Festival

HOLI, India

Pig of God Festival, Taiwan
Dragon Boat Festival, Taiwan 龍舟節 / 端午節
Chinese New Year, Taiwan 新年
The Mid-Autumn Festival, Taiwan 中秋節

* A popular harvest festival celebrated differently by Asians dating back over 3,000 years to moon worship in China's Shang Dynasty.
* Also considered a harvest festival since Farmers celebrate the end of the Summer harvesting season on this date.
* Celebrated on the 15 th day of the eighth month in the Chinese calendar usually around mid or late September when the moon is at its brightest, i.e.) Sept. 14, 2008.
* The Mid-Autumn Festival and Chinese New Year are the two most important holidays in the Chinese calendar.
* Also celebrated as:
    o Moon Festival - China
    o Ch’usok - Korea
    o Lantern Festival / Mooncake Festival - Malaysia and Singapore

How is the Mid-Autumn Festival celebrated?

* Family members and friends will gather to admire the bright Autumn moon and eat moon cakes and pomeloes (Chinese grapefruit) together.
* Accompanying the celebration, there are additional cultural or regional customs such as:
    o Brightly lit lanterns are carried or displayed.
    o Burning incense in reverence to deities including Chang'e.
    o Prior to the festival, shops will sell mooncakes with pictures of Chang'e floating to the moon.
    o Moon cakes are often eaten outside under the bright moon.
    o Collecting dandelion leaves and distributing them evenly among family members.
    o Putting the large pomelo rinds on one's head for fun.  

Race of the Saints, Italy & US

SONGKRAN, Thailand
NINE EMPEROR GODS FESTIVAL, Thailand

EASTER, Philippines

SHOTON, Tibet

MASLENITSA, Russia

GLOECKLERLAUF, Austria

UP HELLY-AA, Shetland

Halloween, Global

* The jack-o'-lantern can be traced back to the Irish legend of Stingy Jack, a greedy, gambling, hard-drinking old farmer who tricked the devil into climbing a tree and trapped him by carving a cross into the tree trunk
* In revenge, the devil placed a curse on Jack, condemning him to forever wander the earth at night with the only light he had: a candle inside of a hollowed turnip
* Celebrated in several countries of the Western world including:
    o Ireland (where it originated)
    o United States
    o Canada
    o Puerto Rico
    o United Kingdom
    o Japan
    o New Zealand
    o Parts of Australia 

Oktoberfest, Munich-Germany

* A sixteen-day festival held each year in Munich, Bavaria, Germany during late September (and running to early October)
* Annual attendance: Six million!
* Oktoberfestbiers are the beers that have been served at the event in Munich since 1818

Thanksgiving, Global

* A traditional North American holiday to:
    o Express gratitude for things one has at the end of the harvest season
    o Share the fruits of the harvest with those who are less fortunate.
* "Turkey Day" Thanksgiving is celebrated on:
    o 2 nd Monday of October in Canada
    o 4 th Thursday of November in the United States