Thai people love to celebrate and even though 95% of Thais are Buddhist they generally still celebrate Christmas and New Year and follow the same traditions as many Westerners. In Thailand at Christmas you will still find Christmas trees, decorations and Christmas songs.
Even though the Thais still celebrate the traditional Christmas and new year the official Thai new year is called Songkran. The festival of Songkran is celebrated from the 13th to the 15th of April. Other countries which observe this traditional holiday are; Laos, Cambodia, certain parts of China and Punjabi new years fall on the same day in the calendar. Songkran means astrological passing ans settles on the beginning of the sun making its passage northwards. In Thailand Songkran falls on the hottest days of the years in Thailand at the end of the dry season.
The festival of Songkran was not always celebrated in all areas of Thailand but now it is celebrated by the majority of Thais, even in the far south. The most famous celebrations are to be found in the northern city of Chiang Mai where the festivities carry in for six days at the minimum. Due to the huge celebrations which take place there Chiang Mai has become a major tourist hot spot at that particular time of year.
As with any national holiday certain traditions are observed during Songkran, customarily Songkran was about traveling to re-unite and catch up with one's elders and extended relations. On the eve of Songkran, the 12th the Thais spring cleans their houses and burn any rubbish; in the belief that rubbish brought into the new year can equate to and bring with it bad luck. Now the Thais observe a rather more boisterous tradition of water throwing; where people are themselves with buckets and containers, full of water and drench people as the go by. Many position themselves at the side of the road and lie in wait. Some Thais also observe the more religious aspect of Songkran by visiting Buddhist monasteries, where they pray and offer food to the monks.
Of course as with any national holiday food plays a bit part in the celebrations and what you are served is dependent on what part of Thailand you are in; there is the popular pad Thai noodles and Thai chicken green curry called Gaeng Kiew Wahn Gai. Gaeng Kiew Wahn Gai is made up of green curry paste, coconut milk, aubergines (egg plants), Kaffir Lime Leaves and chili.
Fun Facts About Brazil and Brazil Girls
1. In Brazil they speak Portuguese, not Brazilian or Spanish. In fact, there's no such language as Brazilian. Brazil was originally colonized by Portugal instead of Spain like the rest of Latin America, therefore the Portuguese influence on culture, race, and language in the country.
2. Men do not get Brazilian waxing done, not even in Brazil. Well, perhaps gay men do but not straight men. However women do get waxed, and the women also like to stay in shape and tanned. No one can argue with that.
3. In Brazil all of the women are beautiful. That's great for the guys who live there but not so great for the girls.
4. Brazilian men are not to be trusted. American men are, well, no real difference there.
5. In America everyone farts and belches whenever they like and all they have to do is say excuse me. In Brazil if you fart in public you will turn red and apologize. No one farts in public in Brazil.
6. In Brazil a guy can live in his parents house is entire life and no one thinks that's strange. In America if a guy does that people think that there must be something wrong with him. This is similar to other Latin American countries because of the culture.
7. In Brazil people don't get married until their early 30s.
8. Futebol (Soccer for you Americans) is the Brazilian national pastime
9. Brazil has the most famous and celebrated carnival festival in the world. The main attraction is usually the one in Rio. Although it's celebrated throughout the country.
10. Brazil is 100% energy independent and has a booming economy.
Dan DeLa Cruz is a globe trekking author, traveler, and international ladies man. Dan is the author of the breakthrough series of books dedicated to helping men meet, date, seduce and even marry foreign women from places like Latin America, South East Asia, and Eastern Europe. Through his website Dan provides various coaching and training services that are designed to help men take their dating global, and meet attractive foreign women. The Global Dating Revolution website features the entire series of books about meeting foreign ladies, videos, training modules, tutorials, blog, community forums and much more. Dan is also one of the foremost experts in the topic of mail order brides, as well as meeting and dating brazil girls.
