WOW: What’s On Where In February
Chinese New Year
The Chinese New Year festival begins on Febuary 10th. The main celebrations are followed by a lantern festival too. As with many Chinese celebrations, There is no set date for Chinese New Year, as it is set according to the Lunar calendar. This new year marks the Year of the Dragon.
A major cultural institution amongst Chinese communities around the world, the festivities surrounding Chinese New Year have also gained a substantial international following due to the rich mythology surrounding them.
Watch: Globe Guides: Chinese New Year
Read: Chinese New Year: The Chinese Zodiac
Carnival in Venice
The canals and winding streets of Venice in the north of Italy are the perfect setting for a festival centred around intrigue, mystery and concealed identity. The Venice Carnival lasts for 12 days, from the Saturday before carnival weekend right through until the following Sunday. The main events take place over carnival weekend itself, which usually falls mid February . At carnival time, Venice is packed with party-goers in costume and tourists who are eager to experience the event in one of the most beautiful and unique cities in the world.
Check out other carnivals too around this time- from the Mardi Gras in New Orleans to carnivals in Brazil and Trinidad.
Read – Carnival Season
Battle of the Oranges
The Battle of the Oranges is a festival in the Northern Italian city of Ivrea, which includes a tradition of throwing of oranges between organised groups for three days during the month of February. Welcome to Italy’s largest food fight!
Tet Festival in Vietnam
Ho Chi Minh City, formerly called Saigon, is one of Vietnam’s main cities. Though Tet (short for Tet Nguyen Dan, which means ‘the first day’) is celebrated all over the country, it is particularly festive in Ho Chi Minh.
Kuwait Liberation Day
Every year aside from their National Day, Kuwait also celebrates is Liberation Day every 26th of February. This official public holiday is celebrated in honor of the country’s independence from Iraq after the first Gulf War.
Destination – Kuwait
Magha Puja
Māgha Pūjā is the second most important Buddhist festival, celebrated on the full moon day of the third lunar month in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Sri Lanka and on the full moon day of Tabaung in Myanmar. It celebrates a gathering that was held between the Buddha and 1,250 of his first disciples, which, according to tradition, preceded the custom of periodic recitation of discipline by monks.
Abraham Lincoln’s Birthday
Abraham Lincoln was an American statesman and lawyer who served as the 16th President of the United States from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. Lincoln led the United States through the American Civil War—its bloodiest war and perhaps its greatest moral, constitutional, and political crisis.
