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. This years carnival takes place between February 7th to the 9th. Pre-Carnival Festivities    The pre-Carnival festivities begin on Sunday, six weeks before shrove days.  There are the drum rehearsals, then the programs with drums and finally the programs with music. These happen one of the first two Sundays so that all the societies do not rehearse on the same day.   During the drum rehearsals, the societies listen to their own drums in their own meeting...

    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 67th festival is from February 5th to the 11th at the Odori and Suskino sites and February 5th to the 18th at the Tsudome site. 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. ...