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It is highly unlikely for
anyone to spend a couple of months touring Europe and never get to
attend at least one festival. There are so many annual festivals
that range from small traditional village festivals in
Switzerland to manic, weeklong celebrations in Italy and
Spain. Festivals in Europe can be religious affairs such
as Easter and Carnival, traditional events dating back thousands of
years, art and cultural festivals, sporting events, or purely
musical events. The exact dates for festival is a very from year
to year usually because local authorities decided to move the dates
around slightly in order to suit the public. The national tourist
office of the country you plan to visit can usually give you the
accurate dates of the major festivals a year in advance. If you
would like to join a big event, you need to book accommodation well
in advance or you can expect to sleep rough. Also expect food and
everything else to be slightly more expensive during festival
time.
In January, the Carnival of Venice is the best-known of the many
Carnivals held in Italy during the 10 days that lead up to Ash
Wednesday. Venetians and tourists don masks and costumes for a
continuous street party. Germany also holds its carnival season at
around the same time. In Iceland, the first day of summer is
celebrated with a huge street party. At around the same time in
March, there are many colorful parades to watch out for during the
holy week Festival in Portugal. This festival also features
hundreds of barefoot penitents carrying torches around the city. On
March 17, a great parade with lots of drinking is held to celebrate
St. Patrick's Day in Ireland.
From mid-May to June, music festivals abound. The Vienna
Festival in Austria is one of the biggest music festivals in
Europe. Another big music festival held in late June is
England's Glastonbury Festival. Norway's Constitution Day held
in May is the country's biggest national holiday. A great
celebration of opera, ballet and classical music is held in the
Athens festival in Greece every June. The Holland Festival is
Amsterdam's celebration of arts, dance and theater. It is also
held in late June.
In July, France celebrates Bastille Day. Its biggest celebration is
in Paris which displays a military parade and fireworks show at the
Eiffel Tower. The world-famous Montreux Jazz Festival is held
in early July on the edge of Lake Geneva in Switzerland. If you are
a fan of Mozart, make your way to the Salzburg international
Festival in Austria. The famous running of the Bulls is held
amid wild partying in the streets of Pamplona, Spain for eight days
in early July. The Nottinghill Carnival in England is also a massive
Caribbean street carnival held in west London in late August.
Munich's legendary Oktoberfest usually starts in late September and
goes on for a couple of weeks. If you love beer, this is a must.
During the last few months of the year, most of Europe celebrates
Christmas and New Year's just like the rest of the Western
world. If you are on the lookout for one of the world's greatest New
Year's Eve parties, be sure to make your way to the pubs and streets
of Edinburgh in Scotland.
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About the author:
Michael Russell - Your
Independent guide to
Europe Vacation.
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