 | 12:31 PM ET
Ah, springtime in the nation’s capital. I saw my first cherry blossom of the season near the Washington National Cathedral a couple weeks ago, and it immediately lifted my will-winter-never-end mood. The blossoms are right on schedule here—peak period is expected to be April 1-4—but over in Tokyo, the much admired sakura are early for the fourth year in a row, prompting hand-wringing about the effects of global warming. According to the Telegraph, Japan’s national “blossoming line”—the latitude at which the trees start to flower—has shifted 125 miles north over the last 40 years. Kind of alarming.
If you missed the window in Tokyo, I’d recommend a visit to Washington’s National Arboretum instead of the Tidal Basin (way too crowded) or a virtual viewing via this web cam. Of course, there are plenty of pink wonderlands unfolding beyond the Beltway. Check out the cherry blossom festivals in San Francisco, Philadelphia or Brooklyn. And don’t forget the sake.
What Some Locals Have To Say About SXSW
by Sophia Dembling | 03.20.09 | 3:56 PM ET
Twitterers are all a-twitter about the fun they’re having at SXSW in Austin, and the party is only just getting started. But are long-time locals having as much fun being descended upon by the hipster masses? I polled a few of my Austin buddies about the fun they’re having ... or not.
Frozen Dead Guy Days
by Joanna Kakissis | 03.13.09 | 10:19 AM ET
It's the time of year when a Colorado town celebrates its cryogenically frozen resident. Armed with her camera, Joanna Kakissis joined the party.
See the full photo slideshow »
Headed to Austin for SXSW?
by Eva Holland | 03.12.09 | 11:26 AM ET
Well, consider me envious. The sprawling festival somehow stays right on top of the music, film and new media/tech scenes, and it’s hosted by one of the country’s favorite smaller cities to boot. Just in case you haven’t already got your every minute mapped out, I’ve rounded up some last-minute recommendations and ideas.
The SXSW Insider’s Guide has a hot thread debating the year’s must-see bands (and hey, some of the posters even give helpful rationales/context for their picks), while the Screengrab bloggers offer their picks for must-see documentaries (parts one and two) and narrative feature films.
Sidon, Lebanon
by World Hum | 03.10.09 | 11:54 AM ET
REUTERS/ Ali Hashisho Lebanese Sufists play traditional instruments and chant prayers during a ritual marking the birthday anniversary of Prophet Mohammed.
Uttar Pradesh, India
by World Hum | 03.09.09 | 10:54 AM ET
REUTERS/K. K. Arora People celebrate the Hindu festival of Holi (festival of colors) at Nand Gaon in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.
Kathmandu, Nepal
by World Hum | 02.27.09 | 9:48 AM ET
REUTERS/Gopal Chitrakar Hindu devotees cross Bagmati River at Pashupati Temple to pay homage to Lord Shiva during the Hindu festival Shivaratri in Kathmandu.
Val Senales, Italy
by World Hum | 02.26.09 | 10:53 AM ET
REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi Norwegian musician Terje Isungset plays an ice instrument during a concert at the Ice Music Festival, in the valley of Val Senales in northern Italy.
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
by World Hum | 02.23.09 | 11:10 AM ET
REUTERS/Bruno Domingos Carnival queen Jessica Maia waves to the crowd during the first night of Carnival in Rio de Janeiro.
Missing Mardi Gras
by Jenna Schnuer | 02.20.09 | 10:23 AM ET
There’s a gaping evil awful hole in my collection of travel experiences: not only have I never been to Mardi Gras, I’ve never even been to New Orleans. (OK, while I’m admitting to things, I’ve never seen “The Godfather” either but I guess that’s an issue for another website.)
While I won’t be able to correct the situation by this year’s Mardi Gras, I plan to right the wrong come 2010. In the meantime, I’ll continue to obsess from afar. With a piece of King Cake and a ridiculously tall plastic cup filled with some sort of soul-drenching beverage by my side, I’m going to read and watch as much as I can about both Mardi Gras and New Orleans. After the jump, some of the goodies in my from-afar primer.