Festivals and fairs aren’t only reserved for pleasant weather. During the coldest of days, it is very tempting to hibernate. But keep in mind the winter season has no shortage of fun outdoor events. Some of the best festivals celebrated across the globe happen during winter. Here are 8 reasons, courtesy of Journey etc, why you should start packing and make most of what winter has to offer:
In Seward, Alaska you can enjoy the company of people wearing the funniest costumes imaginable, while mustering all the courage to jump into the ice cold water of Resurrection Bay. There is also the Ugly Fish Toss, ice bowling, dog sled racing, karaoke, and oyster slurping.[image]
The Up Helly Aa Viking Festival is a tradition of the people living in Shetland Islands in the United Kingdom. The people dress up as Vikings during loud parades on the streets while carrying torches and axes. The fun with flames surely heat up the winter celebration.
The festival of lights illuminates the Niagara Falls, Ontario and turns a 3-mile stretch into a winter wonderland. Around 3 million lights brighten up the trees in combo with 125 animated displays that can amuse any pair of eye that will see them. The winter festival of lights will run through the end of January 2011. [image]
Around 2 million people flock to the island of Hokkaido in Japan for the annual Snow Festival in Sapporo. The tradition started in 1950 when some high school students made six statues from the surrounding snow. The people soon followed, building bigger and bigger snow statues and turning the festivities into an international contest by 1974. Today, the snow sculptures take several weeks to complete and while the crowd waits, you can enjoy great food, ice mazes, ice slides, and live bands.
Check out the rest of the winter fun at Journey etc.
