ThePasola Festival
Sumba, Indonesia
Th dates of this festival are
yet to be confirmed, but
it will take place in early
February. This festival is a
war ritual and thanksgiving
ceremony honouring
the ancestral spirits,
celebrating the rice-planting
season. Two groups engage
in a ceremonial battle where
they fling wooden spears
at each other while on
horseback. If blood is shed,
it is a sign that the rice yield
will multiply. Not for the
faint-hearted!Marha Puha
Vientiane & Wat Phu, Laos
Also called Makka Bus-sao,
this festival is always held
on a night when the moon
is full, and as such, the
date also varies. The
Marha Puha Festival
commemorates a speech
given by the Buddha to
1,250 devoted monks who
spontaneously came to
hear his teaching. Parades
of worshippers bear
candles while circling the
temples to the tranquil
sounds of chanting and
religious music.Perfume Pagoda
Pilgrimage
Hanoi, Vietnam
This is the largest Buddhist
festival in North Vietnam.
The Perfume Pagoda is
located on the Mountain
of the Perfumed Traces.
It is said that a meditating
Buddhist monk discovered
the revered site over 2,000
years ago. Since then,
devotees have come from
far and wide to seek good
luck stemming from the
stalagmites and stalactites
inside the caves. Prepare
for lots of walking!Hadaka Matsuri
Okayama, Japan
This slightly eccentric
festival in Japan involves
nine thousand men wearing
loincloths fighting over a
pair of sacred sticks which
are thrown by a priest from
a window into the crowd.
This tradition started when
worshippers fought over a
paper talisman, called
Go-o, thrown by a priest
500 years ago. Those who
catch it will have good
luck throughout the year.
Definitely one for the more
outgoing man.FEBRUARY
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“I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list” – Susan Sontag
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