38 colorful pictures from the brightest and most unusual holidays of the world

Asking a person about the most memorable moments of the trip, we expect to hear stories about stunning views, breathtaking landscapes, magnificent architecture, life-changing acquaintances. But there is something else that perfectly reflects the nature of the country and the people, that fully demonstrates its flavor and makes a truly unforgettable impression - these are national holidays. There are a huge number of them all over the world. And a lifetime will not be enough to attend all these events, but photos of the brightest and most original of them you will see here today.

The Las Fallas Festival ("Festival of Fire") is solemn and even slightly demonic.

The inhabitants of Valencia are preparing in advance for the celebration. In special factories, huge dolls are made - fallas, made of papier-mâché, wood and wax, often representing caricatures. Then, dolls reaching 20 m in height are installed on the squares of the city using special mechanisms.

From the beginning of March, a pyrotechnic parade begins.

The culmination of the holiday falls on March 19: La Crema, the day of sacrifice, - the burning of figures.

Puppets put on display by the townspeople; A competition for the best creations of masters is held.

One of the dolls is declared the winner and is not subject to burning. It is stored in the holiday museum next to other figures that have been collected since 1934.

Onam Festival is a vibrant and colorful festival in the Indian state of Kerala dedicated to the harvest.

Onam is celebrated at the turn of August and September.

National costumes, folk cuisine and songs, traditional games and dances, a parade of elephants and boat races - all this is Onam.

One of the strangest children's ceremonies in Europe: the day of jumping through children in Spain. Each year, in the small town of Castrillo de Murcia, one of the most important Catholic holidays of the Lord’s Body is celebrated.

The performer of the ritual, aka Kolacho, in a yellow-red suit with a whip or a baton under the drums, passes through the whole city. The task is to jump over all the children born in the year that has passed since the last rite. It is believed that this will protect children from the evil eye, disease and evil spirits.

Underwater Music Festival, Florida, USA.

The festival is held at the Florida Keys National Marine Reserve.

For four hours, songs are transmitted using radio waves underwater, and some enthusiasts even try to play different musical instruments. All songs and works are somehow connected with the underwater world.

Divers are both spectators and scenery of amazing action.

Krampus night, Austria. Krampus is a mythical creature of alpine folklore, which is both a satellite and antipode of St. Nicholas. The task of Krampus is to punish naughty children, and hide the most capricious in a bag and carry to their cave.

His image originated in Austria, and it is here where Krampus Night is held annually in early December. By tradition, men dress up in costumes with horns and hooves and arrange a real coven.

In the evening, Krampusi hold a parade, accompanied by a fire show, a variety of dances and songs. In the finale, the worst of the monsters is chosen, who is awarded a prize and awarded the honorary title of the main Krampus.

Burning Man Festival (literally “burning man”) is an annual eight-day event held in the Black Rock Desert, Nevada, USA.

For a week in the desert, works of contemporary art, often of fantastic shapes, are set. Some of them are burned by the creators before the end of Burning Man.

The organizers call for active participation in the festival, attending the event as an observer is not approved.

10 main principles of the festival: inclusion, donation, natural exchange, self-sufficiency, self-expression, social efforts, responsibility, “leave no trace”, participation, here and now.

Esala Perahera Festival, Sri Lanka. This is a multi-day holiday (the procession takes place at night), dedicated to the worship of relics associated with the Buddha.

In Kandy, in the temple of Dalad Maligawa for several centuries, the only surviving material particle of the Buddha has been kept - its sacred tooth. Only once a year the treasure is taken out of the temple. Thousands of pilgrims and tourists get the opportunity to mentally touch the innermost.

This is a grand festival with many complex rituals and colorful ceremonies.

Golden Retriever Festival is one of the cutest in Scotland.

It is held in Scotland, in the historic homeland of the breed, where more than 200 dogs have gathered for the last time.

This event can easily be called a total reboot, because nowhere else will you experience such an incredible amount of pleasant emotions.

Winter Carnival in Quebec, Canada.

Quebec Winter Carnival is considered the largest winter festival in the world. Tourists love the festival, because here you can have fun from the heart, spend time actively in the fresh, frosty air, and also enjoy the beauty of the festively illuminated city.

The official symbol of the holiday is a snowman. Its terry belt and red cap are a tribute to the traditions in the clothes of Quebec peasants of past centuries.

The annual Hindu festival of Holi spring, or the Festival of colors.

The festival falls at the beginning of spring and lasts two or three days in late February - early March.

On the first day of the festival, closer to night, a fire is made to burn a huge scarecrow or decorated tree, symbolizing the burning of the Kholiki, and cattle are also driven through fire and walking around the coals.

On the second day, known as Dhalundi, and the third participants of the festival staged a procession before dusk, showering each other with colored powder, pouring tinted water and mud on each other.

The Carnival in Barranquilla is one of Colombia's most peculiar and fun holidays, reflecting its Caribbean multi-ethnic character. It is the third most important in the world after the carnival in Rio de Janeiro and New Orleans.

The multicultural nature of the holiday can be divided into seven blocks: Caribbean folklore, dance expressions that include elements of poetry, special dances that have a certain plot, parade, or compars, comedy - a popular theater, folk theater, letanias - groups using a soloist and choir and having a satirically poetic direction, something like ditties, and, finally, a costume element: both single and collective.