Today, Monday 23rd of January 2012, processions with Chinese drums, grand dragon and lion dances, colourful festive flags and firecrackers will welcome the Year of the Dragon all over the world. The traditional celebrations will last for 15 days, resulting in the lovely Lantern Festival. The Year of the Dragon reoccurs ever 12 years as part of the 12-year cycle of the Chinese zodiac. Chinese dragons are a symbol of power, strength, good luck and control over water, rainfall, hurricane, and floods. In 2012, the celebrations will be extra special for people who were born in another Year of the Dragon, such as:

Continue reading... Happy Chinese New Year... even in Cyprus!

Continue reading... Merry Tripmas!

This year the Islanders of Lanzarote are attempting to take their Christmas celebrations to record breaking lengths. The annual Father Christmas Parade, held on the 23rd of December, in Puerto Del Carmen is a tradition long observed and enjoyed by locals and visitors alike. The main attraction, Santa himself, is led down the promenade aboard his magically decorated, horse drawn sleigh, from 18.00-20.00, and throws gifts and sweets to all the children that come to join the parade. But children are not the only ones expected join in: this year, everyone has is asked to don a Santa suit and aid the Islanders in their attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the most Father Christmas' holding hands. Shops all along the waterfront are set to sell costumes for reduced rates, so there is no excuse not to join in.

Continue reading... Festive Fun in Lanzarote - Christmas 2011

If Christmas has come and gone in a blur of wrapping paper, cold turkey sandwiches and bad Christmas jumpers, revive yourself and your family with a New Year trip to Tenerife and rediscover the magic of the season. On this beautiful island, not only can you find sun-kissed beaches, family resorts and a host of activities, but on 5th January they celebrate one of the most important festivals in Spain - the Procession of the Three Kings.

Continue reading... Procession of the Three Kings

Christmas in the UK can become more of a stress than a celebration, with crowded shops, checkout queues and motorway traffic, celebrating abroad often works out as a peaceful option as well as being a Christmas to remember. Though it may not be a traditional white yuletide, spending Christmas in the sunny Algarve is less commercial and, culturally, more family orientated, not to mention, a comfortable 15-16 degrees Celsius.

Continue reading... Father Christmas in Faro

The Spanish, as a nation, enjoy a pretty sizable amount of time off with 14 national public holidays, on top of other regional feast days, and an average of 4 weeks paid leave a year. One of the most significant national, secular holidays, 'Dia de Constitution', celebrates Spain's transition into democracy after the death of the oppressive dictator General Francisco Franco. On the 6th of December 1978, in a landslide referendum, the Spanish people voted to establish an advanced democratic society in which welfare, cooperation and liberty where enshrined and promoted.

Continue reading... Spain's 'Dia de Constitution'

The people of Zante, Greece certainly know how to make any celebration lively. If you are planning a holiday then Zante is a place to be during Christmas, New Year and Epiphany. Zante is accessible by air and there are several flights to Zante from popular locations in the world. Although there are several opportunities spread across the whole year but the end and beginning of the year is somehow more special because of the joyous Christmas and the freshness of the New Year.

Continue reading... Christmas and the Epiphany in Zante

The month of august in Kefalonia welcomes you to the unique Snake festival held at the Church of the Virgin in the village of Markopoulo. Dont miss out on this opportunity to witness this one of a kind festival as your flight to Kefalonia lands. The festival is held on 14th and 15th of August, so you can plan your trip around this time.

Continue reading... Snake Festival Kefalonia

Varkarola is a popular festival of Corfu that is held here in every summer season. The festival has got everything to do with Saint Spyridon. It is the belief of the locals of Kalami that Saint Spyridon saved the people of the Island from the persistent attacks of the Turks. The event celebrates this miracle that took place on 11th August 1716 in the most incredible manner. The festival is celebrated by performing nautical fights among sailors of the Island. It is a depiction of how the Turks were defeated and sent back from the Island.

Continue reading... The Varkarola Festival of Corfu

The Bodrum Cup is a grand event held every year since 1989. It is organized usually in the third week every October. The event gives a chance to all the sailing enthusiasts to sail through Turkeys incredibly exciting south western waters which mark the intersection of the Aegean and the Mediterranean Sea. To begin with, you will have to reach Bodrum in Turkey. There are several flights to Bodrum from different parts of the world. For instance, if you are located anywhere in the United States then you can fly via Turkish Airlines to directly reach Bodrum.

