When you go to a party, you share an excitement, passion, and celebration of life with everyone attending, and in that way, everyone is connected in a very special way. You are given a unique opportunity to cross cultural and linguistic barriers, simply by experiencing local culture with those around you.
There are so many places that I want to see in my lifetime. I crave to understand and experience the cultures around the world that make up the patchwork quilt of humanity. Each piece of "fabric" in this quilt is incredibly rich and rewarding, and just the thought of inspecting each one in detail makes me tingle with excitement.
I have found that going to these cultural celebrations is an incredible way of experiencing and seeing each of these pieces of "fabric" at their most brilliant. There are a few celebrations that I am vibrating to experience, and I am here to share them with you!
6. Yi Peng Lantern Festival - Chiang Mai, Thailand
This festival just seems magical to me. In Thailand, the Festival of Lights, what they call Yi Peng, is celebrated by releasing lanterns into the sky while making a wish. Just the idea of this stirs something wondrous inside me, especially looking at the thousands of lanterns rising into the sky in all of the photos I have seen- knowing that with each single lantern, a wish is carried along with it into the night sky. It's like watching a million dreams rise up to kiss the stars, and perhaps become one themselves. I don't know a great deal about this celebration, except that I want to experience it first-hand. I can only imagine a surreal experience. From what I have read, however, this is a celebration to pay homage to Buddha. The celebration is only announced a few weeks in advance for locals, followed by a second celebration a couple weeks later for foreign tourists. The celebrations are not restricted to the lantern-lighting, and include Parades, traditional Thai dance, fireworks, and much more. Source
5. Carnaval - Brazil
I am very much in love with the country of Brazil. The culture, people and exotic beauty right along with some of its dangers have earned my respect and have all-together spellbound me. I struggled to find one definitive photo of Carnaval, but could not find any that were adequate enough to describe the stunningly colorful headdresses and costumes, music and dance, and magnificent, glittering floats. I would put this at number one if I wasn't aware of my own bias and passion for the country. Patrick Wally's photos of Brazil's Carnaval are fantastic- I recommend you take a look. The celebration is held from the Friday to the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and Vitória all have massive organized parades, led by Samba schools. Other cities have their own parades and characteristics influenced by their own local legends and styles. (Just a note- I have grown very used to the Portuguese spelling, Carnaval, and use it in lieu of the English version when specifically referencing the Brazilian Carnaval.)
4. Chinese New Year - China
the New Year is the most important holiday for the Chinese people. The Chinese calendar is "lunisolar," with months beginning on the darkest day of said month. New Year festivities usually begin on the first day of the first month of the new year, and continue until the 15th, when the moon is at its brightest. Legend says that Buddha asked all animals to meet him on the Chinese New year, and when twelve animals came, he named a year after each. Red is frequently worn, the color traditionally positive in China, symbolizing fire, which is believed to drive away bad luck. There are fireworks, family feasts, and the Dragon Dance, which is considered to be a highlight of these festivities. The "dragon" can be hundreds of feet long, and made of silk, paper, and bamboo, traditionally carried by men that guide its dance through the streets. While the strongest Chinese influences will obviously be in China, the Chinese New Year is celebrated in many places worldwide, including New York City. Source 1 Source 2
3. Dia De Los Muertos - Mexico
I have a particular love for Latin American cultures, having begun college as a Spanish Translation student prior to my transfer to Graphic Design. Many of my personal artworks include strong influences from this holiday, Dia De los Muertos, from the brightly colored Sugar Skull artwork. My mother was taken aback by my fondness for a holiday celebrating the dead, but on the contrary, this holiday is more about remembrance and honoring those that have passed on. "Papel Picado," or intricately cut tissue paper cut into beautiful artwork are hung to symbolize how life is both beautiful and temporary, as if to say, "Enjoy it- it might be gone tomorrow." Marigolds are used to decorate Dia de los Muertos altars, which honor their passed love ones. The celebration spans from Oct. 31 to Nov. 2 in Mexico. Source 1 Source 2
2. Mardi Gras - New Orleans, LA, USA
Right in our own backyard (Assuming you are from the United States, as I am) is a fantastic celebration absolutely worth seeing. Mardi Gras, like the Brazilian Carnaval, takes place right before Lent to enjoy one last hurrah before fasting rich and fatty foods or other indulgences. Bright beads and masks are popularly worn, often time a fair share of alcohol and heavy foods are consumed. Music and excitement permeate the crowds. There is an unfortunate (in my opinion) misinterpretation that women bearing their breasts is a tradition on Bourbon Street for Mardi Gras - It is not, and never has been a tradition, but rather that some take advantage of the fact that Mardi Gras beads and coconuts are coveted during the celebration, requesting a flash as an exchange. According to www.mardigrasneworleans.com, the Mardi Gras that locals grew up with happens just about everywhere in New Orleans but the French Quarter where one would expect, which has become a more tourist-filled destination. Personally, I relish the idea of eating just a little too much rich local Creole cuisine, people-watching, and enjoying the wonderful culture, music and floats that pass by!
