Celebrations! The year in festivals

Festivals play such an important part in societies that somewhere there is probably a festival going on every day of the year. The origins of many are lost, but feasts and processions can be seen on Egyptian pharaohs’ tombs. Festivals celebrate life, religion, nature, and local customs, giving us a sense of belonging and continuity. But most of all, they are a celebration of the human spirit. With our own festive season receding into memory, Marion Bull picks out a a few others for the New Year

JANUARY

Epiphany, (6 January) is celebrated more than Christmas in many parts of Europe. In Italy, don’t be surprised to see La Befana, a witch flying through the air – they whizz from roofs on pulleys in many towns to the delight of children, while women in the crowd below parade along with false noses. In Spain and the Canary Islands the Three Kings (Los Reyes), in oriental dress on horseback (on camels in the Canary Islands), lead a procession, throwing sweets to children.

On the last Tuesday night in January, Lerwick, Shetland Islands, is aflame with 1,000 torches for the fire festival of Up Helly Aa, with its procession, boat burning, and visitations. Traditionally, Guizer Jarl and his squad of Vikings don’t go home until 8am the following day, and much of the  community is involved in the preparation for this spectacular event.

• uphellyaa.org


FEBRUARY

A whole forest of mimosa in the South of France fills the air with the intoxicating scent of spring just outside the little sailing resort of La Napaule near Cannes. A type of wattle, the “winter sunshine” as it’s known, was originally imported from Australia, and liked the climate so much that the trees have spread across the Tanneron Massif, giving one of the most fantastic winter floral displays in Europe. I took a tour to a forcerie in the hills where the fronds are placed in warm rooms to open the buds in time for the festival. This little farm exports mimosa all over Europe. Below, the entire town is dripping with mimosa. Villagers work from dawn to make floats for the Grand Parade along the harbour on the final Sunday.

• Festival dates: 17-26 February 2012. mandelieu.com

The more commercial Nice Carnival (17 February-4 March), and further along the coast, the Menton Lemon Festival (17 February-2 March) have street parades every Sunday. All festivals are linked by train along the Côte d’Azur.

Meanwhile, in Italy, thousands have arrived for Venice Carnival (11-21 February), with people dedicating their whole lives to the event, such as the mask makers, medieval costume designers, and masked ball organisers. Entry to masked balls is around £400, but tourists can hire costumes and join in the fantasy, parading around the Piazza San Marco in fabulous creations. The tradition started in the 15th century, leading up to Lent. The aristocracy wore masks to mingle with the crowds unseen. Most ferry boats (vaporetti) are accessible, and maps are available for wheelchair routes to avoid bridges. Specialist guides available.

• turismovenezia.it and europeforvisitors.com/venice/articles/accessible_venice.htm
 

MARCH

According to Ayurvedic principles in India, colours are important for well-being. So on the second day of the Holi Festival of Colours, known as Dhuleti, people pelt each other with powdered medicinal plants such as henna, turmeric, ground jacaranda flowers, saffron, sandalwood, and beetroot juice, supposedly to ward off spring fevers and colds. An explosive atmosphere it is, with bonfires, music and dancing, and even the air is coloured. But beware: some chemical dyes used nowadays can cause skin reactions.

• Location: Hindu India and Hindi speaking regions worldwide, on 8 March at full moon.


APRIL

I once travelled from London to Crete for the day just for Greek Easter. There’s plenty of raki-fuelled Zorba dancing in the streets, fireworks, and red painted eggs – they’re even baked into bread. But stay a bit longer – on the Sunday morning, whole lambs are slow-roasted on spits in the street.

• Greek Orthodox Easter is a week later than our Easter Day this year, and falls on 15 April.

On the last weekend of April the little town of Sommières in Roman France stages a spectacular medieval event over three days, with wandering minstrels, archers, knights, fire-eaters, a procession, medieval plague cart bearers, a market, and a giant fougasse (savoury pastry) stretching across the street.

• The nearest airport is Nîmes. L’Estelou hotel in Sommières is accessible. ot-sommieres.fr


MAY

Old English May Day celebrations herald the start of summer, with maypole dancing on village greens, often overseen by the mysterious Green Man with foliate head, who peers out at the proceedings from many a medieval church. Some 4,000 wooden carvings of him exist in England, although no one is quite sure who he is.

• A photography exhibition, Mummers, Maypoles and Milkmaids goes on until 9 September, Horniman Museum, London SE23. horniman.ac.uk

Padstow’s Obby Oss (Hobby Horse) May Day festival in Cornwall is different, and probably one of the oldest in Britain, dating from the 14th century. It celebrates a Celtic event where the crowd follows two masked figures in hooped attire dancing around the streets, and it goes on till midnight.

