Fall Festivals from around the World.
As summer comes to a close, cultures around the globe gear up for Fall festivals. For all of us in the USA, it’s a time for pumpkins, Halloween and Thanksgiving meals. Here are five global favorites to include on your calendar.
Dia de los Muertos
Mexico
Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a joyous holiday that honors loved ones who have died. Families create colorful shrines adorned with flowers, mementos, and religious artifacts. They also tell stories, play favorite music, and feast on traditional food and drinks.
Diwali
India
Diwali is the most important holiday of the year in India. It’s an ancient Hindu festival. Today, Diwali is enjoyed by many faiths throughout India and represents light triumphing over darkness. Purchasing precious metal for good luck, decorating the home with lanterns, feasting and fireworks usher in the new year.
Guy Fawkes Day
United Kingdom
On November 5, 1605, Guy Fawkes and a band of conspirators planned to bomb the Houses of Parliament. Instead, he was caught with a gunpowder stash and was later executed. November 5th was named a day of thanksgiving, and the U.K. commemorates the day that the “gunpowder plot” was foiled. The revelry includes bonfires, fireworks, parades, and the burning of effigies of Fawkes.
Oktoberfest
Germany
The first Oktoberfest was held in 1810 when Munich citizens celebrated the royal marriage between Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen. Oktoberfest is a 16-day festival (sometimes longer) dedicated to drinking beer, specifically beer from select Munich breweries. Festivalgoers gather under tents to enjoy beer and traditional German fare.
Mid-Autumn Festival
China
Second only to the Lunar New Year in importance in China, the Mid-Autumn Festival celebrates the harvest. It is held during the full moon. The signature pastry of the holiday is the mooncake, a circle-shaped delicacy stuffed with lotus seed or red bean paste with a whole salted egg yolk in the middle to symbolize the full harvest moon. Family reunions include nighttime festive dragon dance and lantern lightings.
No matter where you live, or what you celebrate, embrace traditions and enjoy Fall festival fun with family and friends!
