The best way to welcome 2016 is planning all the trips and journeys you will be doing throughout this new year. The wideness of the world, its traditions, and different cultures make it possible to consider one destination for each month of the year; 12 months, 12 destinations. We hope this suggestions are useful and of interest for all our travelers and readers around the world.
- January: Sydney Festival, Australia
Every year in Australia is welcome by the biggest art festival in the whole country, the Sydney Festival. Plastic expositions, art installations, plays, and even opera events are presented during this three week festival. Every year, more than 1000 exponents from the world present their art in this acclaimed festival. There are more than 30 different stages for several events, spread throughout the city.
In its program, the Sydney Festival considers appropriate activities for everyone to enjoy. Among its categories one can find: Cinema, Music, Theater, Dance, Opera and Art Installations. The festival organizes both free and ticket only events. Each year 500,000 assistants are estimated to the free events and more than 150,000 assistants to the exclusive programs.
In this occasion, Sydney opens its doors from January 7th to 26th 2016, to any voyager who is interested in arts and who wants to enjoy the numerous events that this festival has prepared for everyone.
- February: Rio de Janeiro Carnival, Brasil
Forty days before Easter, Rio de Janeiro watches the biggest parade in the country, where tourists and locals party in the avenues, streets, and beaches of the city during four whole consecutive days. Originally, this carnival was represented to welcome the Spring every year, and in fact, Brazil is not the only Latin American country to organize a party like this one. Little by little, cariocas’ personality has overtaken the festivity to make it the huge celebration it is today.
During the Carnival in Rio, different samba schools and musical bands participate in the parade, being the main attraction since the 20th century. Even though it may appear as a hollow festivity, these dance schools work throughout the whole year to prepare the best show, based in a specific theme of historical importance and relevance.
Besides, this festival is a main source of income for cities like Rio de Janeiro, Bahía, São Paulo, and Recife, where the biggest carnivals are performed. These cities create jobs through the Carnival to maintain their traditions alive, so they can share to the world a bit of their history, traditional dances, music, costumes, food, and other aspects of their culture.
- March: Holi Festival, India
Entering Spring, men and women in India unite in one of the greatests and most important parties in the country. Filling the streets and people’s faces with color, the Color Festival or Holi is the way indians celebrate the triumph of the good over evil. During this celebration, the assistants throw colorful dust named Gulal, painting everything in their paths, including other people. This is held in representation of unity and celebrating that, this day everyone is equal, regardless of religion, gender, profession, age, origin, or socioeconomic level.
The origins of the Holi Festival come from before the 7th century, from very antique and traditional religious rituals. The festival as we know it nowadays, has been modified to become the most colorful party to run in the streets of India and other countries that have adapted the festival to their cultures. Fortunately, the festival has a lot of participation, including foreign assistants that travel exclusively to be a part of this tradition.
The different Hindu rituals that are performed during the celebration are held to drive away bad spirits, and attract only good vibes. The participants are encouraged to carry water guns, balloons, and syringes as “weapons” to paint everyone with colored water during the celebrations of this Festival.
- April: Songkran, Thailand.
Songkran or the Buddhist New Year is the biggest and funniest party celebrated in Thailand. A couple of days before the month of april, the whole country is prepared for a very wet festivity. During this festivity, buddhist monks wash religious antiques and figures, praying for abundant rains for the season. These days are also used to celebrate the elder people of the country, like teachers and grandparents. In one ceremony, children must wash their elders’ hands to be blessed with good health and a prosper life.
When the religious ceremonies are over, the streets are ready to the water battle that awaits. Everyone prepares with balloons, water guns, hoses, and even pools to attack tourists and locals. Even people on their automobiles are ready with their weapons to attack dry pedestrians.
To end the festivities, natives prepare a parade in which Miss Songkran is presented along with some religious statues. The streets are filled with people eating, dancing, singing, or playing musical instruments. Depending on the region of Thailand in which this festivity is celebrated, the locals also tend to finish the activities on rivers and cascades.
- May: Bay to Breakers, San Francisco, USA
The third sunday of May, the city of San Francisco is ready to host the famous 12 km race, Bay to Breakers. This race starts at the bay of San Francisco, continues across the city, and conclude in the Pacific beaches where the waves break. The story behind this race dates from the year 1906, when a disastrous earthquake hit San Francisco. This event was created to cheer up San Francisco inhabitants after the disaster and it is very famous for its participants who often attend naked or in very striking outfits.
