*All over the world people celebrate many things- harvest time, seasonal changes, religious events, their country’s independence of victory over an enemy.

• Rio carnival: - this is one of the biggest festivals in the time world. It takes place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. There are spectacular parades, floats, music and dance, parties and balls. Prizes are given to the best Samba groups.
• Inti Raymi: - this Inca festival, along with its many rituals, honored the sun god. The Incas were an ancient South America civilization. The festival has now been revived, and actors recent the rituals in the city of Cuzco, Peru. It takes place, as before, on the winter solstice, in June.
• Songkram: - this New Year festival is celebrated in Thailand. It is also called the water festival as people believe that water has cleaning properties and will wash away bad luck. They throw water on each other, bathe images in temples, and feed monks.
• Maslenyitsa: - this Russian festival is held at the end of the February to welcome spring. Pancakes are cooked and eaten along with butter, caviar, cream and honey. A straw dummy of winter is burnt. People are burnt. People wear traditional clothes and dance and enjoy themselves.
• Walpurgis Night: - legend says that on this night, witches meet on the highest peak of the Harz Mountains in Germany. People celebrate the end of winter by lighting bonfires, while children play pranks and make a great noise to drive away evil spirits.
• Kwanzaa: - It was founded to help African –Americans learn about their common heritage. Each family lights a seven- candles holder. The middle candle is black to represent African –Americans; three red candles show their struggle and three green candles their struggle and three green candles show their hopes for the future. Each day is used to think about one important principle, making up a total of seven principles. These are called Nguzo Saba Kiswahili.
• Sakura Matsuri: - this festival beings in April, just as the cherry trees being to bloom with their beautiful pink flowers. People flock to temples, gardens and nature sports or O- hanami. There are picnics, arts shows, dance and music, poetry and calligraphy competitions, parades and religious ceremonies.
• Hsin Nien: - this is the Chinese New Year, which is celebrated for 15 days. It falls in January of February each year. Each day has special festivities including honoring dead ancestors, eating special foods which symbolize luck and prosperity, giving gifts, meeting relatives and being kind and friendly to everyone. Lanterns are lit on the night of the 15th day.
• St Lucia day: - this day is in the memory of a young Italian who used to take food for Christians when they were being persecuted. She used to go secretly through tunnels, lighting up her way with candles carried on her head. These days’ children, especially girls, serve food to their families, friends and neighbors.
• St Patrick’s Day: - in honors the patron saint of Ireland, who converted the Irish to Christianity. He used the 3-leafed clover to first explain the concept of the Christian Trinity. This leaf is still associated with this festival.