New Year’s Customs from Around the World

Around the globe, countries have special or unusual New Year’s customs. Some customs are shared; others vary from country to country. Some are amusing, such as the Thai custom of throwing water on people; and many are intended to bring good luck during the new year ahead, such as the Spanish custom of eating 12 … Read more

The Teuila Festival in Western Samoa

In Western Samoa, there’s a big festival called The Teuila Festival. It is one of the biggest events in the country, and it goes on for two weeks. During the festival you can see a lot of different colors of costumes from each different group. Lots of entertainment happens during this festival. The most exciting … Read more

Carnival in El Callao, Venezuela

Carnival in Venezuela is celebrated during the month of February, forty days before Good Friday. Carnival has existed in Venezuela since the colonial period. It was first celebrated only in Caracas. Today, however, it is also celebrated in coastal towns and other places, especially in El Callao, a small mining town. El Callao was founded in … Read more

Carnival in La Chimana, Venezuela

In my country, we have five days to enjoy Carnival. We always go to the beaches, but we have a special beach called La Chimana where we like to go to celebrate during Carnival. The special thing about our Carnival is that we celebrate with a lot of balloons. But maybe you will ask me, “Why balloons?” … Read more

Children’s Day in Turkey

Each society has special holidays. They can be religious, national or cultural, but everybody celebrates them according to their customs. Like each nation, my country, Turkey, has a lot of holidays. Children’s holiday on April 23 is one of those we celebrate with all the world. There are many ways to celebrate that holiday and … Read more

Loy Krathong: Full Moon and Krathongs

Thailand has a lot of festivals. My favorite, Loy Krathong, is one of the most popular ones. In ancient times, Thailand was an agriculture country which had to use water to do agriculture. Thai people believe water is very important. So everyone has to respect the Goddess of water That is the reason to have this custom. … Read more

Semana Santa: Easter Celebration in Spain

Semana Santa, Easter week, is celebrated all over Spain, but it is most important in the South. It is considered a one-week holiday for schools, and a two-day holiday for workers. It is a Catholic celebration that celebrates the death and resurrection of Jesus; but even though it is a Catholic celebration, everybody enjoys it. … Read more

Masskara Festival in Bacolod City, The City of Smiles

Bacolod City is the Capital of Negros Occidental in Philippines. Every October there’s a big event in Bacolod that we call the Maskarra Festival. Thousands of people go to watch this event where the contestants wear smiling masks and colorful costumes. The contestants come from schools, businesses, Barangay and cities from Negros. You can also … Read more

New Zealand Celebration: Waitangi Day

Waitangi Day is celebrated on the 6th of February every year. It is a public holiday for the entire nation. It is celebrated as a commemoration of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi. The Treaty of Waitangi was a document signed between the English settlers and indigenous Maori people. When the treaty was signed … Read more

Mother’s Day in Mexico

In Mexico during the early morning hours of May 10 it is a tradition that many people go to serenade their moms. Either they hire a trio or a mariachi band or they meet with several people to go to sing to their moms. It is customary to have festivals for mothers in schools, where … Read more