Most of people think that spring is the most beautiful season of the year. Don’t you enjoy the lively feel of spring? Let’s find a variety of spring festivals in the world.

Jinhae Gunhang Festival is representative of cherry blossom festivals in Korea. In spring, three million people visit Jinhae where there are 35 million cherry blossom trees planted. Jinhae Gunhang Festival originated from the memorial ceremony of Admiral Yi Sun-shin in Bu-gwon Rotary, 1952. During the festival, more than 50 events like Chungmu Gong (Admiral Yi Sun-shin’s) memorial ceremony, the naval band march, the honor guard review, an essay contest and photo exhibition will be held to boost the festival atmosphere.

In India, the Holi Festival was on March 6^th this year. It is also known as ‘The festival of colors’ and is held in the whole country of India on the last month according to the Hindu calendar. In this festival, people of all ages and both sexes play and spray color paints and powder. Even in the caste system, it was celebrated regardless of their social status and has been the most important national holiday in Hinduism. After the war of colors at noon of the 15^th, people bathe in the sense of wrapping up the last year and at the same time welcome the coming new year.

Several cities in eastern Valencia, Spain celebrate a 5-day traditional spring festival. They hold a fireworks festival and end it by burning the dolls installed on the streets. It originated from the local customs of burning sundries used in winter. The dolls are various in size from 8 meters to 30 meters and characters from politicians of humorous expressions to famous animation heroes. You can enjoy fascinating scenes when they burn firework dolls.

The Netherlands, home of tulips, is famous for its world flower industry. In Keukenhof Park, they open the world’s biggest flower festival, Keukenhof Flower Festival for 2 months from the end of March to May. You can’t get bored because of various programs including a great variety of flowers, fashion shows and music concerts.

Switzerlands’ Seksseroiten festival opens on the third Sunday and Monday in April. In Grossmünster, Zurich, they used to ring the bell at 6 pm on the spring equinox (March 21st) to announce the starting of spring every year. Swiss’ Seksseroiten festival was originated from that tradition. 2 thousand children and 25 guild members wearing a variety of traditional costumes march on the street. In the center of Seksseroiten plaza, ‘Boegeu’ which looks like a snowman is fixed. Boegeu, a giant snowman is a sculpture made of straw representing a winter oldman. At 6:00, more than 100 fireworks in a row blow up from Boegue. It signifies getting out of the dark heavy images of winter and welcoming a new lively season.

In mid-April, Thailand holds an extraordinary new year festival. Songkran Festival is Thailand’s best festival in celebration of April 13^th, the first day of the Thai calendar. Thai people cherish water so in this festival, they splash water on each other in a sense of cooling down the heat and purifying themselves. Songkran Festival has various attractions such as ‘Miss Songkran Contest’ and ‘Custom Parade’ aside from the water splashing.

We looked though the world’s various spring festivals. This time if you are interested, why don’t you search for a national spring festival?

Kim Yu jeong  berry0212@naver.com

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