There are so many ways to celebrate the arrival of spring that it’s difficult to choose just one event to do so at. That’s why we’ve made it a little easier for you and compiled a selection of the most interesting, beautiful and enjoyable spring festivals in the world.
Image source: S. Gerner, Flickr
Holi is a Hindu spring festival and is best known around the world for the colourful powder that festival goers throw at one another. The origins of the festival can be found in Hindu mythology - a story of a demon, Holika, and her brother King Hiranyakashipu. The festival’s main aim is to celebrate the arrival of spring, alongside celebrating love, colour, fertility and the triumph of good over evil.
Holi is mainly celebrated in India, and the best places to watch or take part in the celebrations include:
Holi 2019 began on Wednesday 20th March and ended on Thursday 21st March. Holi 2020 will start on Monday 9th March and will end on Tuesday 10th March.
Fly me to Mathura & Vrindava, Barsana Agra Airport (AGR) with Air India, Jet Airways, SpiceJet, and IndiGo
Fly me to Shantiniketan and Purulia Kazi Nazrul Islam Airport (RDP), Durgapur - with Air India and SpiceJet
Fly me to Anandpur Sahib Shimla (SLV) - with Air Deccan
Fly me to Jaipur and Udaipur - Jaipur International Airport (JAI) - Air Arabia, Air India, Air India Express, AirAsia India, AirAsia X, Alliance Air , GoAir, IndiGo, Jet Airways, Oman Air, SpiceJet, Thai AirAsia, Thai Smile
Fly me to Goa Goa International Airport (GOI) - Air Arabia, Air India, AirAsia India, Alliance Air, Arkia, Finnair, GoAir, IndiGo, Jet Airways, Nordwind Airlines, Oman Air, Qatar Airways, SpiceJet, TruJet, Thomas Cook Airlines, TUI Airlines, Vistara
Fly me to Hampi - Hubballi Airport (HBX) - Air India, Alliance Air, IndiGo, SpiceJet, Star Air
Fly me to Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (BOM) - Air Canada, British Airways, Emirates, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines, KLM, Qatar Airways, United Airlines
Fly me to Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) - Air India, IndiGo, United Airlines, Korean Air, British Airways, Etihad
Songkran is the Thai New Year’s holiday. The festival takes place over three days, however, the whole country will shut down for a week for a massive, country-wide, water fight, alongside additional celebrations, such as making merit at the temple, repelling bad luck with gunfire and firecrackers, and traditional ceremonies.
The best places to celebrate Songkran in Thailand include:
Songkran 2019 starts on Saturday 13th April and ends on Monday 15th April. Songkran 2020 will start on Monday 13th April and ends on Wednesday 15th April
Fly me to Bangkok - Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) - British Airways, EVA Air, Thai Vietjet Air, Thai Smile, KLM
Fly me to Chiang Mai - Chiang Mai International Airport (CNX)- Jeju Air, Ruili Airlines, Nok Air, HK Express, Hainan Airlines, Bangkok Airlines
Fly me to Koh Samui, Surat Thani - Samui Airport (USM)- Bangkok Airlines, Lucky Air, Tibet Airlines, Chengdu Airlines, Silkair
Fly me to Phuket - Phuket International Airport (HKT) - Firefly, Asiana Airlines, Okay Airways, Thai Smile, TUI Airways, Myanmar National Airlines
Image source: Wikimedia Commons
Hanami is the festival in Japan that welcomes spring. It’s also known as ‘cherry blossom season’, and incorporates the traditional Japanese custom of viewing spring flowers and blossoms, including those of the sakura (cherry blossom tree), with picnics and socialising with friends and loved ones. Many companies in Japan produce items to celebrate sakura season, including Starbucks (which has special sakura themed food and drink items, alongside collectables), Asahi (which has cherry blossom themed packaging for beer, and also produces chuhai, an alcoholic fruit cocktail that is enjoyed by many holding hanami parties), conbini stores such as Lawson (which sells a wide range of delicious cherry blossom flavoured food and drink items), and traditional Japanese sweet (wagashi) shops also sell delicious, sakura themed traditional sweets.
The best places to see cherry blossom during Hanami (sakura season) in Japan include:
This will depend on the prefecture - the part of Japan. The southernmost, tropical islands of Okinawa can see cherry blossoms open as early as January, whereas Hokkaido, the northern island, can see a wait as late as May.
Fly me to Tokyo - Narita International Airport (NRT): American Airlines, Japan Airlines, KLM, Singapore Airlines, Jetstar Japan, Delta Airlines
Fly me to Shizuoka - Mt. Fuji Shizuoka Airport (FSZ): Air Seoul, All Nippon Airways, Fuji Dream Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, Beijing Capital Airlines
Fly me to Kyoto - Osaka International Airport (Itami Airport) (ITM): All Nippon Airways, Amakusa Airlines, Japan Airlines
Fly me to Okayama - Okayama Momotaro Airport (OKJ): Air Do, Japan Airlines, Korean Air, China Eastern Airlines, Hong Kong Airlines
Fly me to Osaka - Kansai International Airport (KIX): Air France, All Nippon Airways, Delta, British Airways, Qantas, Peach, Scoot, Hawaiian Airlines
Image source: Wikimedia Commons
Las Fallas is a traditional Valencian festivity held in honour of Saint Joseph. ‘Fallas’ means ‘fires’ and since Saint Joseph is the patron saint of carpenters, those celebrating create and burn monuments. Other parts of the celebration include street parties, fireworks displays, and lots of food and drink.
Las Fallas is held in the city of Valencia, and a number of towns in the Valencian community, in Spain.
Las Fallas takes place at the same time every year, with the main events running from March 15th to March 19th. Since there are many events taking place in the two weeks leading up to the week, the official dates are 1st Marchuntil 19th March.
Fly me to Valencia Airport (VLC): easyjet, Eurowings, Ryanair, Iberia, Laudamotion, British Airways
Image source: Wikimedia Commons
Bloemencorso Bollenstreek is one of the largest flower parades in the world. Visitors can see beautiful, elaborate floats, decorated with tulips and other locally-grown flowers, accompanied by music and other types of float, entertaining hundreds of thousands of spectators along the 40km route of the parade.
Bloemencorso Bollenstreek makes its way through the municipality of Noordwijk, starting at Noordwijk itself and ending in the city of Haarlem.
The event takes part towards the end of April. In 2019, the event will fall on 10-14 April.
Fly me to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS): Aer Lingus, American Airlines, Delta Airlines, Flybe, KLM, Transavia, United Airlines, easyjet, Air Transat
Image source: Wikimedia Commons
Also known as Grandma March Day, or Birch Month, Baba Marta is a typical Bulgarian tradition to welcome spring, and is celebrated by wearing and gifting martenitsi - small adornments made of red and white yarn that are usually in the form of dolls. The martenitsi are usually worn until the wearer first sees a swallow, stork, or blossoming tree, or until late March.
Baba Marta is celebrated in Bulgaria
The festival is on March 1st every year
Fly me to Sofia - Sofia Airport (SOF): easyjet, Wizz Air, Ryanair, Bulgaria Air, British Airways, TUI Airways
Fly me to Burgas - Burgas Airport (BOJ): S7 Airlines, Aeroflot
Fly me to Varna Airport (VAR): Bulgaria Air, Austrian Airlines, Turkish Airlines, S7 Airlines
Cheese rolling in Gloucester, UK, Cimburijada in Zenica, Bosnia, Walpurgis Night in Central Europe and Scandinavia, Teotihuacan in Mexico, Nowruz in Iran and across Western Asia.
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