Festivals & Events

Celebrated annually on March 26th, Independence Day marks Bangladesh’s official separation and hard-won independence from Pakistan. Numerous events are held around the country including parades, fairs, concerts, ceremonies celebrating the history and traditions of Bangladesh. Main streets are decorated with national flags and Television and radio stations will broadcast special programs and patriotic songs

Set aside the sea, the Inn Daw Gyi Shwe Myitzu Pagoda Festival is the only one of its kind in Myanmar. Attracting many people from around the globe, visitors take a relaxed boat ride from Yangon to the charming Laputta Township. The festival, with its beautiful parasols, together with the town and pagoda, is an overall delight.

Katara Esplanade’s spacious beach with steady winds is where the Doha’s International Kite Festival takes place over several days each March. Over 100 participants from around the world compete for the honors in various categories, while spectators can enjoy the visual feast in the sky as well as a variety of family-friendly activities including kite-making workshops, face painting, and street painting.

Local tribespeople flock to Kakku for this festival in Taunggyi in the Shan State. Slender, elegant pagodas decorate the festival grounds in the traditional geometric look typical of the region. 

This traditional religious ritual takes place annually on Good Friday. In a rice field outside the city of San Fernando, repentant sinners are tied and nailed to a cross with stainless steel, disinfected nails, in a re-enactment of the crucifixion of Christ. Penitents take part in order to cleanse themselves of their sins.

This week-long festival takes place throughout Holy Week on the island of Marinduque. Locals dress in colorful Roman armor and costumes and parade in the streets. Stories are reenacted and on Good Friday, the men march through the streets, whipping themselves to reflect the suffering of Christ in order to absolve themselves of sins.

This one-day festival marks the beginning of spring on the date of the Spring Equinox and is celebrated throughout Uzbekistan with bazaars and carnivals with horse races, music and dancing. It is said that nature will be more generous according to how lively the festivities are. Traditional dishes including ‘sumalak’ are cooked and shared with folk tales and songs.

Navruz is an ancient festival that takes place over three days in late March, marking the first day of spring and the Persian New Year. This important national holiday is celebrated with whole towns preparing special dishes to be eaten only on this occasion, and taking part in street parties, concerts, parades, and visiting with friends and family.

The festival of Nooruz (or Navruz) occurs each year on the vernal equinox to usher in spring. Originating in Persian culture and Zoroastrianism, Nooruz is based on pre-Islamic belief in the sun. Today, people in more than 20 Asian states, including Kyrgyzstan, gather each year to dance, sing and eat in celebration.

Seeking enlightenment and escaping hell, the novitiation ceremony celebrates young men becoming novices in Buddhism. A religious celebration, this fascinating cultural tradition involves a parade where the new novices walk about dressed as princes. Invaluable among Buddhist families, this is a rite of passage for young Burmese men. There is no exact age when young boys can become a novice, and no exact time of year when this must take place, however most novitation ceremonies occur between March and May, as this is when schools close for the summer vacation.