2. BRAZIL’S CARNIVAL Each spring, on the Saturday before Ash Wednesday, the streets of Brazil’s largest city, Rio de Janeiro, come alive with wild parties, festivals and glamorous balls. The Samba School Parade is the highlight of the four-day event. About 3,000 performers, clad in ornate costumes embellished with feathers, beads and thousands of sequins, dance down the parade route alongside dazzling floats and into the Sambadrome-a dance stadium built for the event.
3. CHINESE NEW YEAR The new year begins on the first day of the Chinese calendar, which usually falls in February, and the festivities continue for 15 days. People wear red clothes, give children “lucky money” in red envelopes and set off firecrackers. Red symbolizes fire, which the Chinese believe drives away bad luck. Family members gather at each other's homes for extravagant meals. Chinese New Year ends with a lantern festival. The highlight of the lantern festival is often the dragon dance.
4. HinaMatsuri Each year, on the third of March, called HinaMatsuri. Girls display their most precious dolls on a seven-tiered platform in their home. Families visit shrines and pray for the health and happiness of their girls. Japan also celebrates a special day for boys, called Kodomono-hi. On May 5th, families that have boys fly spectacular kites shaped like carp and decorate their homes with figures of traditional warriors to inspire the boys to be strong and brave.
5. COLUMBUS DAY Christopher Columbus discovered America, which occurred on October 12, 1492. It became a federal holiday in 1970 for United States. Christopher Columbus Day is Celebrated as Day of the Race in many countries in Latin America, as Day of the Cultures in Costa Rica, as Discovery Day in The Bahamas, as Spanish Day and National Day in Spain..
6. ST PATRICK’S DAY St. Patrick's Day is celebrated on March 17, his religious feast day and the anniversary of his death in the fifth century. On St. Patrick's Day, which falls during the Christian season of Lent, Irish families would traditionally attend church in the morning and celebrate in the afternoon. The traditional meal of Irish bacon and cabbage.
7. CHRISTMAS IN GERMANY People light one candle on every Sunday and have a "Adventskalender". On the 6th of December they have St. Nicola's Day.On the day before Christmas families decorate their own Christmas trees with candles, balls and tinsel. On the evening of the 24th December families give gifts to family members and friends.
