8 Festivals That Can Change Your Life

Attending festivals can bring back fond memories of childhood, or rekindle old friendships. They can also be a great way to try new foods and activities.

The music at many festivals can be emotionally uplifting and therapeutic. It can also help with stress relief. The rhythms and melodies can help you find a connection with the universe.

1. Carnival Brazil

Carnival is an exciting and vibrant street party that celebrates Brazil’s culture. It features music, dancing, and magnificent costumes. The most famous celebration happens in Rio, but there are events all over the country.

One thing that makes Carnival special is the samba dance. This is a fun and energetic dance that can be done with a partner or alone. The samba is influenced by African traditions that were brought to Brazil.

The festival also showcases Brazilian cuisine and history. The food varies from region to region, but you will definitely find something that appeals to your taste buds. There are also many different types of drinks to choose from, so be sure to try a few.

This event can be quite hectic, and it is important to stay safe. Make sure to wear a comfortable pair of shoes and avoid carrying valuables. It is also a good idea to have a plan in place before you go out each day. Identify which blocos you want to visit and figure out how to get from one place to the next.

2. Burning Man United States

Thousands of people gather in the Black Rock Desert in northwestern Nevada to celebrate community, art and self-expression. The festival’s core principles are radical inclusion, gifting, decommodification and self-reliance. It is known for its interactive and participatory artwork that can include anything from a 17-foot birdcage to a stained-glass cathedral built from recycled plastic.

It started in 1986 when Larry Harvey and 10 other San Francisco artists erected an eight-foot wooden man on Baker Beach and set it ablaze. Since then, the event has grown tremendously in size and scope. In 2014, the Burning Man was 105 feet tall, making it the largest ever.

Burning Man is a festival that tests attendees’ self-reliance. Tickets only grant access to the park and porta-potties, so attendees bring food, water and shelter. They also construct their own campsites and participate in workshops led by local artists. There are plenty of places to explore in Black Rock City, and it is common to stumble upon an orgy tent or a dance party. In addition, the Renwick Museum’s No Spectators exhibition features many of the large-scale public works created by Burning Man participants.

3. Festival in the Desert Mali

Music festivals may conjure images of muddy fields and heaving crowds, but Mali's Festival in the Desert is another thing altogether. The annual gathering, held in a remote setting just outside Timbuktu, was founded in 2001 to share Tuareg culture with the world and generate local development through tourism.

That's a tall order, especially since the festival was relocated from Essakane to Timbuktu in 2012 while much of northern Mali was in the midst of an Islamist insurgency led by militants who sought to impose their brutal interpretation of sharia law. But even as it's facing new challenges, the festival has never backed down.

Brookings' Manny Ansar joined a panel of Festival in the Desert organizers and artists to discuss its history, impact and emerging revival. The group also outlined how they are working through the foundation Timbuktu Renaissance to restore the platform as an engine of cultural exchange and economic development for the people of Mali. The event's authentic homegrown stars like local Tuareg group Tartit — who recently won an international award for their song "Democracy" — help to make it all work.

4. Songkran Water Festival Thailand

Known worldwide as the world's wettest water fight, Songkran is a festival that promotes community bonding and is the perfect time to get a feel for Thailand’s rich culture. The celebration usually lasts for three days from April 13 to 15, and while it is a fun-filled time, there are also important religious rituals that take place.

For example, locals clean their homes, bathe Buddha statues, and build sand pagodas. They also visit temples to make merit by bringing food and clothing for monks. Younger people sprinkle clean or scented water on their elders' hands to show respect and ask for blessings.

While everyone is having a blast, it's important to remember that April is the hottest month of the year in Thailand. Therefore, it is vital to protect yourself from the heat by putting on some sunscreen and drinking plenty of water. It's also a good idea to invest in a waterproof bag for your phone and personal belongings. They are readily available at most street shops and cost less than $20.

