Various Kinds of Festivals One Should Visit
A festival is defined as a day or several days when people come together to celebrate something. Given that there are many things to celebrate in different countries and at various times, you can bet that there is no shortage of such events the world over.
Some festivals are small and involve local communities, while others are large enough to attract global attention. This article explores the different kinds of celebrations, touching on great examples of each around the world. Read on and decide which one would suit your taste. Whichever one you feel needs to be on your bucket list, mark its date on your refurbished iPad or whatever calendar you use and make a point of attending it.
Food Festivals
These are used by different cultures to celebrate the various foods they produce. Quite often, they are centred on certain produce that grows in the host area, e.g. tomatoes. They also have exhibitions of the different foods that are special to the culture of the people hosting them.
The purpose of food festivals is to celebrate the said produce, (sometimes combining with harvest time) and also to promote local cuisine and attract tourists. Some of the great food festivals around the world include Osho Monsoon (India), Battle of Oranges (Italy), La Tomatina (Spain) and the Ashanti Yam Festival (Ghana).
Music Festivals
These seek to bring together fans of a certain genre of music. They line up the greatest artists in that genre, and people get to interact and celebrate the music. There are many music festivals, among them the New Orleans Jazz Festival, the Summer Jam Reggae Festival, Shashamane International and the Bloodstock Open Air Festival.
Beer Festivals
These ones are not specifically for beer drinkers as many suppose. Neither are they necessarily drunken affairs. Rather, they bring together communities to celebrate particular themes, such as the beers brewed in the area. They are also used to attract visitors to get them to start sourcing beer from the said region. Germany’s Oktoberfest is arguably the world’s greatest beer festival.
Religious Festivals
These bring together people of a certain faith to celebrate their deities and seek intervention on various issues. They do not have to be held in a specific region, but can instead be marked by the faithful wherever they are. They include Christmas, Easter, Eid, and Utsava.
Film Festivals
These bring together film enthusiasts to watch their beloved films or new releases in a particular cinema or various cinemas within the same city. They have varying themes, such as showcasing domestic productions or celebrating a certain actor. During such festivals, famous actors usually attend in person, something that makes them very popular. Some film festivals around the world include the Toronto International Film Festival, the Berlin Film Festival, the Venice Film Festival and the Cannes Festival.
