Do you know what a cultural festival is? Perhaps you celebrate one, or know about some. A cultural festival is a festival that celebrates culture or an event in a particular culture. There are plenty of cultural festivals that take place in countries all over the world. It's fun to learn about them and even find ways to participate sometimes. Perhaps you'd like to hear of some of the major festivals around the world. Let's start with something you've probably all heard of, Oktoberfest. Yeah, I know, you're probably thinking "Oh, isn't that that big party they have in Germany where all those German guys get drunk", but then you'd be wrong… or rather... half right. Oktoberfest is celebrated all over Germany, but where the party really gets down is Munich, Germany. The first Oktoberfest was held in 1810 to honor the marriage between Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig to the Saxon-Hildburghausen Princess Therese. All the citizens of Munich were invited to celebrate in front of the city. Originally the main event of Oktoberfest was a horse race, but as the annual celebration grew it became more elaborate every year. From potato sack racing to eating contests, then eventually mechanical rides. When beer was eventually allowed into the city, beer carts became a big hit and eventually had grown into entire establishments called beer halls. Oktoberfest is traditionally held on the first Sunday in October, and is sometimes extended or even cancelled depending on the conditions in Munich. People flock to the streets to watch the parade and hear both classic German music and even modern American music. Oktoberfest is a time to kick back and enjoy life, with all kinds of music, foods, and games. Alright, now it's time to get a little bit more colorful. Let's talk about Holi, "The Festival of Colors"! Holi is celebrated in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka,
and countries with large Indic populations. It is primarily celebrated by Hindus, but during Holi anyone can join the fun. Holi is a time to break the caste barrier, and celebrate together the Hindu religion. This is what Holi looks like (see picture). Now you're wondering "Why does everyone look like they just came out of a big bag of skittles?" and I'll answer "That's pretty much the main attraction of the Holi festival." During Holi people buy bags of colorful sands and throw them on each other, this keeps to the Legend of Lord Krishna and Radha. In Holi it is perfectly okay to throw colored sand at your elders or parents (everyone's allowed to join the fun). A common phrase used during Holi is "Bura na mano, Holi Hai!”. This is Hindi for "Don't mind, it's Holi!". Now let's talk about a rather less flirtatious celebration Called Carnival in Brazil, now it may not look less flirtatious but I assure you it is. During Carnival people are not to be flirtatious with anyone, its part of Carnival's Catholic tradition. Carnival originates from a portugese pre-lent festivity called "entrudo". The main attraction of this festival would be it's many floats and most of all, Samba music (This was adopted from Black Brazilians from Bahia). This last one is a tad bit different from the others. This festival celebrates the coming of spring. It's Hanamatsuri!!! Hanamatsuri is celebrated all over Japan. During Hanamatsuri people flock to the cherry blossom trees to watch the flowers bloom. Often people will dress in traditional attire and go to the temple to pray. So, now that you know about a few festivals from around the world, aren't you excited?!! I know I am! I hope that seeing this has made you curious, and that you will perhaps research the many holidays not mentioned here. There are many holidays all over the world just waiting for your attention. So, go out there and check 'em out!!!
