7 Unique Spring Celebrations From Around The World

Goodbye cold winter and hello refreshing spring! Now, this is the time of the year when the sky turns into a beautiful shade of blue and the birds start to get a little chatty and the flowers start to bloom. Oy vey! But with all the flowering going on that means… spring allergies are also here. Achooooo. Nonetheless, spring isn’t just about allergies, because around the world this season is all about new beginnings and special festivities for friends and family to share. Read on to learn some of the very fun and interesting spring celebrations 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: This joyful and colorful Hindu festival celebrates the beginning of Spring. On the day of Holi, people throw colored powder and splash water balloons at each other in the streets. Holi is also celebrated in the US, UK, Australia, and other countries with significant Hindu communities.

Semana Santa in Spain: Semana Santa, aka Holy Week, is a religious celebration just before Easter. Grand processions fill the streets, usually headed by local brotherhoods carrying floats and playing somber music. Each city around Spain has its own unique way of celebrating, from modest to extravagant.

Nowruz in Iran and Persian communities: For more than 3,000 years, people have celebrated Nowruz ("new day") on the day of the vernal equinox. With roots in Zoroastrianism, people prepare 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 is all about chasing a round of Double Gloucester cheese down a 200-yard-long hill. Despite being known as the world's most dangerous race, competitors from around the world gather to take part in this extreme sport.

Cimburijada in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Residents of Zenica celebrate the "Festival of Scrambled Eggs" by preparing a massive breakfast of eggs near the Bosna River. In Bosnian culture, eggs represent a new beginning, making it a perfect spring tradition.

Spring equinox in Teotihuacán, Mexico: Thousands gather at the Pyramid of the Sun to welcome spring. Many wear white with red scarves, chanting and standing with outstretched arms to "soak up" the morning sun's energy.