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Some events around the world are so spectacular, that it’s well-worth planning your holiday to coincide with all the action. From sporting events to national holidays, street parades to a seemingly never-ending New Year, here are some of the world’s biggest and best annual events and celebrations.
Rio Carnival – Brazil
A colourful, impossibly dazzling array of lights, colour, music and dance, the Rio Carnival is the party to end all parties. The world famous annual festival, held in the Brazilian city of Rio di Janeiro held just before Lent each year, dates back hundreds of years, and now attracts an incredible two million revellers every year. The Carnival sees hundreds of local samba schools. each of whom try to outdo all others with ever more elaborate dance routines, outrageous costumes and over-the-top floats. The Rio Carnival is something that has to be seen to be believed, and should be experienced by everyone at least once in their lives. Be sure to see your personal travel manager well in advance of planned travel dates, for expert guidance in planning the perfect Carnival experience. Now is the perfect time to start thinking about Carnival 2014!
Chinese New Year – China
The Chinese New Year is marked all around the world, but it’s of course around China, Hong Kong and Singapore where it is most passionately celebrated. Unlike other New Year’s events, which are over with in a day, the Chinese New Year celebrations actually stretch on for 42 days, with greetings of ‘Gong Xi Fa Chai – congratulations and be prosperous’, echoing around the streets. The Chinese New Year is also known as the Spring Festival, with enthusiastic and boisterous celebrations including fireworks at all hours of the day and night, large dancing dragons, parades and processions, and red lanterns dotted around every street.
Queen’s Day – Netherlands
The once-yearly Queen’s Day celebration in the Netherlands is the biggest party in the Dutch calendar. Amsterdam is the place to be, with the whole city transformed into a sea of bright orange, with the colour adorning buildings, clothing, canal boats and everything in between. Queen’s Day is somewhat similar to a traditional street party, combined with a giant outdoor market, with the party crowd letting their hair down at night, and families relaxing during the day – there’s something for everyone. Celebrated at the end of April this year, the 2013 event will be particularly special, as it will be the last Queen’s Day. In 2014, the holiday will be become King’s Day, when Queen Beatrix abdicates the throne to Willem-Alexander as King.
Super Bowl – United States
Sure, there’s the Olympics, Commonwealth Games and various World Cups, but these events occur but once every four years. For an annual sporting spectacle, the showstopping Super Bowl cannot be beaten. Although the sport remains largely unknown outside the United States for most of the regular season, when it comes time for the grand final, it seems that the whole world stops to watch. It’s just as much about the action and atmosphere off the field as on it, with this year’s event in New Orleans featuring a week-long frenzied build-up, and the half-time entertainment featuring Beyonce and Destiny’s Child. With this year’s event just past, now is the time to think about booking for the 2014 Super Bowl. It promises to be a very special event, hosted by New York and New Jersey for the very first time – why not combine a special trip to the Super Bowl with your Big Apple getaway?
Hogmanay – Scotland
‘Hogmanay’ is the traditional Scottish word for ‘last day of the year’, and it’s where the famous New Year’s celebrations all around the country take their name from. Every year, more than 70,000 revellers descend on Edinburgh, the centre of the celebrations. Widely renowned as the best New Year’s party in the world, this year’s Hogmanay saw Scottish rockers Simple Minds headline the annual Concert in the Gardens, with elaborate midnight fireworks exploding against the spectacular backdrop of Edinburgh Castle. The celebrations don’t stop there, with other events including everything from sled dog races at Holyrood Park, to the ‘Loony Dook’, a freezing dip for those who dare in the waters of the River Forth.
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