"Taiwan" celebrates Chinese New Year with the 23rd annual Lantern Festival

The Far East island of Taiwan is preparing for a month of celebrations for Chinese New Year, one of the country's most important festivals.

This year, Chinese New Year falls on February 10, but the celebrations will carry on pending the end of the month when Taiwan hosts the 23rd annual light Festival to welcome the Year of the Snake. The festival takes place from February 24-March 10 2013.

Taiwan's largest festival, the light Festival, is held annually on the first full moon of the lunar calendar - this year, February 24. 

This event forms the final celebrations of the traditional Chinese New Year and the two-week long festival is celebrated throughout the country with towns and villages putting on beautiful displays of pretty lanterns depicting birds, beasts and historical figures. 

The main festival is held in a different town every year, with the 2013 event being held in Hsinchu County. This festival all people wear in new clothes.

Lohri is a popular Punjabi festival

Lohri  is a popular Punjabi festival, celebrated by people from the Punjab county of South Asia. The. Origins of Lohri are many and link the festival to Punjab state. 

Many people believe the festival commemorates the passing of the winter solstice as Lohri was originally celebrated on winter solstice day, being the shortest day and the longest night of the year.

Lohri is traditionally connected with the harvest of the rabi crops. The traditional time to crop sugarcane crops is January and therefore, Lohri is seen by some to be a harvest festival. 

The general time to sow sugarcane is January to March and the harvesting period is between December to March with a 12 to 18 month cycle.

Sugarcane products such as gurh and gachak are central to Lohri celebrations, as are nuts which are harvested in January  The other important food item of Lohri is radish which can be harvested between October and January. This festival celebrate in all people and wear in new clothes. 

The Hornbill festival is a celebration in Nagaland

The Hornbill festival is a celebration held every year in the first week of December, in Nagaland, North-east India.

The state of Nagaland is home to some tribes, which have their own distinct festivals. More than 60% of the population of Nagaland depends on agriculture and therefore most of their festivals turn around agriculture. The Nagas believe their festivals blessed and so involvement in these festivals is important.

Organized by the State Tourism and Art & Culture Departments, Hornbill Festival showcases a concoction of cultural displays under one roof. This festival usually takes place between the 1st and the 7th of December every year in Kohima.

The Naga tribes are enjoying their foods during the great Hornbill festival of Nagaland.

The week-long festival unites one and all in Nagaland and people enjoy the colourful performances, crafts, sports, food fairs, games and ceremonies. Traditional arts which include paintings, wood carvings, and sculptures are also on display.

Festival highlights include the Traditional Naga Morungs showing and sale of Arts and Crafts, Food Stalls, Herbal Medicine Stalls, Flower shows and sales, Cultural Medley - songs and dances, Fashion shows, Beauty Contest, Traditional Archery, Naga wrestling, Indigenous Games, and Musical concert.

Christmas Bada Dina festival Celebrate 25

Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed most commonly on December25  as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. 

A feast central to the Christian liturgical year, it is prepared for by the season of Advent or the Nativity Fast and initiates the season of Christmastide, which historically in the West lasts twelve days and culminates on Twelfth Night; in some traditions, Christmastide includes an Octave. 

Christmas Day is a public holiday in many of the world's nations, is celebrated culturally by a large number of non-Christian people, and is an integral part of the holiday season.

The celebratory customs associated in various countries with Christmas have a mix of pre-Christian, Christian, and secular themes and origins. 

Popular modern customs of the holiday include gift giving, completing an Advent calendar or Advent wreath, Christmas music and caroling, lighting a Christingle, an exchange of Christmas cards, church services, a special meal, and the display of various Christmas decorations, including Christmas trees, Christmas lights, nativity scenes, garlands, wreaths, mistletoe, and holly. 

In addition, several closely related and often interchangeable figures, known as Santa Claus, Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, and Christkind, are associated with bringing gifts to children during the Christmas season and have their own body of traditions and lore.

Chaiti Festival, or Chhau festival is the important festival of Tribal people.

Chaiti Festival" or "Rayagada Mahotsav" is the official annual mass cultural festival of Rayagada district, India. It is one among the major visitor attractions in the district.

The Chaiti Parba or Chhau festival is the most important festival of the tribal people of Koraput. It starts from 10th April to 14th April every year. 14th April is known as Mahavishuva Sankranti Day all over Odisha. 

This festival is celebrated in a tribal village like mayurbhanj, Sundargarh, and Keonjhar.

Tribal Dance

On this day they offer puja to the mother of the earth(Bhumidevi). During the festival, they worship the Gods with liquor and sacrifice an animal or bird. In the evenings they unite, feast, drink and dance together.

The festival started in 2005 in the district to give a boost to tribal culture. The cultural fest is observed in the Block levels and Sub-divisional levels in addition to the district level. 

The first Chaiti Festival was organized as a mass festival by the then District Magistrate Dr. Pramod Kumar Meherda. Since then the Chaiti festival has been organized every year. But for some reason, it was discontinued during 2008. In 2009, Shri K.G.Mahapatra, the then Collector of the district revived the tradition. This festival celebrates by all Boys and Girls wear in Traditional  Saree.  

People from across the world to visit Odisha and enjoy this festival and see the tribal festivities in full glory.

Baliyatra 2015 - Video Dailymotion

Baliyatra 2015 - Video Dailymotion

Balijatra Famous festival in Cuttack

Balijatra literally means A Voyage to Bali. This festival is held in Odisha, in the city of Cuttack at Gadagadia Ghata of the Mahanadi river, to mark the day when ancient Sadhabas (Oriya mariners) would set sail to distant lands of Bali, as well as Java, Sumatra, Borneo (all in Indonesia), and Sri Lanka for trade and cultural expansion. They sailed in large vessels called Boitas

Bali Jatra is also associated with Taapoi and rituals like Bhalukuni Osha or Khudurukuni Osha and Bada Osha. Taapoi is closely associated with the Bali Jatra festival, which recalls traditional memories of young maidens waiting for the return of their sailor brothers. To commemorate this, the festival is celebrated every year from the day of Kartika Purnima according to the Oriya Calendar.

In Cuttack, Bali Jatra is celebrated annually as a large open fair near the Barabati Fort area. It is said to be the largest fair of Odisha state. There are several attractions for children, and food stalls selling Oriya delicacies (Cuttacki Dahivada Aludum, Thunka puri, Barafa pan, Gupchup, etc.) from different parts of the state, and other vendors selling Handicraft product, Handloom Product, curiosities, and other gifts. Bali Jatra also provides a lot of cultural programs. Every year millions of people from all over the nation come to experience it.