10 Spring Festivals Around the World You Have to Check Out
Flowers blooming, jackets tossed. Long walks and al fresco lunches. These are just a few things that make springtime the best time of year. Another one of the best parts of Spring is that it also makes you get excited to plan an extended vacation, one where you'll want to check out a new city mostly on foot. From the Spring equinox in Mexico to the colorful Holi festival in India, these international Spring festivals are sure to provide an unforgettable experience.
Songkran Water Festival
When: April 13 to 15
Songkran is Thailand's longest and most famous public holiday, held on the same dates every year in various towns throughout Thailand. Although this tradition originated in India, it now officially serves to celebrate the Thai New Year. This holiday and festival consists of unloading water pistols and buckets full of water on people who pass by.
Cooper's Hill Cheese-Rolling and Wake
When: May 29
This event takes place on the UK's Spring bank holiday at Cooper's Hill in Brockworth, near Gloucester, England. Participants gather at the top of a hill, where they chase a nine-pound round of double Gloucester cheese as it rolls down the hill. Whoever first crosses the finish line is named the winner and receives the cheese wheel as their prize.
Las Fallas
When: March 15 to 19
This bonfire festival takes place on the same dates each year in Valencia, Spain. This event originally began as a feast day in tribute to Saint Joseph, the saint of carpenters. Now centered around fire, this highly anticipated week is highlighted by the cardboard monuments and statues that are burned at the festival. Other activities include open-air celebrations, parades, bullfights, and other competitions.
Holi Festival
When: March 13
Hailed for its colored celebrations, the Holi festival takes place in various locations in India on Phalgun Purnima, a holiday that always occurs in late February or early March. The festival begins with a lighting of a bonfire to celebrate the "good" in life over the "bad" in an effort to foster positive relationships.
Canadian Tulip Festival
When: May 12 to 22
This Canadian festival, which takes place in Ottawa, Ontario, aims to celebrate international friendship and the return of Spring and represent peace and freedom. The largest festival of its kind, it features over 1 million blooming tulips of 50 varieties all over public spaces across the city.
White Nights Festival
When: May 23 to July 23
This festival in St. Petersburg, Russia, (the biggest northern city in the world) is an annual international tradition to mark the season of the midnight sun with music, opera, and ballet performances and events at Mariinsky Theatre and Concert Hall, as well as a series of carnivals featuring period costumes. The city's Palace Square is also a famed stage for big-name performers – recent performers have included The Rolling Stones and Paul McCartney.
Spring Equinox
When: March 20
This celebration takes place at Chichen Itza, a World Heritage Site and the centerpoint of Mayan culture in the Yucatan Jungle. The equinox, which happens twice a year in March and September, is defined as the point in the Earth's path around the sun when day and night match in length. Every year, this event draws curious and spiritual visitors to celebrate among the historic buildings that point toward the astrological mysteries the Mayans worked to solve.
Feria Nacional de San Marcos
When: April 15 to May 7
Taking place in Aguascalientes, Mexico, this festival combines artistic expressions with rodeo-style shows and exhibitions and, of course, traditional food and music. Held in honor of the saint of the San Marcos neighborhood, the family-friendly feria invites visitors to celebrate the high level of activity and wander in the city's temple, bullring, and garden.
Koningsdag
When: April 27
Translating to King's Day, Koningsdag is Amsterdam's biggest open-air street festival. Bursting with its trademark orange all over the city's parks and streets, this festival is complete with live music and citywide parties and markets. The celebration also isn't complete without a traditional visit from the royal family to one of the Netherlands' towns or municipalities.
International Kite Festival
When: April 9 to 17
Going into its 25th year, Northern France's International Kite Festival takes place in Berck-sur-Mer. This colorful, family-friendly celebration draws more than 700,000 attendees each year to fly or even just admire giant kites in the shapes of creatures and animals. The event even holds a world championship, complete with performances and choreographies for your entertainment.