DECK THE HOLIDAY'S

   The Calle Ocho Festival or "El Festival de la Calle Ocho", is a one day "rumba"- fiesta-that culminates the Miami Carnival.  This festival takes place in March each year between 27th avenue and 4th avenue, along Southwest 8th street, that is 23 blocks along "Calle Ocho" in "Little Havana" with activities for everybody.    Even thought this festival is not counted amongst the official Hispanic holidays, more than 1 million people attend this block party to participate, and to see top Hispanic artists perform at every street intersection at the designated stages.      You can hear salsa, reggeaton, merengue, bachata, balada, hip hop and more.  Personalities like El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, Cellia Cruz, Oscar D'Leon, El Grupo Niche and many more have performed at the festival    "El Festival de la Calle Ocho", is one incredible party that in 1998 was recorded in the Guinness Book of Records for hav

    The Carnival of Brazil , is an annual festival held 46 days before Easter.  On certain days of Lent, Roman Catholics and some other Christians traditionally abstained from the consumption of meat and poultry, hence the term "carnival ", from  carnelevre , "to remove meat".  Carnival celebrations are believed to have roots in the pagan festival of Saturnalia , which, adapted to Christianity, became a farewell to bad things in a season of religious discipline to practice repentance and prepare for Christ's death and resurrection.      Rhythm, participation, and costumes vary from one region of Brazil to another.  In the southeastern cities of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, huge organized parades are led by samba schools.  Those official parades are meant to be watched by the public, with mini parades ("blocos") allowing a public participation can be found in other cities.  The northeastern cities of Salvador, Porto Segur a

     The legend of St. Urho originated in Northern Minnesota in the 1950's.  However, there are differing opinions as to whether it began with the fables created by Sulo Hvumaki of Bemidji , or the tales told by Richard Mattson of Virginia .  Either way, the legend has grown among North American of Finnish descent to the point where St. Urho is know celebrated across the United States and Canada, and even in Finland.    St. Urho's Day is celebrated on March 16th, the day prior to the better known feast of some minor saint from Ireland, who was alleged to have driven the snakes from that island.    The legend of St. Urho say he chased the grasshoppers out of ancient Finland, thus saving the grape crop and the jobs of Finnish vineyard workers.  He did this by utter the phrase : "Heinasirkka, heinasirkka, men taaita hiteen"! ( roughly translated: " Grasshopper, grasshopper, go to Hell"!).  His feast is celebrated by wearing the colors Royal