From Colour Explosions to Samba Streets
- Viha Ambekar
- Jan 18
- 2 min read
The world is quite a festive place to be, and around the world, many festivals are celebrated. However, let’s look at 3 festivals that are happening between February-April of this year; Holi, Rio Carnival and Songkran!
Holi is a Hindu festival which focuses on the tradition and joys of spreading colour wherever you go! It often involves the throwing of coloured powder, water balloons and lots of dancing! Holi is often linked to the story of Holika and Prahlad, as well as Radha and Krishna. Holi is celebrated differently in all states of India and each state has their own traditions and various ways to celebrate the same festival, for example Phoolon ki Holi in Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh and Dol Jatra in West Bengal and Odissa. Often when playing Holi, one wears white, often cotton clothes, to remain comfortable to celebrate for a prolonged period of time. And lastly, we cannot forget about the food! Holi has all sorts of delicious foods to feast on during or after celebrating! Some of the most common ones are Puran Poli, Dahi Wada and Thandaii. Now, let’s move to another festival which explores the vibrancy of spring and water. Songkran!
Credits: Pixabay
Songkran is celebrated in Thailand, but unlike Holi which is mainly celebrated with colours, Songkran is celebrated with… water! It is celebrated from April 13th-15th all across Thailand and it initially started as a Buddhist festival; cleanse yourself with water, and you cleanse yourself of your sins. Often, Songkran involves music, dancing and using water guns to soak your friends and family. Wherever you go in Thailand around this time, you are most likely going to get drenched because this festival is all out in terms of this tradition. It’s always a good idea to carry a waterproof bag/pouch, a water pistol as well as some small notes of money whenever required to get water refills. Now, onto our last but not least celebration, we have the Rio Carnival!
Fun fact: Songkran is credited with being the “World’s Largest Water Fight”
The Rio Carnival is often celebrated from February 13th - 21st, and if you are looking for traditional music, dancing and colourful parades, this is the festival for you! When the festival approaches, you might be able to hear Samba music playing from across town, because that is how much the festival is regarded in Brazil. On the topic of music, the main attraction of the Rio Carnival is the Sambadrome, celebrating women samba dancers and the music since 1984! Feel the music and the party energy with this festival! Additionally, there is a celebration known as the Children’s Parade, where the youth of Brazil come together and perform acts that are like no other! Whether you are a local (Carioca) or you are a tourist during this time in Brazil, make sure to enjoy the festivities of the Carnival to its fullest potential!
If you’d like to read more about any of these festivities, click on the links below!
Rio Carnival: https://www.rio.com/rio-carnival, https://www.carnivalbookers.com/rio-carnival/what-is-rio-carnival
Songkran: https://www.anadventurousworld.com/songkran-water-festival/#what_is_the_songkran_water_festival
Comments