La noche de los rábanos is one of the most unique folk art festivals in the world and takes place every December 23rd in Oaxaca, Mexico.While Americans have pumpkins for Halloween, Oaxacans have the radish for Christmas!The Night of the Radishes is one of the most anticipated celebrations in Oaxaca. Every year, the humble radish is carved into beautiful, intricate sculptures of animals, dancers, saints, conquerors, kings and everything else imaginable. Once Oaxaca's radish-artists are done with this vegetable, it barely resembles something you might eat at the dinner table.Nobody really knows how this festival started, although it is believed to have originated in 1897, when the then mayor of the city started the first exhibition of radish art. In the last century, markets during Christmas eve sold salt-dried fish and vegetables for customers coming out of the midnight mass.
However, little known to the outside world is that people of France also love to let their hair down, get messy and act absolutely silly. French people, especially of the countryside are famous for their highly entertaining festivals and fun-filled events. The annual Festival of the Pig held in the little commune Trie-sur-Baïse every August, located in the southern France, is one of the many bizarre festivals that are held in France each year. To celebrate the pig, often considered chubby and cute and a delicious meal by meat-eaters world over, is indeed a strange cause. But, to the villagers of this commune this festival is a time for some asinine fun and a way to attract hundreds of tourists to their homeland.Mutter: World’s strangest museumAt the festival, participants and attendees get together to partake in some of the most outrageous competitions and pageants that involve the pig.
Competitions include the Best Pig Outfit, piglet races and eating of pork-sausages. The festival's highlight is the ‘French Pig-Squealing Championships', known in French as Championnat de France du Cri de Cochon. In this highly-popular competition, participants should imitate the sounds of a pig during its various life stages. With so many strange competitions in one festival, participants and viewers are bound to be left tickled with laughter. Following the contests is a night filled with prolonged music, singing and dancing Organized by the Brotherhood of the Pig, the Festival of the Pig has survived in its commune because of the village's reputation as one of the largest pig-rearing areas in France.The festival was also featured in the television programme Eurotrash.
Although a festival of harmless fun, the Festival of Pig was also subject to controversy when in 2005, a photograph of a participant was manipulated to poke fun of the Prophet Mohammed. It was this incident that brought the festival international fame. Despite its negative attention in the aftermath of the controversy, the Festival of Pig continues to live on and bring the people of Trie-sur-Baïse a reason to have some light-hearted fun every second Sunday of August.If you happen to be in France and are looking for some good-hearted humour, you simply must witness the Festival of the Pig. With many hotel specialson offer around that time of the year, you are bound to find it easy to make hotel reservationsin France. The Millennium & Copthorne Hotels in Paris is an excellent, luxurious hotel that will guarantee you an enjoyable stay in France.
Of all the feasts and festivals in Thailand, which are many, the Songkran Festival is the most striking, for it is widely observed not only in this country but also in Burma, Cambodia and the Lao State.Songkran is a Sanskrit word in Thai form which means the entry of the sun into any sign of the Zodiac. But the Songkran in this particular instance is when the sun enters the sign of Aries or the Ram. Its full name is Maha Songkran or Major Songkran to distinguish it from the other ones. But the people call it simply the Songkran for it is the only one they know and in which they take interest.
It is their traditional New Year when they can enjoy their holidays to the full with no economic hindrance. Songkran is a fixable feast on the solar calender. It begins on the 13th April and ends on the 15th April, but occasionally in certain years on the 16th April. The Songkran is in fact the celebration of the vernal equinox similar to those of the Indian Holi Festival, the Chinese Ching Ming, and the Christian Festival of Easter. The beginning of spring when the sun crosses the equator is now on the 21st of March which is due to the precession of the equinox. The Songkran Festival is in a certain sense like April Fool's Day, when the maids of the village play pranks on any gallant who happens to pass by their way. He will be caught and bound by the united strength of the maids and they will daub him with blacking.
10Gurning
The Egremont Crab Fair – one of England’s weirder events – gets its name from crab apples rather than the marine variety. It started back in the 13th century when the Lord of the Manor gave away crab apples to the populace. In fact, to this day, the Parade of the Apple Cart, where apples are thrown into the crowds on the Main Street, is part of the fair. There are a host of other non-mechanized, traditional events – greasy pole climbing, a pipe smoking contests, a talent show, Cumberland wrestling, a hounds trail. But lets face it, the reason Egremont makes the news every year is the gurning competition. Home of the Gurning World Championships.Gurning, involves a rubber-faced skill that is totally bizarre and unique to this part of England. Contestants put their heads through horse collar or braffin while they create the ugliest, most grotesque faces they can manage. A certain amount of skill is involved but a lot of beer and a certain amount of toothlessness probably has an impact as well. Celebrities occasionally have a go and the national news usually features the winning gurners. If you are in Cumbria visiting the Lake District, nearby, in September, stop in at the Egremont Crab Fair. You won’t see anything like this anywhere else and you won’t soon forget it.
