Global Good Times: World Holidays All Year-Round

In these parts, we often think of the holiday season as the five or six weeks between Thanksgiving and the New Year.

But look around the world and you can find a celebration any time of year.

January

Australia Day is Jan. 26. The Aussie celebration includes events nationwide, like boat races in Sydney Harbor and aboriginal dance performances, outdoor concerts, festivals and fireworks throughout the country.

February

Mardi Gras is usually held 46 days before Easter. That makes it Feb. 13 next year. New Orleans is the place to be for parades and concerts.

March

The four-day St. Patrick’s Festival takes place in Dublin around March 17. It usually includes parades, walking tours, scavenger hunts and craft whiskey fairs.

April

Easter is in April through 2023. Thousands of Catholics celebrate by heading to Vatican City for a papal blessing and message in Saint Peter’s Square.

May

Bermuda Day is May 24, or the closest weekday to May 24. It’s celebrated in Hamilton, Bermuda’s capital, with a parade and performances by Gombey dancers in colorful masks and costumes.

June

Make Music Day, known internationally as Fete de la Musique, is a worldwide celebration on June 21. Events take different shapes among hundreds of participating cities.

July

Bastille Day, July 14, celebrates the start of the French Revolution, in 1789. Paris has fireworks and a massive military parade on the Champs-Elysees.

August

The Edinburgh International Festival, in Scotland, features three weeks of theatrical and musical performances at more than a dozen venues. The Edinburgh Fringe Festival, advertised as the world’s largest arts festival, runs simultaneously.

September

Oktoberfest takes place in Munich, Germany. About 7 million people attend annually. Along with (many) beer tents, the festival includes food, parades, traditional German bands and tons of lederhosen.

October

In India, families celebrate five days of Diwali by displaying colorful lights and rangoli – vibrant patterns made of rice and sand.

November

Imagine selecting a Christmas ornament as you sip cider and gaze up at centuries-old cathedrals. That’s the experience of visiting European Christmas markets. They open in late November and are big draws for late-year river cruises.

December

There are no New Year’s celebrations quite like that of Walt Disney World Resort’s Magic Kingdom, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. You won’t forget seeing fireworks exploding over Cinderella’s castle.

If you want to experience some of these world holidays yourself, go to AAA.com/Travel or AAA.com/Vacations.