1. Holi - India
Holi is quite possibly the one celebration that excites me most of all that I have listed. Being an artist for longer than I can remember, to see this much vibrancy in one place would almost certainly put me into sensory overload and bliss. Different parts of India celebrate Holi differently depending on local tradition. One example is Lathmaar Holi, where the women of Barsana chase after the men of Nandgaon in a humorous and good-natured spirit. The men are "beaten" with sticks (I assume not too hard, as this is a holiday of good humor and laughter) and dress their captives in womens' clothing. This is based on a legend in which Lord Krishna was chased away playfully by the women of Barsana after teasing Radha by rubbing colored pigments on her face. As you can see from the above photo, colored dust and pigments are one of the most striking parts of this holiday, as locals toss the colors into the air and at their neighbors in an incredibly colorful celebration. The holiday sounds so playful and rich with local legend and culture, I am convinced that I absolutely must partake at least once in my lifetime. Source 1 Source 2
There are so many places that I want to see in my lifetime. I crave to understand and experience the cultures around the world that make up the patchwork quilt of humanity. Each piece of "fabric" in this quilt is incredibly rich and rewarding, and just the thought of inspecting each one in detail makes me tingle with excitement.
I have found that going to these cultural celebrations is an incredible way of experiencing and seeing each of these pieces of "fabric" at their most brilliant. There are a few celebrations that I am vibrating to experience, and I am here to share them with you!
6. Yi Peng Lantern Festival - Chiang Mai, Thailand
This festival just seems magical to me. In Thailand, the Festival of Lights, what they call Yi Peng, is celebrated by releasing lanterns into the sky while making a wish. Just the idea of this stirs something wondrous inside me, especially looking at the thousands of lanterns rising into the sky in all of the photos I have seen- knowing that with each single lantern, a wish is carried along with it into the night sky. It's like watching a million dreams rise up to kiss the stars, and perhaps become one themselves. I don't know a great deal about this celebration, except that I want to experience it first-hand. I can only imagine a surreal experience. From what I have read, however, this is a celebration to pay homage to Buddha. The celebration is only announced a few weeks in advance for locals, followed by a second celebration a couple weeks later for foreign tourists. The celebrations are not restricted to the lantern-lighting, and include Parades, traditional Thai dance, fireworks, and much more. Source
5. Carnaval - Brazil
I am very much in love with the country of Brazil. The culture, people and exotic beauty right along with some of its dangers have earned my respect and have all-together spellbound me. I struggled to find one definitive photo of Carnaval, but could not find any that were adequate enough to describe the stunningly colorful headdresses and costumes, music and dance, and magnificent, glittering floats. I would put this at number one if I wasn't aware of my own bias and passion for the country. Patrick Wally's photos of Brazil's Carnaval are fantastic- I recommend you take a look. The celebration is held from the Friday to the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and Vitória all have massive organized parades, led by Samba schools. Other cities have their own parades and characteristics influenced by their own local legends and styles. (Just a note- I have grown very used to the Portuguese spelling, Carnaval, and use it in lieu of the English version when specifically referencing the Brazilian Carnaval.)
