Tag Archives: festival

Strange June Festivals

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During the month of June, certainly in Great Britain, summer is well upon us and every now and then we may even be lucky enough to get a spot of sunshine for a day or two. However summer is a great time for holidays and for getting out and seeing the world. Although some holidays may cost a pretty penny, if you want to experience some great culture in the form of weird and whacky festivals, there are a couple of places you absolutely need to visit in the month of June to make a great holiday.

leekFesta de Sao Joao do Porto

The Festival of John the Baptist in Portugal holds some strange tradi tions which have slightly lost their meanings over the years, although it makes for a great experience for tourists and holidaymakers.

Although the entire festival lasts over the course of several days, the oddest tradition occurs on the 23rd June which works as a very strange Valentine’s day-esque celebration.

Houses are draped in bunting and people will run around ‘attacking’ their crushes or significant others with a small plastic hammer or limp leeks. The ‘attack’ is normally gentle as it is done out of love, but what this signifies in ancient tradition is unclear.

Roasted Pig Parade

Roast_Suckling_Pig_(2505471024)Known as a pretty famous festival in the town of Balayan in the Philippines, the roasted pig parade occurs annually on the 24th June, again as part of the feast of Saint John the Baptist, where one hundred pigs are roasted. After the roasting the pigs are dressed in a whole number of costumes which vary from year to year and can be anything imaginable.

The residents then gather at the church and sit for the holy mass and afterwards there is a big parade to celebrate the roasting of the pigs. Finally after the end of the parade the pig meat is distributed among the onlookers and the participants of the parade, marking the end of the celebration.

Penguin car hire strives to provide you with a comprehensive and easy to use list of hired cars available in every country in the world. Whether you are travelling from Portland to Portugal and beyond, or are just looking for a great deal for a hired car on your normal holiday abroad, Penguin has a huge range of hired cars for you!

St Patrick’s Day Festival

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Today is St Patrick’s Day, one of the most well-known holidays for those of Irish descent. St Patrick’s Day is celebrated enthusiastically across the world, but nowhere celebrates better than the Irish themselves. Those of Irish American descent may find themselves caught up in parades and various celebrations, but if you’re looking for the best place to celebrate St Patrick’s Day, Ireland is the place to be.

From the 14th to the 17th March 2014, the whole of Ireland gathered together to celebrate St Patrick’s Day in St Patrick’s Festival, located in Dublin, Ireland, and full of exciting events and performances that continued throughout the weekend.

St Patrick is one of Ireland’s most famous saints and most of what is known about him is derived from the Declaration thought to have been written by Patrick himself. It depicts Saint Patrick’s life before he became a priest, when he was kidnapped and sold into slavery on Gaellic Ireland, where he worked as a shepherd. During his days there he claimed to have ‘found god’ and brought it back to mainland Ireland, where he converted many of the Pagan Irish to Christianity until he died on the 17th March.

DUBLIN IN FEBRUARY 2006The St Patrick’s Day parade uses Ireland’s commemorative era as inspiration and throughout the next few years will be looking at the themes of ‘Past Present and Future’ when it comes to celebrating St Patrick’s Day and Ireland’s history. Plus next year the festival will pose the question ‘Who do we aspire to be in the next 100 years?’

Eight pageant companies will bring beautiful creations to life that culminated in a gorgeous and awe-inspiring parade that started at 12pm today. It begins on Parnell Square in Dublin, passing through O’Connell Street, over O’Connell Bridge, Westmoreland Streets, Dane Street and through to where it finishes at St Patrick’s Cathedral. If you’re visiting Ireland on holiday, why not hire a car in Dublin and head over to catch the festivities?

[penguin]st patricks day blogOther events that occurred throughout the weekend was a number of Music and Street performance vendors, including fun-fairs and various entertainment rides and information about the history of St Patrick’s Day, making it a great day out for you and the kids.

All this culminates in the Greening the City event, among other events, which starts at 6:30pm and sees various iconic buildings throughout Dublin ‘going green’ meaning that they are bathed in a green spotlight. It is a momentous event and one not to miss for those aspiring photographers out there!

50 States Road Trip – North Dakota

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North Dakota is a state often forgotten by most of America and the rest of the modern world. Nothing particularly life-changing or significant seems to happen there, it didn’t birth any global geniuses, and it hasn’t suffered any huge tragedies like earthquakes or hurricanes. But North Dakota is a pretty awesome state. Why? We will tell you.

usa-map-north-dakota

Teddy Roosevelt

When studying at Harvard University, Theodore Roosevelt was a frail, weak young man and was told by his personal physician that he didn’t have long to live. He spent three years living in North Dakota, where he gained weight, became stronger and got a fabulous tan. Later he was reported as looking as ‘hearty and strong enough to drive oxen’. So don’t sweat North Dakota, because it’s awesome!  It helped heal a future President of The United States of America!

National Park

As well as a number of national parks, make sure to visit the Teddy Roosevelt national park, if just for the Painted Canyon Overlook. The view is intensely beautiful, showing a stunning vista of the plains and the badlands of North Dakota. In contrast, The Teddy Roosevelt national park is also home to Peaceful Valley, a gorgeous valley filled with native wildflowers and butterflies. Previously a horse ranch, it is now one of the most scenic spots in the National park.

Fairs and Festivals

North Dakota is also known for taking great pride in its many Fairs and Festivals. North Dakota is home to countless Festivals and Fairs, from fairs about kites and polka dots to Mardi Gras to a 3 day long barbeque. One of the biggest festivals in North Dakota is the Scandinavian Norsk Hostfest. Held annually in the autumn season (or fall in the USA) it is the largest Scandinavian festival in North America, attracting tens of thousands of people from all over the world every year.

swedish-food-festivalFounded in 1978, Norsk Hostfest provides a host of world class entertainment, Scandinavian cuisine, handcrafted merchandise and bric-a-brac for sale and on display, plus a selection of purchasable foods inspired by the cultures of Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden and Iceland among others.

The Festival occurs over 5 days from the 30th September to the 4th October 2014, and offers on site accommodation for those wishing to stay for more than one day or for the entire trip.  With a variety of accommodation to choose from, you can stay in a hotel, in a private house or even camp out for the full festival experience! The Norsk Hostfest is located along route 83, and is right next to Minot’s town centre.

Next on our 50 states road trip by hired car we will be visiting the state of Minnesota, humble home of the Green Giant, Scotch tape and masking tape! Ho ho ho!