Festivals Around the World | World Culture

Improve your English listening skills while travelling the world and experiencing new cultures! In today’s English lesson, we explore how festivals are the best way to integrate with locals and learn about an area. A festival is usually staged by a community to celebrate a unique aspect of its traditions. The Bull Run (Pamplona, Spain): The 'Encierro' is an adrenaline-buzz-filled festival held annually from July 7th to 14th. Participants run an 875-meter course alongside six bulls. It is dangerous, with average herd speeds reaching 24km/h. La Tomatina (Valencia, Spain): Held on the last Wednesday of August, this festival is purely for entertainment. Participants engage in a huge tomato fight in the town square. It is estimated that 150,000kg of tomatoes are thrown each year! Rio Carnival (Brazil): This is the largest festival in the world. It features over 2 million people a day on the city's streets for 6 days. It is held annually in the week leading up to Lent and features feathery costumes and eclectic performances. Diwali (India): Also known as ‘The Festival of Lights’, this is the biggest Hindu festival celebrated across India. It is a five-day celebration where clay lamps are lit to signify the victory of good over evil. The exact date is based on the Hindu lunar calendar, typically occurring around October or November. Cooper’s Hill Cheese Rolling (Gloucestershire, UK): This somewhat bizarre festival involves participants throwing a 3-4kg circular Double Gloucester cheese-roll down an extremely steep hill of about 200 yards. The cheese can reach speeds of up to 110km/h. This comical tradition is thought to have begun over six hundred years ago.