Bay to Breakers is also famous for its “centipede” competition in which a group of runners participate in the race tied to each other in the shape of a human centipede. Another runner goes through the race by their side in case he or she needs to replace an element of the centipede because of a dropout or injury.
Up until 2010, Bay to Breakers was officially considered the biggest race in the world. It has been surpassed by City2surf in Sydney, Australia. Still, every year San Francisco receive more than 60,000 participants and 100,000 spectators.
- June: Lisbon Festivities, Portugal.
During the month of June the streets of Lisbon receive thousands of visitors, anxious to participate in the famous Festivities of Lisbon. Different stages are prepared to receive the best in music, cinema, theater, and arts. Also, distinctive popular celebrations and traditions take place during June nights. Historical zones, like Av. Liberdade, and different neighborhoods of the city, are perfect sceneries for the local parties. Everyone who visits Lisbon during this holiday can learn about the most important traditions, popular dances, music, and food, like the traditional grilled sardines and portuguese wine.
Saint Anthony is the patron saint of the city, and is venerated by the inhabitants of Lisbon during this days. In June 12th a big parade takes place, in which the congregation march in the saint honor. The day after the parade, the collective wedding is held. This is a very popular and important day in Lisbon. In this wedding, the brides are known as “Saint Anthony Brides” because of his matchmaker fame.
During the nights of these celebrations, different popular parties are held in the Costelo, Mouraria, Alfama, Ajuda, and Barrio Alto neighborhoods. All of these parties are full of bright colors, adorned with wreaths and balloons. The different dances and traditional songs set a festive atmosphere under the moonlight.
- July: San Fermín Festivities, Pamplona, Spain.
These Pamplona festivities or “Sanfermines” are part of a celebration held in honor of San Fermín de Amiens in the city of Navarra, Pamplona. During these festivities, the street parties converge with the religious celebrations, and it is very common to see the congregation attend both festivities. On one hand, the street party is filled with fun, music, food, and alcoholic drinks. This party takes place in the whole city, although it tends to concentrate in the old part of the city. On the other hand, the religious celebrations match the street parties due to a change in the religious calendar. Local churches celebrate masses and in their atriums some fairs and carnivals are held.
The taurine festivities and bullfighting are related to the sprees of the street, although they are a whole different celebration. The confinement is internationally known as the race in which bulls leave their pens in Santo Domingo, run through the old part of the city, and are conducted to the bullring. These confinements are held from july 7th to the 14th, and before they begin, the participants sing to San Fermín in order to receive blessings during this festivities.
In Pamplona it is forbidden to mistreat the bulls, cows, and heifers that participate in the confinement. It is absolutely prohibited to kick them, mount them, take them from their tails, or any abuse towards them. The assistant that realizes any of these actions is liable to a heavy fine and he or she is reprimanded by the crowd.
- August: La Tomatina, Buñol, Valencia, España
This red celebration takes place in Buñol, Valencia, the third wednesday of every August since 1945. That year, a small fight among youngsters originated this now internationally famous spanish celebration. In the day of “La Tomatina” the participants arrive to the plaza and wait for the tomato ammunition that the city council grants for this event.
The first event is held at 10 in the morning and it is called the “soap stick”. This game consists in a competition in which the assistants try to reach a ham located at the top of a greasy pole. Once a participant reaches the ham, the tomato battle can begin. A variety of trucks arrive into the plaza and deliver near 150 tons of tomatoes for the Tomatina to start once the shoot is heard.
The battle ends approximately an hour after, when another shoot is heard to let the participants know that they have to stop throwing tomatoes at each other. Immediately, every participant starts cleaning the streets, while they clean themselves too. The tomatoes used in the Tomatina are cultivated specifically for the celebration, and they are not appropriate for human consumption. It is recommended that the assistants wear goggles or special glasses, and plastic gloves to protect themselves from getting hurt. It is also recommended to squish the tomatoes before throwing them to avoid hurting anybody.
