Wiekes weetjes: 10 holidays you want to celebrate abroad
If I were a tourist in the Netherlands, I would really be fascinated by King's Day. Everyone in orange (a color that actually doesn't suit anyone well), all out on the streets (even if it rains), and around eight in the evening, the vast majority can do absolutely nothing anymore. Seems like an incredibly interesting sight if you're not familiar with King's Night. But well, other countries have their holidays too, which we might think the same about. Or, and I lean more towards this, are they days that we should just experience once?.
1. St. Patrick’s Day — Ireland
You really want to celebrate these holidays in the Irish capital Dublin. Anyway, it's a really nice city with many nice restaurants, but on St. Patrick’s Day, it really goes wild here with parades and one big street party. This is celebrated every year on March 17, so you can start planning your trip for next year.
2. Oktoberfest — Germany
And of course, you want to go to Munich, because it’s really crazy there. Pack your lederhosen and dirndl and let’s gooo. This is definitely a holiday for true beer lovers, because I think there’s hardly anything else available. You really have to love it, because a lot goes into those mugs. Fun fact: did you know they also celebrate Oktoberfest in China and Brazil? In the places Qingdao and Blumenau, you’ll find the largest Oktoberfests, after Munich’s of course.
3. Día de Muertos — Mexico
This celebration is held every year on November 1 and 2. It’s a very colorful holiday, where a lot of dancing takes place and many people put on makeup. Families remember their deceased loved ones here, for example by making altars, praying, and telling anecdotes about their loved ones who have passed away. And definitely check out Disney’s Coco; besides being a beautifully made and fun film, you also learn a lot about this day in Mexico.
4. Mardi Gras — United States
In French, this means ‘Fat Tuesday’. They celebrate this really big in the United States, especially in New Orleans. And like everything in America, it’s bigger and better here, so you can expect a real spectacle. Lots of parades, everyone dressed up, lots of bead necklaces, and a whole lot of drinks. Next year it will be celebrated on February 13 – every year it’s a different date, but it’s always the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday.
5. Halloween — United States
We’re still in America, because Halloween is of course one of the most famous holidays in this country. And even if you’re no longer a child and therefore don’t go door-to-door with ‘trick or treat’, this can still be a really fun holiday. Because: parties everywhere. And just like with Mardi Gras, there’s a whole lot of drinks.
6. Loy Krathong & Yee Peng Lantern Festivals — Thailand
In November, Loy Krathong is celebrated in Thailand, where rivers and lakes are illuminated with all homemade candles and lanterns. The Yee Peng Lantern Festival is part of this, but it is only celebrated in Chiang Mai. Hundreds of lanterns are released into the sky at the same time; it’s truly a breathtaking sight.
7. La Tomatina — Spain
This seems really hilarious to me: every year, at the end of August, a gigantic food fight is organized in the Spanish city of Valencia, where everyone bombards each other with tomatoes. And it can get quite intense, so maybe the safest place is to watch from a balcony. But still: it seems really fun to participate in this.
8. Carnival — Brazil
Well, as fun as carnival in the Netherlands can be… celebrating it in Rio de Janeiro is really on my bucket list. I do need to get incredibly fit though, because the dancing here is really a workout for all those days. Also, a lot of hard work goes into all the outfits (so many feathers) and the parties go on all day and night. Not suitable for beginners, so that carnival in Rio.
9. Holi — India
I already knew this festival, but mainly because it is ‘imitated’ in many countries; there’s a good chance you’ve seen it before. This is perhaps the most colorful holiday in the world. Everyone throws different colored powders at each other and it’s one big dance party.
10. Running of the Bulls — Spain
I’m adding this one, but mainly as a holiday you should NOT attend. That bulls are still sent out into the streets of Pamplona every year, terrified and then killed? No thank you, this holiday should have been abolished a long time ago.
