7 Unique Spring Celebrations From Around The World

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Songkran Water Festival in Thailand The Songkran Water Festival, or Thai New Year’s national holiday, is celebrated annually on April 13th in Thailand and it lasts for three days. A significant part of this festival is the well-known public water fights, which are thought to be a type of ritual purification for a brand-new beginning and luck for the year ahead.

Holi in India and other countries around the world This joyful and colorful Hindu festival, which lasts for one night and one day, celebrates the beginning of Spring. On the day of Holi, people throw colored powder and splash water balloons at each other all over the streets. Holi is also celebrated in the US, UK, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Malaysia, Singapore, and other countries with significant Indian, South Asian, and Hindu communities outside of India.

Semana Santa in Spain Semana Santa, aka Holy Week, is a week-long religious celebration that takes place each year in the final week of Lent, just before Easter. During the seven-day celebration, grand processions fill the streets, and these are usually headed by local brotherhoods (Hermandades), who also carry impressive floats and play somber music. Wherever you travel around Spain around this time of the year, Semana Santa will look different because some cities will have processions that are modest while others will have something very extravagant.

Nowruz in Iran and the Persian communities For more than 3,000 years, people have celebrated Nowruz, which means "new day" in Persian, on the day of the vernal equinox. This spring celebration has its roots in Zoroastrianism, which is an Iranian religion that is among the oldest in the world and is based on the teachings of the prophet Zoroaster. For several weeks before the first day of spring, people typically begin their preparations by participating in ceremonial dances and filling containers with water to ward off bad luck.

Cooper’s Hill Cheese Rolling near Gloucester, England This annual race held at Cooper’s Hill in England is all about chasing a round of Double Gloucester cheese down a 200-yard-long hill. This event is known to be an extreme sport that attracts competitors from around the world. As a matter of fact, the cheese rolling event at Cooper's Hill has earned the title of the world's most dangerous race. Nonetheless, despite its safety concerns, crowds continue to gather to watch and take part in this cheese race

Cimburijada in Bosnia and Herzegovina Every year, the residents of Zenica celebrate Cimburijada, or the Festival of Scrambled Eggs by gathering near the Bosna River to prepare a large breakfast of scrambled eggs to share with the public. Although the origin of this delicious tradition is uncertain, it is widely assumed that it takes its name from scrambled eggs. In addition, it's believed that in Bosnian culture, eggs represent a new beginning.

Spring equinox in Teotihuacán, Mexico Around March 20 and 21 in Teotihuacán, Mexico, the annual event of the Spring equinox is celebrated to welcome the beginning of spring. Many people climb the pyramid from 9 in the morning to 1 in the afternoon, with some wearing white clothing and a red scarf. At the same time, people dance, chant, burn incense, and stand atop the Pyramid of the Sun. While standing at the top of the pyramid, people can outstretch their arms while facing the sun in the morning.