Continue reading... Bodrum Cup

With a festa being held almost every weekend, its hard not to bump into one of these during your holiday in Malta. No matter which time of year you visit Malta, you are sure to find at least one festa being organized in one of the villages. Its hard to believe that such a small island can have so many events in a single year. Its strategic location left it bare to several attacks, where the country ended up being ruled by Greek, Roman, French and British rulers. This is probably the reason for its unique culture and a whopping 60 festas held every year from May to September.

Continue reading... Malta Festa - The Village Feast

If you are a big fan of carnivals, festivals and any forms of parties, then Lanzarote is the place to be. This island hosts a vast number of events for any one calendar year and of course, 2010 is no different. Some of their famous festivities have already occurred, but you can attend those next year if you missed them this year. They are the February carnivals, the festivities for Holy Week at Marchs end, the Day of the Cross celebrations in May, Junes Lanzarotes Corpus Christi celebrations and of course the Heineken Jazz festival which takes place every July.

Continue reading... year-round festivities in lanzarote

There are tons of exciting activities and events to keep vacationers happy and productive. Dalaman has an annual festival that is kept at the end of June and it generally lasts for three days each year. Of course, the next Kas Lycia festival, as it is called, will be taking place at the end of June 2011. This festival involves the union and participation of local folk dancers and international ones. It is a very colorful and festive event.

Continue reading... dalaman in turkey is a wonderful place for a vacation

A Celebration of Sainthood in Menorca Among the many annual festivals celebrated in the Balearic Islands, the upcoming Processio de la Beata is considered one of the most important. It is a celebration in honor of Saint Catalina Tomas, the patron saint of the town of Santa Margalida.

Continue reading... Processio de la Beata

Alicante is a prestigious city in Spain, known for its long summers and mild winters. This city is famous for its love of life, music, fireworks, festivals and gourmet dining. Alicante takes pride in its traditions and cultural values which show through in their festivals. These festivals take place throughout the year, but the summer festivals are more popular with tourists due to the number of flights to Alicante during this season.

Continue reading... Alicante Festivals and Gourmet

Eastern Europe has long been shrouded in mystery, and this has only added to the magic of these often forgotten lands. If you fancy a holiday in a country that resembles a lost romantic fable, a heady mix of modern and old, book yourflights to Burgas in time for the wonderful Folklore Festival in August.

Continue reading... Burgas International Folklore Festival

Everyone has heard of bull fighting, but how about camel wrestling? This rather unorthodox and much less gruesome sporting tradition derived from Anatolian semi-nomadic custom survives in the city of Selcuk in Turkey. Known for its proximity to the ruins of Ephesus, Selcuk is the capital of camel wrestling. The national Camel Wrestling Championship takes place in the outskirts of the Aegean coastal city in January - but do plan ahead if you want to catch a glimpse of something extraordinary!

Continue reading... Camel Wrestling in Anatolia

Next Wednesday, most USA citizens will celebrate the Mexican army's unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on the 5th of May, 1862. Cinco de Mayo, Spanish for "fifth of May", is celebrated all throughout the USA because the 4,000 Mexican soldiers defeated the much better-equipped French army of 8,000 that had not been defeated for half a century and, since the Battle of Puebla, no American country has been invaded by an army from another continent.

Continue reading... Celebrate Cinco de Mayo

In Spanish areas, there's always something festive happening and the Canarian Islands are no exception. One of the most popular events on the Canarian island Fuerteventura is the Feria de Artesania, a festival that annually takes place in May. For three days, locals gather in Antigua to display things they have made by hand, from furniture, weaving, clothes and musical instruments to local cheese, sweets and dried fish.

Continue reading... Find new Furniture in Fuerteventura

The sun is already shining on Mallorca and the island hasn't even got to its main event of the year yet. Just like all Spanish towns, Palma's biggest festive event took place, not on 25th December, but on 6th January.

Continue reading... New Year Arts in Mallorca

The social calendar during December on the island of Malta has a familiar British ring to it and that's no surprise given Malta's history and its long associated with Britain.

Continue reading... December Events in Malta

The 17th December, was the shortest day of the year in Funchal on the island of Madeira in 2009, dusk arrived at 4 minutes to five in the afternoon only 600 minutes after sunrise. Compare that to London whose shortest day came a day or two later and was only 470 minutes long. So a winter break on the island of Madeira will not only provide more sun and warmer temperatures, but the days will be over two hours longer too.

