Celebrations Around the World

There are many occasions that people around the world celebrate.

 On the following pages are some of the most common celebrations. 

How many do you recognize?

How many are new to you?

Which ones do you celebrate?

Enjoy exploring worldwide celebrations.

Table of Contents

New Year                                                        page 4

Chinese New Year                                            page 6

April Fools' Day                                               page 8

Cinco de Mayo                                                page 10

Holi: Festival of Colors                                     page 12

Ramadan                                                        page 14

Passover                                                         page 16

Easter                                                             page 18

Halloween                                                       page 20

el Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)           page 22

Diwali: Festival of Lights                                  page 24

Hanukkah - The Festival of Lights                     page 26

Christmas                                                        page 28

Christmas - Santa Claus and Friends                 page 30

Kwanzaa                                                         page 32

New Year's Day

* New Year's Day is the first day of the year based on the Gregorian calendar.

* On that day, we celebrate the past year and the hopes of the year to come.

* We celebrate the start of the new year on January 1st.

* This day is celebrated around the world.

* The previous day, New Year's Eve, December 31st, people begin to celebrate with parties, concerts, and fireworks.

 * In the USA, January 1st is a holiday, and people have dinners, watch TV and have fun.

* A favorite activity is watching the Rose Bowl parade, where fresh flowers cover every part of each float.

2 minutes to midnight

New Year's Eve fireworks

Rose Parade float - all flowers

Mummers Parade - Philadelphia

Family celebrating New Year's Eve

Vienna Orchestra New Year's Eve concert

Chinese New Year

* Chinese New Year is based on the lunar calendar, which measures time by the moon cycles. Therefore, Chinese New Year begins on different days each year.

* Chinese New Year is also called the Spring Festival.

* The celebration lasts until the 15th day, which is the Lantern Festival.

* In China, the entire first week is a national holiday.

* The largest celebration takes place the night before the start of the new year.

* People celebrate New Year's Eve night with parties and fireworks.

* The new year is a meaningful time to celebrate family and honor parents and grandparents.

Dragon Dance

Lion Dance

Chinese firecrackers

Red cards for giving money

Family giving red cards

Red Lanterns for the Lantern Festival

Enjoy a "Brown" E for a snack

April Fool's Day in Greece

Whoopie cushion

Cardboard pizza

Cinco de Mayo

* The celebration of Cinco de Mayo (meaning the Fifth of May) started in Mexico. However, the day is more popular in the United States!

* Cinco de Mayo commorates a victory in the Mexican city of Heróica Puebla de Zaragoza over the French on May 5, 1862.

* The holiday is widely celebrated in the United States to honor the battle, as well as Mexican culture.

* In the United States, people attend parades with colorfully dressed dancers, listen to lively Mexican folk music called mariachi, and eat millions of avocados.

* Washington, D.C., even holds the Running of the Chihuahuas, where Chihuahuas (a type of dog which originated in Mexico) race each other for fun.

* Cinco de Mayo might be celebrated on the fifth day of May, but it gets a ten on the fun scale.

Mariachi band

Running of the chihuahuas

Women in traditional dress for the parade

Avocados and tacos

Holi: Festival of Colors

* It's OK to get a little messy while celebrating this holiday in India.

* The Hindu celebration called Holi is usually held in March on the last full moon in the lunar month of Phalguna. 

* This ancient tradition marks the end of winter and honors the triumph of good over evil. 

* Celebrants light bonfires, throw colorful powder called gulal, eat sweets, and dance to traditional folk music.

* The festival lasts two days ending with a special feast and people visiting friends and family.

Gujiya, a special sweet dumpling filled with khoya (a dairy product) and dried fruits

Holika Dahan

Dry colors called gulal 

Gulal, pichkaris (water guns), and water balloons

Children covered in colorful powder

Ramadan

* Ramadan is a religious holiday that lasts the entire ninth month of the Islamic calendar.

* During this holy month, Muslims are expected to fast every day from dawn to dusk.

* During Ramadan, they eat a pre-dawn meal known as Suhoor and a post-dusk meal known as Iftar.

* Fasting during Ramadan is a way for Muslims to focus on their faith and think about the poor and hungry.

* During this holy month, they perform generous acts for others by raising money to donate supplies to the poor and needy.

* Ramadan is commonly ended with a large celebration known as the Feast of Fast Breaking or Id al-Fitr, which starts the day following the end of Ramadan and usually lasts for three days.

* During these three days, Muslims say special prayers, exchange gifts, and share meals with friends and family.

Family eating Iftar (meal after daily fasting)

Iftar meal food

Suhoor (meal eaten daily before fasting)

Ramadan Start Dates

2021 April 13

2022 April 3

2023 March 23

2024 March 11

2025 March 1

2026 February 18

Announcing the end of Ramadan and start of Id al-Fitr

Celebrating Passover

* Passover, or Pesach, celebrates the freedom of the Jews from slavery in ancient Egypt.

* The festival of Passover is one of great joy and takes place for about one week in March or April. 

* A special family meal called a seder is held the first and sometimes the second night of Passover. 

* Before the meal, the Passover story is told using songs and prayers of the Haggadah, the book used during the seder. 

* The essential food of the holiday is matzo (a flatbread), a bread made with only flour and water.

Seder meal

Matzo (a flat bread)

Haggadah

Seder plate

Celebrating Easter

* The springtime celebration of Easter is a Christian tradition marking the day Jesus Christ performed the miracle of life.

* The day is a celebration of Christianity, but it is also a celebration of new beginnings and the changing seasons. 

* On Easter Sunday, people attend church services where they sing and pray.

* Easter is also a day for fun family activities, like decorating hard-boiled eggs and searching for hidden treats around the house or yard. 

* The White House even gets in on the action with an egg-rolling competition.

* Some children also receive baskets filled with goodies, and many families have big feasts.

Father and son color Easter eggs

Family at Easter meal

Easter baskets

Easter egg hunt

Easter Bunny

Halloween - All Saints Day

* Halloween, celebrated on October 31, is one of the world’s oldest holidays, and people all around the globe celebrate it in their unique way.

* In Ireland, where Halloween originated, children wear costumes, go trick-or-treating, and attend parties. A sweet bread called Barnbrack serves as the official Halloween dessert.

* Children in the United States and Canada also dress up in costumes and go trick-or-treating.

* In Scotland, children cut scary faces into hollowed-out turnips, rutabagas, or potatoes and place a candle inside.

* In the Czech Republic, All Souls’ Day is celebrated on November 2. Dusicky (“little souls”) is a day to honor the dead by visiting graves, lighting candles, and laying flowers.

* In Germany, Halloween is celebrated as All Saints Day – honoring the saints, as well as family members who have died.

* Austria celebrates Seleenwoche, or All Souls’ Week, from October 30 – November 8. It is a time to remember loved ones who have passed away.

* In China, Halloween lasts several days and is called the Hungry Ghost Festival. It involves honoring good spirits as well as avoiding evil ones.

 Barnbrack from Ireland

Trick-or-treaters

Halloween parade Scotland

Carved turnips

Halloween parade Ireland

Dusicky - Czech Republic

Carved pumpkins