In the United Arab Emirates Islam is of course the main religion, but Dubai especially is a world city, with many non-Muslim residents, and has embraced the more secular trappings of the Yuletide season making them a vibrant part of D
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Every March 17th, the 5th-century Romano-British missionary who converted the Celts to Christianity, then became a bishop and eventually Irland´s patron saint is celebrated in more countries than any other national holiday, and of
We Spaniards love to ring out the old and ring in the new as much as anyone else on the planet. And whilst we of course share many NYE practices with the rest of the world (at least the Western world, I guess), there are sever
All across the world, all sorts of holiday activities– both religious and secular, age-old and relatively new – are in full swing during this season, including festive lights, special street markets, trees, Santa and elves everywhere
The annual Songkran Festival (comes from Sanskrit and means astrological passage) marks the Thai New Year and is the most crazy holiday of national celebration. Thais will spend these days with family, going to temples, parties and water fights (th
It’s baaaack! The 67th edition of the world’s largest and longest music competition, pulling in a worldwide television audience of some 160 million and inspiring tens of thousands of fans to travel. For an exhaustive overview and a re
Dubai is a city of lights, as well as a city of spectacle, and larger than life. So naturally you can expect to be able to ring in the New Year in spectacular fashion, and here are my top five suggestions:
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Europe’s towns and cities famously light up and don holiday finery for Yuletide, but during the Christmas season in Colmar, in northeast France’s Alsace region – already famous for its charming historic quarter, with its cobblestone streets, canals,
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From September 17 to October 3, the legendary celebration of German beer, cuisine, and culture in Bavaria's capital is returning after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Unsprprisingly, it's necessary to make your ar
Spring and summer are prime music festival season, and after being largely suspended for two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, for the most part they've come roaring back in 2022. The United States being the huge country that it is, there are d
Travel and music festivals go hand in hand, of course! And though I haven't yet attended the annual Eurovision song contest in person, ever since I started traveling to Europe in 1977 – well before American Idol, The Voice, or Th
The year 2022 is also the 10th anniversary of the opening of TOKYO SKYTREE TOWN. centering on the tallest free-standing broadcast tower in the world, whiich will be aglow with a special "Happy New Year!" greeting, along with an image of the J
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Glædelig Jul! In the capital of Denmark – once home to 19th-century writer Hans Christian Anderson – the holiday atmosphere is like something out of one of his fairy tales. With the streets and buildings decked out in lights and Chris
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There may be no snow - and precious little ice skating or hot cocoa - on this lush, tropical Caribbean island, but there’s certainly holiday cheer, and lots of it, for a good long time – in fact, Puerto Rico takes pride in having the world
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As people get back to travelling, and summer approaches, many cities especially in Europe start blooming in more ways than one, easing into their estival splendour. Austria's capital is an excellent example - especially this summ
If you’re planning on choosing a holiday with a whole new sense of adventure, there seems to be a huge number of places still available to surprise - even shock and stun - the most jaded traveler. Yet while the temples of southeast Asia, vast ca
With just over a week to go before Christmas, cities across Spain, as many other cities in the world, are pulling out the stops and decking the halls with boughs of jolly. This blog has covered the festivities in biggies like Madrid and Barcelona
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Germany is a veritable hotbed of that beloved European tradition of Christmas markets, and its capital is practically ground zero, with perhaps the most Christkindlmärkte of any German city, large and small scattered throughout various neighbourh
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Springtime in Japan is about far more than cherry blossoms - nature in all its glory is celebrated across the islands. Here are three in or not far from Tokyo:
Sanja Matsuri at Asakusa Shrine on the Grounds of Sensoji Temple, Tokyo - May 17-19
Grand S
London's world famous New Year's Eve fireworks were spectacular. The moment Big Ben struck midnight, 12,000 fireworks were set off from the London Eye on the south bank of the Thames to create a breathtaking display of gold, silver and coloured showe
