10 Best Festivals in Spring Around The World

When spring has sprung, the festivals are in full bloom! Festivals in spring are wonderful, inspiring experiences that help us celebrate the start of a new season. Which one of these takes your fancy?

10 Best Festivals in Spring

Book in these spring festivals for something to look forward to!

1. Canadian Tulip Festival, Canada

The Canadian Tulip Festival is an annual event celebrating the tulip, Canada’s national flower. The festival takes place in Ottawa, the capital city of Canada, and features a wide range of tulip-themed activities and events.

Visitors can enjoy beautiful tulip displays, take part in workshops and educational programs, and sample delicious tulip-themed cuisine. The festival also features a number of entertainment options, including concerts, street performers, and more. The Canadian Tulip Festival is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the beauty of the tulip and learn more about this important flower at this spring festival.

2. Hanami, Japan

Every year, people worldwide celebrate spring’s arrival with Hanami festivals in Japan. During these celebrations, people admire the beauty of flowering plants, enjoy traditional foods and drink, and participate in a variety of cultural activities.

In Japan, Hanami is a centuries-old tradition that centres around the appreciation of cherry blossoms. People often gather beneath cherry trees to picnic and drink sake, and many cities hold festivals featuring parades, music, and other entertainment.

Hanami celebrations are also popular in Korea and China, where they typically involve admiring the blossoming of plum or peach trees. In recent years, Hanami festivals have also begun to spring up in other parts of the world. Canada, the United States, Australia, and Europe have all embraced this lovely spring festival.

3. Songkran, Thailand

Every year, during the month of April, Thailand celebrates Songkran, the traditional Thai New Year. The festival is also known as the Water Festival, as one of its main activities is splashing water on friends and family. Songkran is a time of renewal and rejuvenation, and many Thais take the opportunity to tidy up their homes and make sure that everything is in order before the New Year begins.

Families also come together to celebrate, and it’s not uncommon for extended family members to travel from all over the country to be together for Songkran. On the festival’s first day, people typically visit temples to offer prayers and make merit. The second day is when the water-splashing begins and continues until the fourth day. By the end of Songkran, everyone is usually soaked!

Despite the heat and humidity, Songkran is a much-anticipated event that everyone looks forward to. This is a big spring festival for Westerners to fly into Thailand for, and is one of the many reasons people love Thailand.

4. Sechseläuten, Switzerland

The Sechseläuten spring festival is a tradition in Zurich, Switzerland, that dates back centuries. The festival centres around burning a life-sized figure of winter called the Böögg. The Böögg is filled with explosives and led through the streets by a man in a weasel costume. At the end of the procession, the Böögg is placed on a pyre in front of the city hall and set ablaze.

The burning of the Böögg is said to signal the end of winter and the beginning of spring.

Sechseläuten is celebrated each year on the Monday after Easter. Tens of thousands of people come from all over Switzerland to Zurich to take part in the festivities, which include music, food, and dancing. The burning of the Böögg is always the highlight of the festival, and it is said that if the head of the Böögg explodes, spring will arrive early.

5. Semana Santa, Guatemala

Semana Santa, or Holy Week, is a religious festival that takes place in many countries around the world. The festival commemorates the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

In Guatemala, Semana Santa is one of the year’s most important and widely celebrated holidays. The festival typically lasts for seven days, and it features a number of traditional activities. On Palm Sunday, people carry palm fronds and flowers in procession. Good Friday is a day of mourning, and people participate in solemn religious ceremonies. Saturday is a day of joy, as it marks the beginning of Easter weekend. On Easter Sunday, people attend Mass and celebrate the resurrection of Christ. Semana Santa is an important time for Guatemalans to come together and celebrate their faith.

6. Mexican Carnival, Mexico

The Mexican Carnival is a spring festival celebrated in many parts of Mexico. The festival typically lasts for several days and features a variety of traditional activities, such as singing and dancing. One of the most popular aspects of the Carnival is the parade, which typically features brightly-clad participants marching to the beat of drums and other instruments. The Carnival is also a time for festive meals and snacks, including sweetbreads and candied fruits.

In recent years, the Mexican Carnival has become increasingly popular with tourists from all over the world to enjoy the festive atmosphere and experience Mexican culture firsthand.

7. Holi, India

Holi is a spring festival that is celebrated throughout India and Nepal. The festival marks the beginning of the Hindu New Year, and it is a time for people to come together and celebrate. Holi is also known as the ‘Festival of Colours’, and people of all ages celebrate it.

During the festival, people throw coloured powder and water at each other, and the streets are filled with colour. Holi is a time for joy and celebration, and it is an incredible opportunity to experience Indian culture firsthand – it’s one of the best festivals in India.

8. Las Fallas, Spain

The Las Fallas spring festival is a beloved Spanish tradition that dates back hundreds of years. It’s one of the best festivals in March. The festival is held each year in the city of Valencia, and it commemorates the arrival of spring.

Las Fallas is a massive celebration that lasts for several days and includes various activities, from parades and concerts to firework displays and bullfights. One of the most iconic parts of the festival is the building of huge papier-mâché figures, which are then paraded through the streets and eventually burned in a huge bonfire. The festival culminates with a huge street party, where locals and visitors alike enjoy traditional food, music, and dancing well into the night.

9. Marzanna, Poland

Marzanna is a spring festival that is celebrated in Poland and other Slavic countries. The festival marks the end of winter, and it is a time for people to come together and celebrate the arrival of spring.

Marzanna is typically celebrated on the first spring day, and it features a variety of traditional activities. One of the most popular activities is the burning of Marzanna, an effigy of winter made from straw and clothed in white. The burning of Marzanna signifies the end of winter and the beginning of spring. Other popular activities include singing and dancing around the Maypole and eating traditional Polish foods.

READ MORE: The Best Festivals in May

10. Passover, Israel

Passover is a spring festival that is celebrated by Jews all over the world. The festival commemorates the freedom of the Jewish people from slavery in Egypt. It’s a time for families to come together and celebrate. It’s one of the most celebrated festivals in the world.

One of the most important parts of Passover is the Seder, a ceremonial meal that is eaten on the first night of the festival. The Seder includes a variety of traditional foods, such as matzo and charoset. The Passover Seder is a time for family and friends to come together, share stories, and give thanks for their freedom.

Best festivals in spring

READ MORE: The Best Festivals in June

These are just a few of the best festivals in spring that take place around the world. If you’re looking for an exciting way to celebrate the arrival of spring, why not book your ticket to one of these festivals now?

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