South East Asia is one of the most exotic and exciting places to visit, and these folks sure know how to throw a great shindig. If there is one thing that you must do in this life it is to travel to some of these Asian countries and experience some of their amazing festivals that happen throughout the year. Here are 5 of the most amazing festivals across South East Asia.
Songkran – Thailand
The Songkran Festival in Thailand happens during the Thai New Year which is on the 13-15th of April. In true Thai style, the festival is a time when anything goes, as long as it involves water, and wetting everyone and everything in sight. One aspect of the Songkran festival involves the people wetting each other with buckets, spray hoses, and any means possible. It falls during the hottest time of the year and at the end of the dry season, and in some parts of the country it is celebrated for 6 days or more. Another aspect of the festival involves people being marked with bowls of coloured talc powder as a blessing for the New Year.
Lantern Festival – China
The Chinese have no shortage of lanterns and they celebrate their new year (around the 15th of January) with the release of lanterns into the sky at this time. Children will go to the temples carrying paper lanterns, solve riddles and release the lanterns to the skies. The festival is one of the most beautiful to behold with lanterns filling the streets to bring to an end the New Year celebrations.
Jaipur Literature Festival – India
This is an annual festival that takes place in the city of Jaipur in India and is considered to be one of the grandest literary festivals in the world. It is held in January of each year and celebrates excellence in writing from the region and includes international writers so it is a popular festival for visitors from all over the world. In recent years it has grown in popularity and attracts celebrities of all walks of life.
Cherry Blossom Festival – Japan
The Cherry Blossom Festival in Japan coincides with the time when the Cherry Blossom flowers across the country and with recent events it is a much needed distraction for a nation that has suffered largely due to environmental issues. The festival involves the locals and visitors alike taking to the parks to sit under the Cherry Blosson trees to celebrate and enjoy picnics together during this time.
Full Moon Party – Thailand
Celebrating the new moon, and full moon is a practice that is as old as time itself. In Thailand the Full Moon Party is celebrated on the island of Koh Phangan by tourists and locals with some degree of surrounding controversy due to the hedonism that revellers get up to during the festival.