Continue reading... Funchal's Shortest Day

While much of Britain still experienced cold, snowy weather and temperatures in Scotland plummeted to as low as minus sixteen, we thought a round up of the weather in our key winter sun destinations would warm you up a little.

Continue reading... Festive Weather Round Up

In Cyprus the towns of Larnaca and Paphos are favourites of both British tourists and ex-pats who have gone there to live and enjoy the milder climate. As you might expect the Christmas cultures of the towns are both a mix of Greek Cypriot traditions and those more modern derivatives that the mix of nationalities brings to the area.

Continue reading... December Culture in Larnaca and Paphos

Ibiza is one of those holiday islands that enjoys a bit of a break from September onwards. The busy summer crowds have subsided and the vast sandy beaches are more easily admired. The tourists who take their holidays in September, having waited until the school-age children have returned home, have been able to enjoy a more peaceful time on the island. Once October arrives everything eases back to a slower pace, the international nightclubs that Ibiza is famous for have had their end of season parties and the islands is given back to the locals for a few months.

Continue reading... Christmas on Ibiza

The famous Disney Parks near Orlando in Florida are a lure to children and their parents at all times of the year, but at Christmas they take on an added attraction as the magic of the festive season provides a reason for the parks to put on extra special events.

Continue reading... Christmas Spectaculars in Orlando

There are all kinds of festive events on the calendar for Malta in the run up to Christmas.

Continue reading... Christmas Events on Malta

Visitors to Mallorca during the peak months of the summer more often than not stay in their resorts for the duration of their stay. But for those coming to the island during December there are plenty of reasons to take a trip into the capital Palma, to experience the sights and sounds as the Mallorcan Christmas approaches. In terms of music there are many different Christmas concerts, during the early part of the month there was also a varied choice of concerts in different musical styles, that provided something for everyone.

Continue reading... Music Variety in Mallorca During December

Whilst many European holiday resorts go through a quite spell before the start of the festive holiday period in mid December, Tenerife still has plenty of activities and events to interest visitors during November and early December.

Continue reading... Forthcoming Events on Tenerife

If you are looking for a high energy New Year party followed by some peaceful relaxation in the sun away from the cold, wet weather that is currently shrouding the UK, then Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt may be just the ticket.

Continue reading... Plan your New Year Party in Sharm

As a holiday island that relies on tourism for much of its commercial activity, the authorities in Mallorca have a responsibility to their business community to provide a continuing stream of events and attractions that help bring visitors to the island all year round. Mallorca has slowly developed a tried and tested seasonal shift that sees the springtime favouring the activities of cyclists and athletes, who come to the island for warm weather training. Then the long summer panders to the millions of sun and beach lovers who enjoy the island's many perfect resorts. Autumn sees a switch to sailing and also culture that brings art and music festivals to the island. At the end of the year Christmas provides a perfect bridge to the golfing season that takes over in the New Year.

Continue reading... Mallorca's Seasonal Shift

For many the Christmas period presents the perfect opportunity to take a short break and get away for a little rest and relaxation. For some a cosy chalet in snow covered mountains is the ideal break while others yearn for some warm sunshine. Being only a short flight from the UK, Lanzarote offers the combination of convenience and value for British tourists seeking some warmer weather.

Continue reading... Lanzarote Christmas

When promoters were looking for the perfect place to host a Christmas Fair in Palma de Mallorca, the unique Poble Espanyol (Spanish Village) was always going to be a frontrunner. This unique open air museum, village and shopping centre was an obvious choice for somewhere that could be transformed at Christmas into something very special.

Continue reading... Special Authentic Christmas in Palma Mallorca

December is now upon us and Christmas celebrations are starting to begin in earnest with many countries seeing traditional Christmas fairs and markets springing up in their towns and villages.

Continue reading... Christmas Fairs and Markets

With the festive season just a few weeks away, plans for getting away for some seasonal sun may be uppermost in the minds of those who prefer to spend the period in a warmer climate.

Continue reading... Christmas Getaway

Imagine the traditional Christmas scene and snowy forests or icy lakes may spring to mind. Well the festive season on Portugal's Algarve coast is highly unlikely to feature either of those, benefitting as it does from mild, dry weather right through the months of November, December and January. Of course you may be unlucky enough to catch a stray band of rain or be subjected to one of the onshore Atlantic breezes but largely the weather will be mild and sunny.

Continue reading... Christmas on The Algarve