Festivals are a great way to delve into the heart and soul of a country, so celebrate with the locals and learn first-hand about their culture, their traditions, and their legends. Just forgive the dense crowd, the costumed strangers, the loud music, the deafening fireworks, and the neighborhood around the festival venue will transform and become more familiar. There will surely be guidance for prayers and offerings, entertaining booths, and of course, the ever-important food and drink hunting spots. Perhaps you are going to observe or witness, but as you step closer, the steps change to be more confident and precede your willingness to join in the celebration. Finally, you end up having a great time and realize that embracing the bustling activities, the sights, and the atmosphere sure has lightened up your life!
From the colorful lanterns of the Mid-Autumn Festival to the beautiful boat procession of the Bun Pha Wet Fair in Laos, there are dazzling festivals and exciting festivities celebrated throughout Asia. Because of the region’s rich cultural and spiritual history, these festivals are traditional, usually celebrating events or people significant to the history, religion, or culture of the country. The result is a vibrant tapestry of events throughout the year, exciting and beautiful to witness. In this essay, we’ll look at some popular and not-so-popular festivals across Far East Asia, South East Asia, and South Asia. I hope this essay can inspire you to celebrate your next vacation suitable with one of these colorful events.
Significance of Festivals in Asian Culture
Festivals are reflections of people’s lives, representing the cultural span of human history, human desires, needs, and social groupings at local, regional, or global levels. Studies have recognized the grave importance of festivals to urban life, particularly in terms of festive practices and street events. In general, festivals are considered to form the most discussed and media-friendly aspect of leisure. In Asian culture, where a variety of festivals takes place in order to display enthusiasm for religious beliefs and claim nationality, globalization, education, and/or commercial interests. Given that many festivals refer back to religious beliefs, their significance can always be explored and presented more maturely and carefully considering their victims, life paths, elements, decorations, and intangible elements, including mysteries, emotional experiences, rituals, symbols, and individuals and personal participation as organizers, volunteers, or tourists.
About the most vibrant festivals around the world, the majority of them taking place in Asia? What’s the special reason for this? Explorers and authors have argued that festivals have an important part in traditions and attract an increasing number of foreign and domestic tourists. Among those of ritual nature, religious ones are most attractive due to their elaborate and professional presentation of intangible and tangible elements of living cultural heritage. This research aims to explore the significance, meanings, and impacts of Asian festivals of any kind in various social, physical, and spatial scales and also investigate how their presentation can be evaluated and measured when they provide both cultural and commercial values.
Traditional Festivals
China frequently celebrates the Spring Festival, the Mid-Autumn Festival, and the Duanwu Festival. India has countless festivals, reflecting the diversity of the country’s residents. They celebrate Diwali in the winter, Holi and other festivals in the spring, and Rakshan Bandhan in late summer, among others. In Japan, there is Obon in the summer and Setsubun to mark the coming of spring. In Korea, they celebrate Chuseok in the fall. Southeast Asia’s tropical climate allows for a multitude of colorful festivals, such as Thailand’s Songkran and Bali’s Nyepi. These traditional festivals showcase the deep roots and culture of each of these unique countries.
Because of its rich and diverse cultural heritage, Asia also boasts a number of vibrant and exciting traditional festivals. These festivals are heavily influenced by their respective country’s religion, tradition, and history, as well as by phenomena such as the onset of the monsoon season or the shifting of the planets. Each festival is celebrated in its own distinct, and sometimes quirky, manner, often involving the consumption of local delicacies or physical manifestations such as processions, games, or symbolic acts.
Chinese New Year
To capture the festival spirit, tourists can book tickets of their destination of choice in China, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan, or other metropolitan centers with a significant historical Chinese population. Buying tickets in advance is recommended as destinations definitely do sell out. For the first time in January, travelers will embrace the beauty and zest of a country rooted in scintillating tradition. From Tang Dynasty to Ming Dynasty times, cultural activities mark the beginning of the festival for over 15 days. These include parades, concerts, youth boxing performances, choirs, exhibitions, and acrobat shows. Lanterns are truly more dazzling as one can see during the Lantern Festival. It’s an absolutely amazing scene.