5. Ati-Atihan Philippines

Every January, thousands of people from across the Philippines and abroad converge on the town of Kalibo in the island province of Aklan for Ati-Atihan. It’s a celebration that is devoted to the Santo Nino or Child Jesus, but that is also steeped in indigenous culture and the history of the Philippines.

It was named after the indigenous Ati tribe, who were short, dark-skinned and frizzy-haired. When Malay datus and Spanish missionaries came to the islands, they merged the Atis’ traditions with Catholicism to create what we now know as the Ati-Atihan Festival.

The festival celebrates the coming of the Child Jesus, but it’s also a commemoration of a peace pact between two warring tribes. The festival is a true example of the intertwining of indigenous culture and Christianity in the Philippines, with many of the dancers applying soot to their faces to look like the putative Ati ancestors. While Kalibo is the main hub, Ati-Atihan is celebrated in other towns in Aklan. In fact, even Boracay, the famous white-sand beach paradise, holds its own version of the festival each year.

6. Holi Northern India and Nepal

Holi is a joyous Hindu festival of colors that celebrates the arrival of spring, the triumph of good over evil and love. It’s also a time to mend relationships and get rid of bad energy.

The festival typically occurs in March. It’s celebrated with a night and day of fun, color, food and music in Nepal and India. The celebrations are playful and energetic as people smear each other with colored powder, have water gun fights, play pranks and sing along to popular tunes.

This is the perfect opportunity to have a splash of fun in the heart of India and Nepal, but don’t forget that it’s also a time to be safe. The streets can become crowded and pickpockets are common, so make sure to stay close to your friends.

The origins of the festival are rooted in a captivating Hindu myth about the demon king Hiranyakashipu and his son, Prahlada. Enraged by his son’s devotion to Lord Vishnu, Hiranyakashipu sent his supposedly fire-proof sister, Holika, to kill him. In the end, divine intervention protected Prahlada, while Holika burnt to death in the fire.

7. Dia de los Muertos Mexico

During the Day of the Dead celebrations, loved ones build ofrendas (altars) for their deceased family members and friends. Typically, these altars feature photos of the deceased, food and beverages they enjoyed in life and other items that celebrate their lives. Other common elements include candles, marigold flowers and skeleton figurines called calacas.

The festival evolved from pre-Columbian customs to coincide with the Catholic holidays of All Saints and All Souls, with influences from Celtic, Roman and Christian cultures. The Aztecs believed that the spirit of the dead would return during this time to spend a brief period with their families. The holiday recognizes the symbiotic relationship between death and life.

Although some Mexicans and cultural conservatives have worried that Halloween is polluting the traditional celebration, many people embrace this creative fusion. For example, in Mexico City’s Desfile de Alebrijes parade, floats are decked out with pumpkins, witches and skeletons. Meanwhile, some graveyards feature ofrendas with jack-o-lanterns and spiderweb decorations. In the past, calavera illustrations like José Guadalupe Posada’s satirical caricatures of social classes have become iconic symbols for the holiday.

8. Bonfire Night England

The 5th of November is a date most people associate with waving sparklers in the air and stuffing oneself with under-cooked jacket potatoes. But there’s more to this venerable British tradition than a night of fireworks and Guy Fawkes effigies. Britain’s history is rife with betrayal and power shifts, and Bonfire Night tells this story.

The small town of Lewes, England, celebrates the thwarted Gunpowder plot with epic fireworks and a parade of effigies. This event is one of the biggest in Britain, drawing throngs of revelers. In the past, the ashes from the bonfire were collected and scattered over fields for good luck.

While some towns and cities have stripped the celebrations of their anti-Catholic sentiment, this event is still a fun way to get a taste of English culture. And, while it may be a little safer to skip the flaming tar barrels of Ottery St Mary, you can still see some spectacularly bizarre effigies, including Putin in a mankini and Humpty Dumpty sitting astride a huge wall.