• See padstow.com and for access/parking advice: padstowlive.com


JUNE

Frankenmuth Bavarian Festival is a typical German spring event with maypole dancers, stalls, and a best-avoided pie-eating contest. Bavarian food, beer, architecture and even a May Queen fountain makes this town very special – not least because it’s nowhere near Germany or even Europe. This is the Midwest, America. German-speaking townsfolk arrived as Lutheran missionaries in the 19th century and kept their traditions. The atmospheric logging town of Bay City to the north of Frankenmuth near Lake Michigan, with its wide empty streets and old town across the river is worth a stop. See ‘50s cars and Harley-Davidson gatherings.

• The Bavarian Festival is 7-10 June. Sunday Parade: 10 June.


JULY

The little town of La Tirana in the Tarapaca region of northern Chile sees 200 hideous demons descending on its streets for the good-over-evil festival on 16 July, in honour of the Virgen del Carmen, the nation’s patron saint. It’s a fantastic event dating back to the 16th century, and can be traced back to ceremonies held by indigenous Andeans, who celebrated a Mother Earth festival. The demons in grotesque masks manage to balance massive headdresses covered in tiny lights, while swirling in heavily decorated capes as they parade through the streets, but are pushed back by the “good” forces of music and dance.

• letsgochile.com


AUGUST

The vanilla isle of Mayotte, a tiny French overseas territory between Madagascar and the Comoros islands has a tradition of women all wearing the same colours to identify their village. Festivals break out year-round, from the festival of welcoming back pilgrims from the Hajj, Mecca (various dates) when the whole island turns out to see the ferry come in, to the Grand Marriage festival (or Haroussi) in August, a 4-day feast and wedding march, when guests sing and dance their way through the streets so that the husband can show off his wealth. Traditionally, women cover their faces with sandalwood paste to beautify themselves, and as a sun protection. The air is heavy with the scent of vanilla, ylang ylang (Guerlain uses their plantations for its perfume), and pineapple.

• franceguide.com


SEPTEMBER

This is not a typical festival as such, but a celebration of the best of British locally produced food. The Ludlow Marches Food Festival in the lovely setting of Ludlow Castle, Shropshire, offers everything from chocolate tastings to real ale, street food awards, organic produce and baking competitions, with over 140 specialist producers, including some from Ludlow’s twin towns in France and Italy. Outside the castle the festival continues in the town’s specialist food shops. The castle event is accessible with special parking and disabled WC.

• Dates: 7-9 September. foodfestival.co.uk. Ludlow visitor information: 01584 875053.


OCTOBER

Nowhere is more evocative of autumn than the forests of the Cévennes in Languedoc-Roussillon, France. Festivals in remote villages here celebrate the humble chestnut. Ground up to make flour for bread, it once saved the local population from famine. In St Germain de Calberte, Lozère, everyone dresses up in 18th century costume on the last weekend of October. There is a small food fair, accordion players, and rustic lunch of chestnut soup and wild boar in the village hall. Guided tours go to the smoke sheds, where traditionally the chestnuts are dried. These are simple community events where you can get to know the locals.

• Nearest train station: Alès, then an expedition into the hills by taxi. mescevennes.com


NOVEMBER

Portsmouth Historic Dockyard is transformed into snowy Christmas streets for its Victorian Christmas Festival, with magic lantern shows, carols, a Dickensian Christmas market, penny farthings whizzing by, mulled wine, boat trips round Portsmouth Harbour (weather permitting), and entry to the Mary Rose and other museums, as well as HMS Victory (accessible). Recently a local woman donated a 1900 Peek Freans plum pudding to the museum, which had been sent to the Navy in the Boer War at Christmas. Somehow it ended up in the back of her food cupboard.

• Unaccompanied wheelchair-users are not allowed into the dockyard, but carers go free. Wheelchair-users can get concessionary tickets christmasfestival.co.uk


DECEMBER

During the second week, the Sema, the mystical Festival of the Whirling Dervishes commemorates the death of Mevlana who founded a tolerant Sufi sect in the 13th century in historical Konya, central Turkey. His mausoleum is open to the public. The dancers dress in white, whirling endlessly to the haunting sound of the ney a high-pitched reed pipe played over background music, until they reach a state of trance. No applause at the end – the spectacle is so beautiful that the audience is often left in a trance-like state as well. Women should wear headscarves.

• Festival tickets must be bought in advance. Flights from London via Istanbul. gototurkey.co.uk