For visitors traveling to any destination in Asia during the months of January and February, the festival not to be missed is the Chinese New Year. In countries and cities throughout Asia, the Chinese New Year is a magical time when the past gets an enlightening glimpse into the culture and traditions of an entire nation. Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong, and Bangkok are just a few vibrant cities that come alive during this time with an explosion of color and sounds. Throughout the streets of these cities, traditions young and old can all be seen. People dance, sing, and beat drums to the beat of ancient songs, as dragon parades create a parade of moving colors. It is an electrifying experience and one that is highly recommended to visitors to the area. Families share traditional foods such as “tangyuan” and “niangao” cakes, and children play with traditional toys, as parades symbolize the hope of a good harvest in the year to come.
Diwali – The Festival of Lights
Diwali represents the victory of Lord Ram over the demon king, Ravana. It also signifies the absence of darkness and ignorance. To many Sikhs, it is a very special festival as it celebrates the release from martyrdom of their sixth Guru, Guru Hargobind Singh Ji, and 52 other rulers, spiritual leaders, and saints. For Hindus, the festival also begins the Hindu New Year, and each caste refers to historical incidents and their beliefs in association with this celebration. For Jains, it is very important to them as they celebrate the passing away of their twenty-fourth Tirthankar, Bhagwan Mahavir, more than 2,500 years ago. Jains fast and meditate on him continuously and take advantage of the many events organized to raise money for charity. Muslims celebrate Mohammed’s flight from Mecca to Medina, which stands for the victory of good over evil and the beginning of the Islamic year. It is said that a “Diwali lantern” should be placed on the roof or courtyard of the house so that all passers-by and other people could see it as a symbol to respect people of other religions. Lord Mahavir, Sikhs, and Jain Gurus are then respected.
The festival of Diwali is celebrated all over India as the traditional ‘festival of lights,’ which signifies the victory of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, and good over evil. This festival always takes place fifteen days after the ‘no moon day’ of the lunar month of Ashwin (October). Diwali in northern India generally lasts for five days where the third day is the actual day of Diwali. In eastern and western India, the day before Diwali is known as Chaturdasi and, in the south, the festival takes place one day after the rest of India – a difference which occurs as a result of the lunar calendar.
Cultural Festivals
Festival experiences are a way to expose your children to a variety of cultures and make a lasting impression and education. This can range from religious festivals, like those to celebrate Ramadan, to country-expressions, like India’s Republic Day. While we love hitting the typical tourist sites, we mostly find ourselves experiencing the museums, gardens, and restaurants where locals linger. However, adding in a market or festival always fills the time between scheduled activities. That is when we have discovered some of our most cherished memories by stumbling upon some event in progress.
Festivals are an often colorful and always a cultural expression of the local people. Do keep in mind, though, that some locals regard festivals as deeply religious and private experiences. These festivals make a great interaction between the visitor and the host, and you will have great memories in stepping out of your comfort zone. This is only a short list; there are thousands of other amazing events all over Asia, so try to incorporate at least one into your itinerary. It is definitely a great way to break up the schedule and bring home some unique travel memories.
Songkran Water Festival
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The word Songkran is derived from Sanskrit and means ‘move into or enter,’ which refers to the movement of the sun, the moon, and various planets from their traditional positions through the zodiac and into a new group of star formations. People also use the occasion of Songkran to make a ‘good beginning’ by cleaning and washing their homes and clothing, and by performing merits. Buddhists take advantage of the opportunity to visit temples and make offerings to monks, thereby earning merit and purchasing longevity for their loved ones. After soaking one another with water, they will then drink alcohol and join in playing card games and dice, all the while offering words of New Year’s greetings and exchanging presents. Although dropping water from aircraft has been banned in many parts of Thailand, this dangerous act has, unfortunately, continued. Participants frequently employ a variety of large water tanks, gushing and spraying water endlessly, in order to take part in this traditional festival.