4. Chinese New Year - China
the New Year is the most important holiday for the Chinese people. The Chinese calendar is "lunisolar," with months beginning on the darkest day of said month. New Year festivities usually begin on the first day of the first month of the new year, and continue until the 15th, when the moon is at its brightest. Legend says that Buddha asked all animals to meet him on the Chinese New year, and when twelve animals came, he named a year after each. Red is frequently worn, the color traditionally positive in China, symbolizing fire, which is believed to drive away bad luck. There are fireworks, family feasts, and the Dragon Dance, which is considered to be a highlight of these festivities. The "dragon" can be hundreds of feet long, and made of silk, paper, and bamboo, traditionally carried by men that guide its dance through the streets. While the strongest Chinese influences will obviously be in China, the Chinese New Year is celebrated in many places worldwide, including New York City. Source 1 Source 2
3. Dia De Los Muertos - Mexico
I have a particular love for Latin American cultures, having begun college as a Spanish Translation student prior to my transfer to Graphic Design. Many of my personal artworks include strong influences from this holiday, Dia De los Muertos, from the brightly colored Sugar Skull artwork. My mother was taken aback by my fondness for a holiday celebrating the dead, but on the contrary, this holiday is more about remembrance and honoring those that have passed on. "Papel Picado," or intricately cut tissue paper cut into beautiful artwork are hung to symbolize how life is both beautiful and temporary, as if to say, "Enjoy it- it might be gone tomorrow." Marigolds are used to decorate Dia de los Muertos altars, which honor their passed love ones. The celebration spans from Oct. 31 to Nov. 2 in Mexico. Source 1 Source 2
2. Mardi Gras - New Orleans, LA, USA
Right in our own backyard (Assuming you are from the United States, as I am) is a fantastic celebration absolutely worth seeing. Mardi Gras, like the Brazilian Carnaval, takes place right before Lent to enjoy one last hurrah before fasting rich and fatty foods or other indulgences. Bright beads and masks are popularly worn, often time a fair share of alcohol and heavy foods are consumed. Music and excitement permeate the crowds. There is an unfortunate (in my opinion) misinterpretation that women bearing their breasts is a tradition on Bourbon Street for Mardi Gras - It is not, and never has been a tradition, but rather that some take advantage of the fact that Mardi Gras beads and coconuts are coveted during the celebration, requesting a flash as an exchange. According to www.mardigrasneworleans.com, the Mardi Gras that locals grew up with happens just about everywhere in New Orleans but the French Quarter where one would expect, which has become a more tourist-filled destination. Personally, I relish the idea of eating just a little too much rich local Creole cuisine, people-watching, and enjoying the wonderful culture, music and floats that pass by!
1. Holi - India
Holi is quite possibly the one celebration that excites me most of all that I have listed. Being an artist for longer than I can remember, to see this much vibrancy in one place would almost certainly put me into sensory overload and bliss. Different parts of India celebrate Holi differently depending on local tradition. One example is Lathmaar Holi, where the women of Barsana chase after the men of Nandgaon in a humorous and good-natured spirit. The men are "beaten" with sticks (I assume not too hard, as this is a holiday of good humor and laughter) and dress their captives in womens' clothing. This is based on a legend in which Lord Krishna was chased away playfully by the women of Barsana after teasing Radha by rubbing colored pigments on her face. As you can see from the above photo, colored dust and pigments are one of the most striking parts of this holiday, as locals toss the colors into the air and at their neighbors in an incredibly colorful celebration. The holiday sounds so playful and rich with local legend and culture, I am convinced that I absolutely must partake at least once in my lifetime. Source 1 Source 2