DECK THE HOLIDAY'S

   The Carnival of Binche is an event that takes place each year in the Belgian town of Binche, during the Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday preceding Ash Wednesday.  The carnival is best known of all the others that take place in Belgium,  at the same time and has been proclaimed as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity .  Its history dates back to approximately the 14th century.    Events related to the carnival begin up to 7 weeks prior to the primary celebrations.  Street performances and public displays traditionally occur on the Sundays approaching Ash Wednesday, consisting of prescribed musical acts, dancing  and marching.  Large numbers of Binche's inhabitants spend the Sunday prior to Ash Wednesday in costume.    The centerpiece of the carnival,  are clown like performers,  known as Gilles.   Appearing, for the most part, on  "Shrove" Tuesday, the Giles are characterised by their vibrant dress, wax masks and wooden footwear. 

    For 30 years Krakow, in spite of being located far from any seas and oceans, has hosted one of the most popular shantie festivals.... The International Sea Songs' Festival..."Shanties".    The idea of the "Shanties" festival was born out of an idea in 1981.  The first festival had an intimate gathering of 20 performers and members of the organizing committee and 100 people in the audience and was held in the cellars of a community center.  In 1987, for the first time  in the history of the festival, the guests from other towns and countries were invited.  Since then the festival has enjoyed  International status.  Due to the success of the first festival, it grew in  popularity, not only among sailors,  but also among the many townspeople of Krakrow.  the festival has evolved from a small event into one of the largest  shantie festivals that are held each year, not only in Poland, but also all around Europe.    Each February Krakow becomes the c

   Carnival in Cologne is almost as old as the history of the city itself.  But the organized carnival celebrated today only dates back 178 years.    The Greeks and Romans celebrated cheerful spring festivals in honor of Dionysos and Saturn with wine, women and song.  The ancient Germans celebrated the winter solstice as a homage to the Gods and expulsion of the evil winter demons.  Later the Christians adopted the heathen customs.  The period of fasting (Lent) prior to Easter was heralded in by " Fastnacht" or "Karnival"...carne vale = Farewell to meat!    In the Middle Ages, the celebration of Carnival, the masquerade, often took on drastic forms, very much to the displeasure of the city council and the church.  Bans and ordinances did little to help, the celebration was wild and spirited.    The boisterous street carnival was extended in the 18th century to include the so called "Redouten", elegant masked and fancy dress balls in Veneti

   The Sapporo Snow Festival is a famous festival held annually in Sapporo, Japan, over 7 days in February.  Currently, Odori Park, Susukino, and Tsudome are the main sites of the festival.  The 2011 Yuki-matsuri dates are February 7th to the 13th.    The festival is one of Japan's largest and most distinctive winter events.  In 2007, about 2 million people visited Sapporo to see the hundreds of snow statues and ice sculptures at the Odori Park and Suskino sites, in central Sapporo, and the Satoland site.  The festival is thought to be an opportunity for promoting international relations. The International Snow Sculpture Contest has been held at the Odori Park sit since 1974, and teams from various regions of the world participate.    The subject of the statues varies and often features as event, famous building or person from the previous yer.  For example, in 2004, there were statues of Hideki Matsui, the famous baseball player who at that time played for the New Yo

   Many people are familiar with Mardi Gras celebrations on the day before Lent.  But in Liberal Kansas, the day before Lent means just one thing....it's Pancake Day!    The friendly little competition between Liberal Kansas and Olney England, with women running down the streets of each town flipping pancakes, has been going on for more that 60 years.  It is still the only race of its kind in the world.    On Shrove Tuesday, at 11:55 p.m. the race begins, with the overall score standing at 33 wins for Liberal and 25 for Olney.  In 1980 the score didn't count because a media truck blocked the finish line in Olney.    It all started in 1950 from a magazine picture of the Olney women racing each other to the church.  Liberal Jaycee President R.J. Leete contacted the Reverand Ronald Collins, Vicar of St. Peter and St. Paul's church in Olney, challenging their women to race against women of Liberal    In Olney, the Pancake Race traditions date back more than 500 yea