Songkran Water Festival, which marks the traditional New Year in Thailand and several other Southeast Asian countries, is a public festival during which people throw water at each other. The jetting of water and the impressions of fun and happiness that people experience during Songkran symbolize prosperity, abundance, and the elimination of adversity, just as water can pit its might against raging infernos, whether manmade or resulting from natural disasters. While the region’s inhabitants go through a calendar-changing ritual and cleanse themselves mentally in a grander act acknowledging the festival, tourists witness a holiday that offers a respite from the heat and has a carnival-like atmosphere. The ancient festival serves as an occasion for family reunions, visiting and honoring elders, and fun and amusement.
Cherry Blossom Festivals
During springtime, the beautiful Korean Peninsula also becomes the focus of attention because of the very famous cherry trees. The cherry blossoms in Korea can bloom as early as late March. In particular, Gyeongju city of Kyongsangbuk-do is regarded to be the perfect place to admire the amazing and pure charm of the cherry blossoms. The country also introduces many cherry blossom touting festivals in accordance with the regional customs and features in certain areas. On this occasion, the cherry trees in Hwagae are more eye-catching as they have been successfully slowed down to delay the flowering date. In addition, the spectacle of the cherry blossoms along Yeojwacheon Stream is simultaneously in bloom, painting the scene as breathtaking and unforgettable. In China, the most famous cherry blossom viewing spot is located in Tianyuan-Tai Temple in Haikou where a thousand-year-old cherry tree with a beautiful name, “Ji Ye Begonia,” is rooted. Four of the most representative cherry blossom spots are Japan’s Miharu Takizakura and Yoshino Kume Cherry Blossom, South Korea’s Hwagae Cherry Blossom Avenue, and China’s Endless Temple Cherry Blossom Avenue.
The cherry blossom season usually starts in January in Okinawa and in February and March in Taiwan, before proceeding northwards to Kyushu, Shikoku, and Honshu of Japan. Along with the sea of pink and white at parks and gardens, towns become more lively with bustling crowds who are out to welcome spring, appreciating nature, and basking in the magic display of cherry blossoms. In recent years, Japan has been actively promoting the cherry blossom culture, hosting cherry blossom festivals in selected localities throughout the country to attract tourists. When the trees in the warmer south begin to wither, tourists would flock to the north involving cities like Kakunodate and Hirosaku to experience the beauty of the late-blooming cherry blossoms. The period in which the cherry blossoms in bloom is referred to as “Hanami” in Japan. The Japanese sit under the cherry blossom trees enjoying food, drink, and four same month of the year with the same time hour are four. Visitors are also able to create good memories by taking photos next to beautiful cherry blossoms on days when the blue sky is particularly pure. The fun during Hanami is mostly about the season, so just quietly viewing is the most enjoyable way for the Japanese. If you stay quiet, it can transport you to another world, a world of peace, tranquility, and meditation.
Spring in Asia, especially Northeast Asia, brings a spectacular and colorful sight – a landscape flushed with the tender aura of cherry blossoms. Cherry blossoms are symbolic of the delicate and short-lived nature of life in the traditional cultures of Japan, Korea, and China. The cherry blossoms of these countries have slight differences in terms of species, color of the blossom, the petal, and country language, but all of them share the same fine implication that people should hold true to the mission and cherish life during their times in bloom. To this, cherry blossoms that are in full bloom or beginning to disappear are regarded as more enchanting and captivating.
Religious Festivals
Combine warm sunshine, colorful exotic costumes, melodious religious songs to witness how Buddhist worshipers practice their faith by offering flowers, incense, candles, joss paper, or even ceremonially bathe the Buddha statue. The experiences will give you an awe-inspiring and inspiring feeling. The plethora of festivals observed religiously in some of the most far-flung destinations of Southeast Asia is something that never ceases to amaze. These ancient and engaging ceremonies are remarkable expressions of spiritualism and tradition that make for truly unmissable events and are celebrated by locals, especially in regards to fostering a friendly community and maintaining social cohesion of their own ethnic, cultural, and religious identity.
Religious festivals are an integral part of many Southeast Asian cultures that have been widely practiced for centuries. Religions, largely influenced by Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, or Taoism, have festivals to celebrate and pay homage to bodhisattva, Buddha, different Hindu deities, or altars of ancestors. In Asia, the oldest in the world, Hinduism and Buddhism are believed to be borrowed from Indian civilization, hence there are a large number of Indian-influenced religious festivals centralized in countries with the majority of Indian communities like Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore & Brunei.
