ARTS

• Festivals and special events in Thailand

  • Songkran
  • Phi Ta Khon
  • Monkey Buffet
  • Loi Krathong
  • Ubos Ratchathani Candle Festival
  • Yi Peng
• Songkran


  The official Thai new year, lasts for 2 to 3 days, people soak and get soaked with pails and super-soakers as a symbol of cleansing at the start of the New year
• Phi Ta Khon


  Also known as the ghost festival, reflects beliefs on ghosts and spirits in Loei Province, Thailand's most colorful festival where men dress up as spirits in bright, colorful costumes and masks, with plenty of dancing and rejoicing
• Monkey Buffet


  Celebrated in the town of Lopburi, showing appreciation to their main attraction, monkeys, by serving a huge buffet of food solely for the adorable, smart animals
• Loi Krathong


  Celebrated by thousands of people who go to their local river or canal to make a wish by lighting a candle in the krathong (small floating object in the shape of lotus flower made from banana leaves) and setting it free to float with the current
• Ubos Ratchathani Candle Festival


  Held at the start of the Buddhist Lenten period, artists create large wax sculptures as Buddhist offerings that are paraded through the streets afterwards
• Both the Yi Peng and Loi Krathong light festivals have their earliest roots in Brahmanic tradition, but Buddhists later adopted it to honor Buddha
• For Buddhists, participating in these activities serves as a time to reflect and let go of personal demons and negativity, all the flickering flames and lights symbolize their veneration of Buddha
• Many also use these occasions to honor Phramae Khongkha, the Hindu water goddess
• Festivals in Japan

  • Sapporo Snow Festival
  • Yokote Kamakura Festival
  • Omizutori
  • Takayaman Matsuri
  • Aoi Matsuri
  • Jidai Matsuri
  • The Kodo Taiko Drum Festival
• Sapporo Snow Festival


  Large snow and ice sculptures are built in Odori Park
• Yokote Kamakura Festival


  The mid-winter festival is when igloo-like snow houses are made throughout the town, held in the days leading to the Bonden Festival (mid-February), children and others sit in the Kamakura and serve amazake and mochi to visitors, an altar for the water deity is carved in the rear of the room inside each Kamakura where people pray for abundant harvests, the safely of their family members, protections against fire, and for academic success
• Omizutori


  A Buddhist religious service rather than a festival, the most spectacular among its many ceremonies is the nightly burning of torches on the balcony of the wooden temple hall
• Takayaman Matsuri


  Large and elaborately decorated floats are pulled through the old town of Takayama
• Aoi Matsuri


  The festival's main attraction is the large parade of people dressed in the aristocratic style of Heian Period that leads from the Kyoto Imperial palace to the Kamo Shrine
• Jidai Matsuri


  A spectacular parade which covers over 1000 years during which Kyoto serves as Japan's capital, the procession leads from Kyoto Imperial Palace to the Heian Shrine
• The Kodo Taiko Drum Festival


  Takes place every summer in the southeastern section of Sado, the Kodo Taiko group, formed 25 years ago, is responsible for the incessant pounding of countless booming taiko drums, taiko drums give of a deep booming resonance, traditionally they are beaten to drive away evil spirits, in war they were used to give orders and quicken the blood of warriors, Kodo village is the place where aspiring apprentices learn their trade for two years, during this time they maintain a strict regimen of diet, exercise, practice and work designed to improve themselves physically, musically, and spiritually, they also grow their own rice and other foods at the village using traditional farming methods, every summer Kodo hosts earth celebration, a 3 days outdoor concert where they present musical collaborations with a guest group, the first night Kodo plays, the second night the guest group plays for most of the evening being joined by some of the members of Kodo towards the end, the third night is a mix of both groups, although photography and filming are discouraged, dancing is highly encouraged