9Cheese Rolling at Cooper’s Hill
The Cooper’s Hill Cheese-Rolling and Wake is an annual event held on the Spring Bank Holiday at Cooper’s Hill near Gloucester in the Cotswolds region of England It is traditionally by and for the people of Brockworth – the local village, but now people from all over the world take part. The event takes its name from the hill on which it occurs. The 2010 event has been cancelled due to safety concerns over the number of people visiting the event but it is hoped that it will be held on the late May Bank Holiday in 2011. Due to the steepness and uneven surface of the hill there are usually a number of injuries, ranging from sprained ankles to broken bones and concussion. Cooper’s Hill Cheese Rolling has been summarized as “twenty young men chase a cheese off a cliff and tumble 200 yards to the bottom, where they are scraped up by paramedics and packed off to hospital”.
8Maypole Dancing
Maypole dancing is a form of folk dance from western Europe, especially England, Sweden, Galicia, Portugal and Germany, with two distinctive traditions. In the most widespread, dancers perform circle dances around a tall pole which is decorated with garlands, painted stripes, flowers, flags and other emblems. In the second most common form, dancers dance in a circle each holding a colored ribbon attached to a much smaller pole; the ribbons are intertwined and plaited either on to the pole itself or into a web around the pole. The dancers may then retrace their steps exactly in order to unravel the ribbons.
7Pearly King and Queen
Pearly Kings and Queens, known as pearlies, are an organized charitable tradition of working class culture in London, England. The practice of wearing clothes decorated with pearl buttons originated in the 19th century. It is first associated with Henry Croft, an orphan street sweeper who collected money for charity. In 1911 an organized pearly society was formed in Finchley, north London.
6Guy Fawkes Night
Guy Fawkes Night (or “bonfire night”), held on 5 November in the United Kingdom and some parts of the Commonwealth, is a commemoration of the plot, during which an effigy of Fawkes is burned, often accompanied by a fireworks display. The word “guy”, meaning “man” or “person”, is derived from his name. Guy Fawkes (13 April 1570 – 31 January 1606), also known as Guido Fawkes, the name he adopted while fighting for the Spanish in the Low Countries, belonged to a group of Catholic Restorationists from England who planned the Gunpowder Plot of 1605. Their aim was to displace Protestant rule by blowing up the Houses of Parliament while King James I and the entire Protestant, and even most of the Catholic, aristocracy and nobility were inside. The conspirators saw this as a necessary reaction to the systematic discrimination against English Catholics.The Gunpowder Plot was led by Robert Catesby, but Fawkes was put in charge of its execution. He was arrested a few hours before the planned explosion, during a search of the cellars underneath Parliament in the early hours of 5 November prompted by the receipt of an anonymous warning letter. Basically it’s a celebration of the failed attempt to blow up the Houses of Parliament in Westminster.
5Ascot Ladies Day
Ascot Racecourse is a famous English racecourse, located in the small town of Ascot, Berkshire, used for thoroughbred horse racing. It is one of the leading racecourses in the United Kingdom, hosting 9 of the UK’s 32 annual Group 1 races, the same number as Newmarket. The course is closely associated with the British Royal Family, being approximately six miles from Windsor Castle, and owned by the Crown Estate. Ascot today stages twenty-five days of racing over the course of the year, comprising sixteen Flat meetings held in the months of May and October. The Royal Meeting, held in June, remains a major draw, the highlight being the Ascot Gold Cup. The most prestigious race is the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes run over the course in July. What makes this so special is that every year the fashion, specifically the hats get bigger, bolder and damn right weirder as the photo illustrates.
4Bog Snorkeling
Yes indeed, you read correctly, bog snorkeling. If any of you ever doubted that us Brits are mad, this should make up your minds for you. Basically participants dive into a bog, wearing goggles, a pair of flippers and a snorkel, they then proceed to race each other along a 120ft trench filled with mud. Held every year the participants come from all over the world and raise lots of money for charity.