Vesak – Buddha’s Birthday
To someone unfamiliar with Buddhism, they cannot imagine the wild scenes of devotion and respect that are customary on this day. In Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka, thousands of people join a procession to the Kelaniya temple for the “Bath of the Buddha”. The counting of the beads on an abacus by a few chosen monks became an attention-getting custom in Burma. The abacus is huge, something like a billboard, and the beads are generally six inches in diameter. The counting of all the beads for a day symbolizes the weeks the Buddha gained after his birth. Monks make their potion rounds seeking alms from devotees. Celebrants set small animals free from cages and set birds free from their cages. The slaughter of animals is forbidden, and this act is meant to bring merit. In Indonesia, Vesak is celebrated with a ceremony at the world heritage monument at Borobudur. Monks from various countries representing different schools of Buddhism perform a joint chant of the holy text. In India, there is a great procession from the Mahabodi Society in Bangalore to the Mahabodhi Temple, where Lord Buddha attained his enlightenment.
A festival celebrated in all Buddhist countries is Vesak. Vesak marks the birth, the attainment of Nirvana, and the passing of the Buddha, and this falls on the full moon day in May or sometimes in June. In Theravadin countries like Myanmar and Sri Lanka, it is predominantly a religious occasion, whereas in Mahayana countries like China, Vietnam, South Korea, and Japan, the day has become more of an occasion to be social with the spirit of thanksgiving. Non-Buddhist people visit their local temples on Vesak to witness the devotional activities, which are enjoyed by everyone. Many devotees make a special effort to visit a temple. They bring offerings of flowers, candles, and incense, and perhaps also money. They listen to the recitation of the Buddha’s tale, make donations to charity, and join in the candle-one parade. In the procession, monks and lay people carry colored lamps or lanterns made from paper. In Singapore, every year on Vesak, a candlelight procession is held from the Singapore Islamic Religious Council building to the Buddhist Religious Council building.
Modern and Fusion Festivals
Non-Asian festivals have also been introduced in recent years, while in other destinations, new themes for festivals have been found. In Malaysia, music festivals are very popular, and when it comes to adventure sports, Bali has used arts and cultural associations with ‘discovering Africa’ to promote diving, since the sea around Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia has a similar marine environmental environment to that of the coast of Africa. Surfing, fishermen’s birthdays, music, arts, sports, film, food and beverage, and adventure sports are all themes for the very lively festivals that are a feature of Indonesia’s tourism calendar. When it comes to surfing, Kuta hosts the ‘Java Pro Surfing Games’ in July, but the island’s most prestigious surf competition is the ‘Keramas BERHICK of Bali Rip Curl Surf & Music Festival’, which puts the intriguing Balinese prayer ceremony with surfing contests embodying surfboard antique and customized trophies, together with music and cultural performances.
Over recent years, some interesting ‘modern’ and fusion festivals have emerged in Asia, such as the Earth Day in Tokyo, Matsumae Hanabi Taikai (fireworks festival) in Hokkaido, Japan, and the event ‘Secowarwick’ in Malaysia, Japan, and China. New Year celebrations are part of the spring or early summer festival in most Asian countries, making the New Year period a delightful time to travel.
Ultra Music Festival Asia
As this was the first year Ultra Music Festival Asia was held in Malaysia, Beyond Arena – the organizer – pulled out all the stops to ensure that festival-goers had an unforgettable time. Beyond Arena, together with Ultra Worldwide, aims to unite dance music fans across the globe through the most dynamic electronic music festival in the world. The five-stage music festival brought together people of interconnecting music genres including house, techno, trance, electronic, and bass music. The entire venue was full of music enthusiasts dancing and enjoying the top-notch music, being played from three different stages.
A long queue had formed outside Sepang International Circuit ahead of the annual Ultra Music Festival Asia. This was the first time the globally recognized electronic dance music (EDM) festival was held in Malaysia – giving EDM fans in the region a reason to celebrate. The line-up featured household names such as Martin Garrix and Zedd, all set to perform over three days – starting from noon until midnight.