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Tossing tomatoes, hiding behind masks in medieval dresses, terrifying the winter and banish it? What is the story behind these strange habits? Today we brought you some interesting pictures and stories about holidays, beliefs and traditions from all over the world.
Are you ready for a fascinating cultural journey?
1. Yi Peng Lantern Festival, Thailand
Yi Peng or Yee Peng, this wonderful unique Festival is celebrated in Chiang Mai, in November, every year. It is held on the full moon of the twelfth lunar month every year, which normally means mid-way through November, but this can vary. Locals believe that this is the time when the moon is at its brightest and the rivers are filled to their fullest, so this is the best time light a lantern or set a floating “kratong off on the Ping River and make a wish.
2. Holi Festival, India
Holi is a Hindu festival, that marks the beginning of spring. The holiday symbolizes the victory of good over evil, end of winter and it is celebrated as a thanksgiving for a good harvest. “Witness the beauty of the great cupid festival which excites curiosity as the townsfolk are dancing at the touch of brownish water thrown … Everything is colored yellowish red and rendered dusty by the heaps of scented powder blown all over,” written by the Indian emperor, Harsha.
3. Day of the Dead, Mexico
The origins of the Day of the Dead (Dia de Los Muertos) – celebrated in entire Mexico and among those of Mexican heritage all over the world – go back in time some 3000 years, to the Aztec times. Upon dying, a person was believed to travel to the Land of the Dead called, Chicunamictlán. A person’s soul could reach the final resting place, Mictlán only after getting through nine challenging levels. The belief is that spirits return to the world of the living, for one day. The spirits are greeted with offerings of their favorite food and drinks.
4. Carnival of Venice, Italy
The origins of the Venice Carnival are found in two different ancient traditions: the Latin Saturnalia and the Greek Dionysian cults – major religious festivals involving the use of masks and symbolic representations. The world-famous masks have always been important elements of the carnival. They are made of leather, porcelain or using the original glass technique. The Carnival ends with an important Christian event, the start of Lent, 40 days before Easter.
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