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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!

There are as many lovely ways to celebrate the year's end as there are families celebrating it. True party animals may have booked flights to Sharm el Sheik, Ibiza or the Canaries to start 2012 dancing to the tunes of world famous DJ's. Others may seek the party a bit closer to home, singing Auld Syne Lang and watching the fireworks at Trafalgar Square or even waiting for the countdown and popping the champagne at their own homes.

Continue reading... Happy New Year!

Over the last weeks, we have been blogging a lot about celebrating Christmas and New Year's Eve abroad. Now, it's your turn! Whether you've booked flights to Tenerife or are keeping it closer to home this December, fact is: you can't bring as much luggage with you as Santa can fit on his sleigh. That's why we'd love to read on their own weblogs what items British bloggers bring with them to really capture the Christmas spirit. Mention the competition in your post, leave a comment here with your URL and we will reward the most original and useful Christmas luggage tip with an appropriate prize: the Antler Purelite Large Suitcase!

Continue reading... Christmas Luggage Competition: Win an Antler Suitcase!

As the largest and most populous Canary Island, Tenerife is, as you might expect, not short of bars, restaurants and nightlife. The Island's notorious Playa De Las Americas is a neon buzz of night-time entertainment; karaoke bars, lap dancing joints and mega clubs litter the strip. But there are alternative options for visitors looking to ring in 2012 on Tenerife, in style.

Continue reading... New Year in Style on Tenerife

Where will you be on New Year's Eve? In Parliament Square, squashed up against thousands of other revellers? Sat in front of the telly with a glass of cheap plonk and a leftover Christmas party hat? Or do you fancy dancing in the New Year under the desert skies of Egypt while some of Ibiza's top DJs spin some pumping tunes?

Continue reading... New Year's Eve in Sharm for Clubbers - Pure Pacha

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

The best way to make a holiday really memorable is to immerse yourself in the local culture. Faro is renowned for playing host to some of the most prominent festivals and fiestas in the whole of the Algarve - and the low cost and convenience of flights to Faro makes them easily accessible all year round. Whether you're interested in sporting events, religious festivals or cultural celebrations, Faro is the Portuguese HQ for a range of vibrant and spectacular parties.

Continue reading... Festivals in Faro

The popular resort of Bodrum is not actually known for having spectacular festivals, however there is a couple of events that are held within this resort. The most common events within this resort are the Muslim events of Eid ul-Adha and Ramadan, these events are growing in popularity. During the month of January the main events are New Years Eve and also New Years Day. There are a lot of people that come from all over the world to enjoy these events and they make the most of the cheap flights to Bodrum.

Continue reading... Festivals in Bodrum during January and February

Ibiza, the third largest island among the Balearic Islands, is one of the most sought after party destinations of the world. The fun begins as your flights to Ibiza land next to the pristine waters at Ses Salines. A unique contrast of natural beauty and modern structures welcomes you as you enter the city of Ibiza. Interestingly, for a place famous for its nightlife, a large part of the island is registered with the United Nations as World Heritage Sites. Different festivals and events organized throughout the year add to the party atmosphere.

Continue reading... Three Kings Day Fiesta-Ibiza

Whether you like cultural events or not, the Carnival at Corfu is sure to get you celebrating for no real reason. However, the locals have enough reason to rejoice, as the carnival marks end of evil and beginning of a new year, free from sins. This is the purpose behind the carnival, where Ancient Greeks celebrated it in the beginning of spring to appease the Gods, and get a good harvest throughout the year. Held in February end or beginning of March, it is quite a popular event in the region.

Continue reading... The Carnival at Corfu

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

For the rest of this year, there are still many events to come and you can still make this island your number one vacation spot for this year. You have already missed the Heineken Jazz festival, but its annual so you can go next year, it takes place in July. You would have also liked the Easter celebrations, but as stated before, there is always next year. Lets take a look instead on the events that are coming up.

