DECK THE HOLIDAY'S

   This harvest festival is celebrated thrice a year. Impressive and very own dance forms and magical tunes of folk music create a soothing and charming environment for the natives and tourists. It’s an occasion when everyone congregates and dances with the tunes of Bihugeet. There are no religion barriers. HISTORY OF BIHU    The state of Assam celebrates the most important festival, Bihu, with a lot of delight and joviality. The  carnival  which is celebrated with passion and vehemence marks the change of season. The  history of  the significant and noteworthy celebration  dates  back to 3500 B.C. At that point, it was one month long celebration. However, today it is celebrated thrice a year and each time for a week. The first Bihu is celebrated in April.     It overlaps with the  festivals  like Chait, Baisakhi and Sankranti.    People of Assam propitiate and thanks the Almighty fo...

    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 sta...

 This is a nice light list of songs to increase your Christmas spirit on this wonderful holiday. It includes some songs that commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ, and some that are more modern in concept – but regardless of the type, they are all great songs and perfect for the first prize of our competition. Merry Christmas! 10.  Josh Groban and Brian McKnight/ Angels We Have Heard on High    This is quite a great Christmas carol that is sung beautifully by Josh Groban and Brian McKnight. “The words of the song are based on a traditional French carol known as Les Anges dans nos Campagnes (literally, The Angels in our Countryside). Its most common English version was translated in 1862 by James Chadwick. 9.  Billy Porter and Vanessa Williams/ Joy To The World    “Joy to the World ” is one of the best-known and best-loved of Christmas carols. It contains a message of joy and love replacing sin and sorrow. It may a...

    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 i...

   This recipe was found at  www.marthastewart.com  .  Good luck! Enjoy this cake on its own or with a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream.                           Prep Time   15 minutes Total Time   2 hours, 15 minutes Yield  Serves 9   Ingredients 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan 6 ounces blackberries (1 1/3 cups) 1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt 1/4 teaspoon baking powder 2 large eggs, lightly beaten 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a 5-by-9-inch loaf pan and line with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on all sides; butter parchment. In a food processor, puree blac...

History of the Iditarod      The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race  first ran to Nome in 1973, after two short races on part of the Iditarod Trail in 1967 and 1969. The idea of having a race over the Iditarod Trail was conceived by the late  Dorothy Page . In 1964, Page was chairwoman of the  Wasilla-Knik Centennial  and was working on projects to celebrate Alaska's Centennial Year n 1967.     She was intrigued that dog teams could travel over land that was not accessible by autos. In the early 1920's, settlers had come to Alaska following a gold strike. They traveled by boat to the coastal towns of Seward and Knik and from there, by land into the gold fields. The trail they used is today known as  The Iditarod Trail,  one of the National Historic Trails as so designated b the U.S. Congress. In the winter, their only means of travel was by dog team.     The Iditarod Trail soon became ...