    The 15th day of the first lunar month each year, known as " Yuan Xiao", it is one of the three major traditional festivals in Taiwan.  It is also the first festival celebration after the start of the Lunar New Year.  Special events include the Taiwan Lantern Festival, Pingxi Heavenly Lanterns, Taitung Bombing of the god Handan, the Beehive Rockets of Yanshui, the Taipei Lantern Festival , and traditional celebratory temple rituals.    Since 1990, the Taiwan Tourism Bureau has organized the Taiwan Lantern Festival, and this year, the the festival enters its 22nd year.  Year of the Rabbit Lantern     The centerpiece of the event is a giant themed lantern modeled on the Chinese zodiacal animal of the year, accompanied by subsidiary lanterns and special lantern areas such as the Hope & Wishes lantern section, the Fun Filled lantern section and many others, all of which successfully display the art of lantern making.  During the official opening ceremony, p

     The origins of Mardi Gras can be traced back  to Medieval Europe, though we have no written record of how that really transformed into the current Mardi Gras of today.  But the origins of the Mardi Gras we celebrate today....with Kings, Mardi Gras colors, and brass bands....are traced to New Orleans.    Although we can trace its history to the Romans, a French-Canadian expolorer, Jean Baptiste Le Moyne Sieur de Bienville , landed on a plot of ground 60 miles directly south of New Orleans in 1699 and called it " Pointe due Mardi Gras".   He also established "Fort Louis de la Louisiane" (which is now Mobile) in 1702.  In 1703, the tiny settlement of Fort Louis de la Mobile celebrated the very first Mardi Gras.    In 1704, Mobile established a secret society (Masque de la Mobile)....similar to those who form our current Mardi Gras Krewes.  It lasted until 1709.  In 1710, the " Boef Graf Society" was formed and paraded from 1711 through 1861

   The annual Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival has been held since 1963.  It had been interrupted for a number of years during the Cultural Revolution,  until it was resumed in 1985.    Harbin, the capital of Heilonjiang province of China, it is one of the main sources of ice and snow culture in the world.  Geographically, it is located in Northeast China under the direct influence of the cold winter wind from Siberia.  The average temperature in summer is 21.2 degrees Celsius, -16.8 degrees Celsius in the winter.  It can be as cold as -38.1 degrees Celsius in the winter.  Niagra falls sculpture     The festival lasts the whole month.  However the exhibits often open earlier and stay longer, weather permitting.  Ice sculpture decoration technology ranges from the modern (using lasers) to traditional (with ice lanterns).  There are ice lantern park touring activities held in many parks throughout the city.  Winter activities in the festival inclu

   The Carnival of Venice is a festival that's steeped in history, vibrant colors, outlandish costumes, spectacular masks and of course a whole host of events make the Carnival of Venice one of the most popular times to visit the wonderful City of Masks !!    Venice is such a beautiful and amazing city that it really doesn't need a Carnival to attract even more tourists, but the Venice Carnival is definitely one of the city's top events, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors during a time of year that might otherwise be quiet.  During the 1970's, the Italian government decided to bring back the history and culture of Venice, and sought to use the traditional Carnival as the centerpiece of their efforts.    You have nearly two weeks to come to Venice and enjoy the carnival festivities and to really be involved in all the fun, you'll also want to buy or make a mask to partake in the festivities and to really enjoy them to their fullest capacity.  T

    The Festival du Voyageur ( Festival of the Traveller), is an annual 10 day winter festival which takes place in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada during February.  " Voyageur" refers to those who worked for a fur trading company and usually travelled by canoe.     This event is held in Winnipeg's French Quarter, Saint-Boniface, and is Western Canada's largest winter festival.  The event celebrates Canada's fur trading past and her unique French heritage and culture through entertainment, arts and crafts, music, exhibits and displays. History    The idea for the festival was first proposed in 1967, in celebration of Canada's centennial.  However, due to a lack of sufficient funding from the city council, the proposal was not acted upon.  In the summer of 1969, the mayor, Ed Turner , and the city council of Saint-Boniface granted their support under the condition that the Festival became an incorporated organization.  Judge Robert Trudel became the f