World Festivals Diva

[gallery] By Anna Carranza Title: Fiesta of the Virgin of Guadalupe Location: Mexico City, Mexico Description: Divas of faith can join thousands from around the country of Mexico and help make the pilgrimage to the Basilica of Guadalupe where the image of la Virgen Morena is kept. On one of the most important dates in the Mexican calendar, most make the trek on bicycles with their hearts set on seeing the monumental atrium. Dancers and musicians add to the richness of the spiritual celebration to Mexico’s patron saint. By the early morning the brilliant lights of fireworks crown the fiesta dedicated to the mother of all mothers. Diva tip: Bottled water and sunscreen are great accessories for worship. Contact information: Plaza Hidalgo 1, Colonia Villa de Guadalupe Tel: (55)77-6022 Date: 2008-12-12

Title: Surin Elephant Round-up by Anna Carranza Location: Surin Thailand Description: It’s not everyday you get to party with the elephants, but in mid November, a small town north of Bangkok celebrates one of Thailand’s best-known annual festivals. Once an ancient courtesan display and now criticized for commercial exploitation. For three days, hundreds of trained elephants parade in medieval warfare, play football and engage in a gargantuan game of tug of war. Diva tip, don’t wrestle the elephant yourself, unless you want to be dragged in front of forty thousand spectators. Tickets for The \"Elephant Show\" 500 Baht and 200 Baht Advanced reservations are available for 500 Baht tickets. Please call Surin Provincial Office: 0-4451-2039 Contact information: TAT Northeastern Office - Region 1 Tel: 66 4421 3666, 66 4421 3030 Fax: 66 4421 3667 Start Date: 2008-11-18 End Date: 2008-11-19

(dates change every year - this year depending on insurance laws) The streets of Ottery St. Mary are set ablaze every year with men, women and children running rampant carrying tar-soaked barrels.  This tradition has been carried on from as far back as the 17th century and is said to rid the streets of evil “as if burned off.”  The hoisting of a barrel onto your back is considered “a great honor” and given only to men who pass the barrel onto another male relative, and so on, until midnight.

If natural phenomena is more your style, head over to the northern region of Thailand, the Nong Kai Province.  Every year on the first full moon of October spectators are awed by hundreds of lights and balls of fire that surge abruptly into the night above the Mekong River.  This occurrence directly follows the end of the Buddhist Rains Retreat, and is the main event of a two day Thai festival along the river including light and sound shows, an illuminated boat contest, the King's Cup long-tailed boat race and food offerings.  These Naga fireballs, named after the mythical fire-spitting serpent Naga, say to bring over 400,000 visitors to the region year after year.

or Top 12 Wacky World Festivals to See Before You Die “I’ve been almost everywhere … now what?” asked my beautiful jetsetter friend.  Well, if a normal vacation fails to entice, you might be ready for the not-so-ordinary.  Whether you’re looking for a roll down a hill after a wheel of cheese or to get pelted by tomatoes, there is a festival out there in this magnificently bizarre world to save you from the mundane; one for every month of the year. January: Venice Carnival 2008, Italy Start the year off right… in Venice!   Every year thousands of travelers flock to Italy’s “farewell to meat ‘til after Easter.” The famous (or better yet, infamous) Carnevale di Venezia, transforms the city into a timeless masquerade ball filled with pageants, concerts, and commedia dell'arte for twelve magic filled days and nights.  Locals suggest booking your hotel in advance to secure a spot, and if you forget your mask, you’ll be the envy of all your friends when you flaunt the fabulous one you bought there! February: Rio Carnival, Brazil Forty days and forty nights before Easter, Brazilians awaken to the sounds of samba.  People dance in clubs, streets, beaches, tables, chairs or anything they can stand on ...