It’s been a few months after the change of the year from 2021 to 2022, and recently, the temperature started rising with the spring breeze and blooming of the flowers, alarming the coming of spring. Every population in the world had been under a pandemic situation for about two years now and great efforts from the doctors and workers from the medical fields made the situation much better, and some countries started to withdraw the mandates on wearing masks. Under this circumstance where medical experts predict the endemic shortly, this spring might be a great time to go on a trip. As the flowers begin to blossom and the weather improves, several spring festivals have just begun, and others are scheduled to begin in March or early April. If you want to attend one of these festivals, now is the time to organize a trip. Around this time of year, there are hundreds of festivals taking place all over the world; to assist you in making your selection, here are some lovely and intriguing festivals for you!
Holi Festival (India)
Holi has been celebrated on the Indian subcontinent since the 4th century. Holi is celebrated to commemorate the entrance of spring and the blooming of flowers. Large pyres are set across India on the eve of Holi to burn off all the evil spirits before the party begins. On Holi, people gather on the street and fling colorful powders at one other. Powder colors have connotations, such as red representing love and green representing a fresh beginning. Later in the day, folks congregate and share the celebration dishes.
Hanami (Japan)
The word “hanami” in Japanese means flower viewing, and just like the meaning of it, Hanami is a Japanese tradition of enjoying the beauty of cherry blossoms. In Japan, cherry blossoms are considered as a flower of spring and it has their meaning of the time of renewal. Depending on the region, the dates of hanami change because the blooming season of cherry blossoms is different among regions. After cherry blossoms bloom, people gather under the tree and enjoy them with the foods and drinks that they brought from their homes.
Nowruz (Iran)
Nowruz is a Persian-language phrase for the new year. In Iran, Nowruz is celebrated for 13 days around the spring equinox. During Nowruz, Iranians spend the nights with their family and eat their traditional cuisine of white fish with rice and spices. In addition, to commemorate the start of a new year, they exchange money presents known as Eidi with their family. On the 13th day, families gather on a picnic to reclaim the ill luck that the number 13 brings.
Works Cited
Edraki, Farz. “Millions of People Are Celebrating a New Year Today – ABC Everyday.” ABC, 21 Mar. 2022, www.abc.net.au/everyday/all-the-persian-new-year-nowruz-traditions-ranked/100909 292.
“Holi 2022 – Calendar Date.” CalenderDate.Com, www.calendardate.com/holi_2022.htm. Accessed 24 Mar. 2022.
“Spring Festivals Around the World.” TCS World Travel, www.tcsworldtravel.com/article/spring-festivals-around-world. Accessed 24 Mar. 2022.
“What Is Holi?” BBC Bitesize, 29 Oct. 2021, www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/topics/zh86n39/articles/z4qqy9q.
By. Jaehyun Lee