Farewell Winter, Welcome Spring!

We love White tints of Winter, whether it’s biting frost in Northern Europe, majestic snow in mountains, power of ancient history and architecture of Rome, Athens and Egypt, or warm  sands of beautiful beaches in Mexico or Dubai..

But it’s time for changes! We want to move on to Spring! And we want to celebrate the ending of winter!

February is full of pre-Lent festivals, which often blend local pagan and religious traditions, they usher out the winter and greet the Spring!

You will never feel cold in February! It’s the party time!

• Start the Winter farewell party in Venice! Flirt and enjoy romance of charming masks in the city of emerald canals and mesmerising songs of gondoliers! The Venice Carnival starts end of January and lasts for almost 3 weeks till mid of February.
• 2nd Week of February – move to Switzerland to dance with bizaar masked crowds in Lucerne, to turn everything upside down to Honolulu and then  at the end of month to burn the Straw man Böögg in a town of Solothurn
• Go for a big “date” festival on Valentine’s day in Italian city of lovers Terni –  a town of St. Valentine himself:)
• Dance with dragons to celebrate Chinese New Year (16 February in 2017)!

Last week of February –  It’s so difficult to choose amongst all these fun carnivals across Europe! Everyone celebrates Fat Tuesday / Mardi Gras..

• Nice weather, bold & extravagant costumes, music, food, siestas.. All Spain is celebrating end of winter!  The most raucous festivities are in the Canary Islands, Cadiz and Sitges. And if you want but can’t go to Rio, then go to Tenerife!:)
• Play giant puppets, enjoy folklor humor and fun in Belgium and meet the Prince of the Fools at  carnivals of Netherlands 
• Get vitamine C!:)
  • Fight at Orange battle during the Orange week in Italian town of Ivrea
  • Admire French riviera and have 2 weeks of Lemon fun at Menton town in South of France!
• Are you fancy for politics and sarcastic jokes? You’ll enjoy the “5th season” of the Rhenish festivals in Germany:
  • Overtake the city of Dusseldorf with ladies at townhall, during youngsters during the Youth procession and the other street carnivals
  • Have fun with joy in your heart at Aachen – the medal owner for combating the deadly seriousness🙂
  • Lough to tears on the Rose Monday – The culmination of the 5th Season.
• Last week of February in Russia – Foodies paradise! It’s Maslenitsa – the Pancakes week! Full week people make and eat plenty of pancakes and similar treats. And on Sunday people ask each other for forgiveness and then celebrate the arrival of Spring by burning a straw puppet representing the winter and dancing around bonfire.
• Dance the diablo dances with Incas, Conquisadors and Morenos at Bolivian carnival in Oruro!
• And of course, it’s time to enjoy the greatest show in the world – Carnival in Brazil!

Goodbye Winter, you were great! But now we welcome the Spring!

* Majority of the festivals above depend on Lunar calendar, thus the dates fluctuate within February- beg. March.