Continue reading... tenerife for the holidays

One of the unfortunate tourists that got stuck on Tenerife due to the volcanic ash cloud were Gary Lineker, his wife Danielle and their five children. After spending Christmas and New Year's even in Barbados, they were polishing up their tans in the Canary Islands right before the ash cloud halted all flights in Europe. Though the journey back to London must have been extremely stressful, the tan the Welsh lingerie model acquired during their prolonged stay seems well worth it. For those who want a holiday tan like Danielle's, flights to Tenerife have resumed.

Continue reading... Where Danielle Got Her Tan

During the winter period, flythomascook.com offers flights to Paphos in Cyprus from three UK airports, namely London Gatwick, Nottingham East Midlands and Manchester. Once we get to April, however, the schedule adds departures from a further seven airports and lots more flights. There are a number of ex-pats living in Cyprus, so flights from the UK are always popular, but Cyprus also makes a great destination for a winter or early spring break, particularly as the weather can be kind at that time of year.

Continue reading... Approaching Spring in Paphos

The tourist authorities of the island of Madeira have recently published a listing of some of their most significant cultural events for 2010.

Continue reading... Madeira Publicises 2010 Events

The rest of Europe may be settling back for a quiet few weeks to help get over the Christmas excesses but the Algarve region of Portugal is still busy at this time of year. The southern coast of Portugal is a long strip of beaches, holidays resorts and golf courses that attract visitors all year round and especially during January and February when its mild weather can provide a welcome break from the harsher winter days of the UK.

Continue reading... January Algarve Events

For an alternative winter sun getaway why not consider Funchal on the island of Madeira. The typical winter sun locations like Malta, Egypt or the Canary Islands like Tenerife, Gran Canaria or Lanzarote are all popular destinations for those seeking to spend a week or two escaping from the UK winter weather, but the island of Madeira is also a great option.

Continue reading... Funchal For February

Most people choose to fly to Tenerife for their holidays, but for the 3000 passengers on one of the world's biggest cruise ships, Santa Cruz de Tenerife was a stopping point on their sea voyage that started in Barcelona during December 2009 and had already visited Casablanca before leaving the Mediterranean to head for the Canaries.

Continue reading... Tenerife Welcomes World's Biggest Cruise Ship

If we are talking about the January weather in the UK too much, it's because it seems to be the only talking point around at the moment but also because it provides a stark contrast to the conditions in many of our winter sun destinations.

Continue reading... A Far Cry From Fuerteventura

Football fans are always treated to a feast of action over the Christmas period when most of the top UK clubs have a series of games. In Europe too, the New Year also sees renewed interest in the game and football fans who travelled to the island of Mallorca during January had a chance to watch some of mainland Europe's top players.

Continue reading... Top Flight Football in Mallorca

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 island of Mallorca and its capital Palma , like many places in Spain, prepare for a traditional Christmas and New Year that centres around four main events. Christmas Eve is important with concerts and Midnight Masses held in many churches, including the famous Seu Cathedral in Palma itself. Christmas Day is a time for relaxation and spending time with family. New Years Eve sees another excuse for celebration, with parties and fireworks displays illuminating the island's skies and then finally the celebration of the Epiphany on January 6th sees children receiving gifts in much the same way as UK children do on Christmas Day.

Continue reading... Mallorca Beyond New Year

One of the best ways to experience the true Gran Canaria is to take part in the annual carnival that started this year on the 26th January 2010.

Continue reading... Las Palmas Carnival

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

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

Continue reading... Christmas Events on Malta

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

New Years Eve celebrations seem to be getting bigger and bigger every year. London now stages a major public fireworks display, centred on the London Eye on the Thames, while TV news broadcasts always show the New Year being welcomed in different parts of the world. These reports usually show fireworks displays in Edinburgh, Paris, Sydney, Copacabana beach, Hong Kong and or the million or so revelers who converge on Times Square in New York. The New York celebrations are interesting as they first started in 1904 to commemorate the opening of the New York Times' new offices, when 200,000 people came to enjoy an all-day party put on by the newspaper. It is now estimated that 1 billion people worldwide watch the Times Square celebrations.

Continue reading... New Years Eve on the Algarve