European Festivals January/February/March 2012
20 January 2012
January 2012 
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30 Dec - 1 January |
SCOTLAND, Edinburgh's Hogmanay - one of world's best New year Celebrations, a truly wild and wooly underwear occasion, with a torchlight procession, a Fire Festival, fireworks, concerts and much insobriety, in a city dark yet strangely light... Edinburgh Guide, Pictures
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31 December 2011 until |
AUSTRIA, Kaiser Imperial Ball at the Hofburg Palace on 31st of December and Vienna's Ball season - dazzling dances in a blizzard of snow, elegance and music, especially Vienna's New Year's Day Concert. Vienna Pictures |
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1 January |
FRANCE, Paris Grand Parade - massive and colourful. Paris Photos
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Mid January TBA |
SPAIN, San Anton Festival in the village of Canillas de Albaida - a typical rural Andalucian fiesta for their patron saint San Anton, with lots of horses, music, dance and a parade.
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28 - 30 January |
SWEDEN, Kiruna Snow Festival - It's all white in the snowy north as reindeers race, dog sleds drift and artists sculpt ice into fantasy forms. Sweden Pictures |
February 2012
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5, 12, 19, 21, 26 February and 3 March |
ITALY, Viareggio Carnival - Italy's maddest event with parades sporting huge puppets among the kaleidoscope folk, revelry of all sorts and fireworks...BUT mainly on successive Sundays.
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6 - 22 February tho' 21th is the big day and the 'Battle of the Oranges'. |
ITALY, Ivrea Carnival, Storico Carnevale di Ivrea, Piedmont district of Turin - another colourful carnival, but with a different ending as the whole town partakes in a monstrous orange fight, Battaglia delle Arance. Wear a tall, red hat if you don't wish to participate [or was it don't wear a tall red hat...?].
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16 - 22 February |
GERMANY, Cologne Carnival [Kolner Karneval] - Germany's answer to Mardi Gras, a huge event marking the beginning of Lent, local festivities and a monster Rose Monday parade.
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16 - 22 February |
SPAIN, Sitges Carnival near Barcelona - the wildest, gayest party of the year in Spain.
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19 - 21 February |
BELGIUM, Binche Carnival, Carnaval de Binche - one of Belgium's wildest parties, a UNESCO Heritage event, half an hour south of Brussels. Sunday and Tuesday are best.
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17 February - 4 March |
FRANCE, Nice Carnival, the Cote d'Azur - a brilliant event on the lovely promenade of a terrific city, but not every day and parades are basically the same so one is probably enough. And half an hour along the coast Menton is having a small but colourful Lemon Festival during approximately the same period. Le Carnaval de Nice
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11 - 21 February |
ITALY, Venice Carnival - colourful, fascinating, funny and a superbly costumed environment in spectacular St Mark's Square and the misty, magical streets around. For the full flavour, buy a mask, rent a costume and go to a palazzo ball [the best is the Doge's Ball].
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March 2012
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5, 12, 19, 21, 26 February and 3 March |
ITALY, Viareggio Carnival - Italy's maddest event with parades sporting huge puppets among the kaleidoscope folk, revelry of all sorts and fireworks...BUT mainly on successive Sundays.
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17 February - 4 March |
FRANCE, Nice Carnival, the Cote d'Azur - a brilliant event on the lovely promenade of a terrific city, but not every day and parades are basically the same so one is probably enough. And half an hour along the coast Menton is having a small but colourful Lemon Festival during approximately the same period. Le Carnaval de Nice
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3 - 9 March |
GERMANY, Dusseldorf Carnival - another massive, outrageous and psychedelic occasion; Sunday is probably the best [wacky dress] parade.
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9 - 25 March |
GERMANY, Munich, Strong Beer Festival [also known as Strong Beer Season], Starkbierzeit, a traditional beer-swilling, belly-swinging, guttural-singing, mostly German celebration.
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15 - 19 March |
SPAIN, Fallas de Valencia - a madly explosive carnival/fiesta combination that will blow your socks off. Locals spend 5 days partying - parades, pageants and moderate fireworks then on the last night, they turn off all the city lights and set fire to hundreds of massive papier-maché statues stuffed with fireworks around the city. Kaboom. Spain Travel Guide
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16 - 19 March |
IRELAND, Dublin St Patrick's Festival and St Patrick's Day Parade - a wild, green five days, including a huge parade. p.s. What's the difference between an Irish wedding and a funeral? There's one less drunk person at the funeral. Ireland Travel
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16 March - 1 April |
HUNGARY Budapest Spring Music Festival - all sorts of arts, music, drama, dance, exhibitions, poetry and kid's stuff, local and international, in a fine European city. Budapest Pictures |