- September: Burning Man, Nevada, USA
Burning Man is an annual festival held during 7 days in a city that only exists during this celebration: Black Rock City or BRC. The festival takes place near a lake in the desert of Nevada and it has a cost of 390 US dollars. The origin of this festival comes from the parties held at the beach during the summer solstice in the end of the 80s. In one of these parties the assistants burned a doll of more than 2 meters high as an artistic expression. Since then, every year in September, the assistants to this festival help in the burning of a gigantic and wooden figure in the shape of a man.
This celebration is full of colors, fireworks, and a great show for the assistants. A huge wooden church is also built and burnt during sunday night, the last night of the festival. Nevertheless, while burning this temple, the participants must not make any sound, as it is not a party but a solemn event. During the whole festival week, the assistants write on the temple and leave photographs or notes that will be burnt in a spiritual metaphor.
This festival has several goals, like supporting plastic artists by letting them present their sculptures and giving scholarships for them to build their art and assist to the festival. Another objective of the festival is to raise awareness of nature and ecology, as well as making a great artistic impact in the assistants. During the festival, as the participants live for a week in the desert, the ground must stay clean and free of garbage, there should not be any disagreements or fights, and one can live in a peaceful environment. At the end of the event, there are no burnt wood residues, or any kind of waste. The festival has no sponsors; the assistants can bring everything they are going to need to live in the desert for a week and, usually, they share and make barters among other participants.
- October: Oktoberfest, Munich, Alemania
More than 6 million of tourists participate in this popular german festival every year. Munich celebrates Oktoberfest in between september and october in the Teresa Meadow. This celebration is known as the festival of beer, and only certain beers that pass through quality control exams are served in the festival. The inauguration of the festival takes place when the brewers make their entrance parading in big horse cars that carry the beer kegs.
After the entrance, at noon, the Mayor of Munich opens the first beer barrel. The assistants tend to make bets about the number of hits that the Mayor needs to give the barrel for it to open. After this, and since 1835, a huge and traditional parade of typical costumes takes place. Almost 8,000 people participate in this celebration with traditional german costumes.
At the end of this festivity the assistants to the festival can taste and enjoy some of the hundreds of litres of beer that the festival has to offer, as well as typical german food, and other fair attractions, like games, and stages with musical, dance, and pop culture shows. It is no wonder why this festival is so popular around the world.
- November: Festival of Life and Death Traditions, Playa del Carmen, Mexico
This festival is held in Xcaret, Playa del Carmen and in 2003 it was declared as Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. During this celebration, it is possible to enjoy the traditional mayan gastronomy of the region, as well as different rituals, workshops, altars, art expositions, dances, theater plays, and concerts of all kinds.
The festival takes place during the Day of the Death celebrations and its mission is to make the assistants travel in time and know everything about different mayan traditions. The festival also counts on the participation of invited countries, showing part of their culture and customs. In 2015, Xcaret received an important panel of colombian participants.
During this festival, the lonely lost souls of mayan ancestors are honored in a farewell celebration for them to find their way into the light. The candles that adorn the place, and other Day of the Death elements, like the altars, play an important part in the festivity for the souls to find their way home.
Another important part of this celebration is to introduce to the public indigenous products, made by local people, and by the invited countries. These products can be different crafts made with fabric, or sisal. Xcaret receives a numerous quantity of travelers with various activities for them to enjoy, in a family atmosphere, inside this majestic park.
- December: New Years Eve, Dubai, UAE
There is no better place to receive the new year than an exotic and luxurious destination such as Dubai. Dubai was recently named the best city to receive the new year, because of its amazing show the last day of the year. During these dates, Dubai’s downtown brights in a special way to delight the travelers thanks to its enormous and very elegant buildings. The majestic dancing fountains are programed to be synchronized with music, and buildings like the Burj Khalifa are illuminated with more than 80,000 LED panels, imposing a world record.
At night, the sky is painted with more than 45 thousand fireworks with amazing designs, and every year the City Hall organized different international concerts with celebrities and musicians like David Guetta. Also, all of the Dubai’s fancy hotels host the most amazing parties with the most delicious dishes and cocktails to celebrate the entrance of the new year until sunrise.
If you are interested in Dubai as a New Year’s destination, don’t forget to book in time in order to get the best lodgment and parties. This is a very busy destination in Dubai and soon, every hotel is booked, and every ticket is sold for any important show during these days.
Here you have 12 favorite destinations to travel around the world the whole year. There is no excuse not to travel in 2016. We hope this suggestions are interesting for you and your family, and don’t forget to book your places on time.