3Straw Bear
Straw Bear (Strawboer) Day is an old English tradition held on the 7th of January. It is known in a small area of Fenland on the borders of Huntingdonshire and Cambridgeshire, including Ramsey Mereside. This day is believed to be traditional start of agricultural year in England. A man or a boy wears a straw costume covering him from his head to toes. He goes from house to house where he dances. As prize for his dancing people give him money, food or beer.
2Worm Charming
Worm charming is a way to of attracting earthworms from the ground. Many do it to collect bait for fishing. But there are also those who do it as sort of sport. The village of Willaston, near Nantwich, Cheshire is the place where since 1980 the annual World Championships have been organized. The competition was actually initiated by local man Tom Shufflebotham who on the 5th of July, 1980 charmed 511 worms from the ground in only half an hour. The competition has 18 rules. Here are just few of them. Each competitor competes in the 3 x 3 meters area. Music of any kind can be used to charm worms out of the ground. No drugs can be used! Water is considered to be a drug (stimulant).
1Morris Dancing
A Morris dance is a form of English folk dance usually accompanied by music. It is based on rhythmic stepping and the execution of choreographed figures by a group of dancers. Implements such as sticks, swords, and handkerchiefs may also be wielded by the dancers. In a small number of dances for one or two men, steps are performed near and across a pair of clay tobacco pipes laid across each other on the floor.
The summer events in Las Vegas range from concerts to movie show times, performing arts and family fun. The major locations of these festivals include the extravagant hotels like Caesars Palace and The Venetian or grand spectacles like Cirque du Soleil's Ka. The infamous Las Vegas Strip has almost everything you would look for during festivals. You can find out the schedules of the major summer festival events in the city through the Internet. Some of the major ones are as listed below.
The International Trombone Festival
Though it is somewhat old-fashioned in the city, the International Trombone Festival is one of the most unique summer festivals in the country for the tourists coming here. It takes place for three days from 31st of May to 2nd of June every year at the University of Las Vegas. This remarkable summer event brings in trombone players and enthusiasts from all around the world to participate. Professional performers take this opportunity to conduct workshops for students and amateurs. These events let people warm up, play and learn more about this marvelous piece of musical instrument.
The Harvest Festival
Now, this one is much more extravagant than the normal harvest festivals that you would have seen in other countries. It takes place at the Cashman Center near Las Vegas Boulevard North in Mid-August. Hundreds of artisans from across the country, come to this place with their hand blown glass, silver jewelry and chutney jars to participate in this festival.
CineVegas Film Festival
Around the mid of June, a fantastic film festival takes place at the 14 Cineplex in Palms Hotel at Brenden. It was first initiated in 1990 by Danny and Robin Greenspun who belong to the local media dynasty, the Greenspun. This popular festival is known as the little Sundance of the Sin City. It is a perfect blend of upcoming features, underground fare and decades old obscurities including some locally made movies as well.
Red White & Boom
This monstrous carnival, which occurs in this city, is based on fireworks display. It happens at the Desert Breeze Park in Spring Mountain road on the 4th of July every year. The power of the fireworks displayed here is second only to the one that happens at the Strip. It also has a passel of national rock acts making it a vaguely patriotic party, which is so much fun for a family.
World Series of Poker
Yet another strange festival that happens during summer in Las Vegas is the World Series Poker, which is one of the best events in Las Vegas. It exploits the enormous popularity of Poker in the city. The festival takes place at the Rio in S Valley View Boulevard sometime between June and July. It is not clear whether the attractiveness of poker gave birth to this two-week tournament but any way its popularity in Las Vegas continues to expand every year. The main event in 2006 saw 9000 competitors and the highest winning amount was around a whopping $12 million.
Las Vegas is home to several fabulous festivals and tourist attractions. It is a perfect choice for your next family vacation and it would be best that you hire a car from car rentals in Las Vegas to move around in the city, conveniently.I have been to this amazing place quite a few number of times and I feel the tourists should really make use of the car rentals in Fort Lauderdale for getting around in absolute convenience.
