Upcoming Spring Festivals and Events

As we begin the transition into the vibrant and warm season of spring, there are dozens of exciting festivals and holidays celebrated to mark the birth of this season throughout the world. Let’s see how different regions of the world celebrate the birth of spring!

EASTER

Easter is a holiday that is typically celebrated by Christians worldwide. It marks the resurrection of Jesus Christ after his crucifixion that happened three days prior to Easter. It is one of the most significant days in the Christian calendar. The holiday typically falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the vernal equinox, so sometime between late March and late April. This year, Easter will be celebrated on Sunday, March 31. Easter traditions across the world vary based on what part of the world you are in. However, most cultures have a few traditions in common, such as attending church services, participating in Easter egg hunts, and having festive and filling meals with your family and friends. The egg symbolizes new life and rebirth, which is synonymous to the meaning of Easter. People decorate their homes with egg decorations or paint and hide them for children to find. Overall, Easter is a time of spiritual reflection and joyous celebration for Christians all around the world.

HOLI

Holi, also known as the Festival of Colors, is an ancient Hindu festival that is celebrated predominantly in India and Nepal, but also in other countries where there is a South Asian diaspora. You might even see dozens of Holi celebrations across the United States and Great Britain. This year, Holi is celebrated on March 25. It marks the arrival of the spring season and the triumph of good over evil based on its origins in Hindu mythology. The festival is best known for its vibrant colors, as participants joyfully throw powdered pigments and colored water at each other in the streets or fields. Bonfires are lit the night before Holi to symbolize the burning and elimination of evil spirits. Holi is a time for forgiveness, reconciliation, and the renewal of relationships among friends and family. Loved ones come together to celebrate with music, dancing, and festive foods. It is a colorful and exciting celebration that breaks social barriers, uniting people of all ages, religions, and backgrounds in a spirit of joy and child-like fun.

CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVALS

Cherry blossom festivals are annual celebrations held in cities around the world to honor the blooming of the beautiful cherry blossom trees. These festivals are particularly popular in Japan, as these cherry blossoms originate there, and they hold great cultural significance as symbols of beauty and the birth and renewal of nature and life. Festivals feature traditional music and dancing, art exhibitions, food stalls, and illuminations of the cherry blossom trees at night. Visitors gather to admire the delicate pink and white flowers and host picnics underneath the blossoming trees. The United States even hosts its own cherry blossom festival in Washington D.C. every spring! This festival in the US commemorates the gift of these cherry blossom trees from Japan to the United States in 1912. It offers a captivating celebration of nature’s beauty and the arrival of spring, bringing people together to appreciate this beautiful spectacle. 

NOWRUZ

Nowruz, meaning “New Day,” is an ancient festival celebrated by the diverse communities around the world, mainly in Iran, Afghanistan, Central Asia, and where there are other Kurdish populations. This festival marks the beginning of spring as well as the Iranian New Year. It symbolizes renewal, rebirth, and the triumph in light over darkness. Its roots are based in Zoroastrianism and it has been observed for over 3,000 years. That makes this one of the oldest and most continually celebrated festivals in the world. Nowruz begins with the arrival of the vernal equinox (just like Easter), and this year begins on March 19 and lasts 13 days. During this time, families clean their homes, decorate with symbolic items, and enjoy traditional foods that they cook and enjoy together. Nowruz is a time for reflection and gratitude among these communities and employs the strengthening of these familial bonds as they come together to share their cultural heritage and the promise of a new year.