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Festivities
While America has a few great national celebrations
and individual cities host some nice fairs, it is hard to beat some
of the festivals one can find overseas where it often seems like
a country will use any excuse to get its people together and throw
a party. Even a country's own holidays are somehow more special
when celebrated overseas.
Local Festivals
Many countries even have government departments responsible for
organizing annual festivals. In some form or another most every
country celebrates…
- Christmas or an equivalent holiday
- the country's independence day
- the arrival of Spring or beginning of Lent
- the New Year
During the three-day Festival of Holi in India, the entire country
welcomes spring as residents fill the streets with colorful costumes,
music, dancing, and gaiety. China heralds the New Year with lanterns,
a dragon dance, parades, red costumes, and fireworks. For three
weeks each year Muslim countries conclude a day of fasting by enjoying
an Iftar, a huge feast with friends and family. The entire continent
of South America, celebrates the beginning of Lent, or "Carnival",
with one big party, complete with lavish outfits and lots of dancing
and singing in the streets. European countries commemorate Lent
as well with their own Carnivals, like the three-day celebration
of Fasnacht in Basel, Switzerland (see the picture above), where
you're sure to get doused with confetti before the night is over!
Do a search on the internet or look in a guidebook for the country
you'll be living in to find out more about the country's festivals
and different ways to celebrate.
Other Country Festivals
In addition to a country's unique national festivals, expats living
in foreign countries enjoy observing their own holidays as well.
American embassies often celebrate Independence Day with a party
for the American community. Many other countries do the same thing
for their honored events: Guy Fawkes Day for the Brits and the Beaujolais
Nouveau fest for the French. In many cases expats of all nationalities
are invited to celebrate these festivals with the sponsoring country.
Holiday celebrations don't have to stop with local parties. You
can celebrate events overseas in ways that just aren't possible
in your home country. For Halloween, imagine visiting Dracula's
castle in Transylvania, Romania!
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