The year ahead
315 festivals, holy days, harvests and seasonal customs, with this year's dates. Dates are worked out afresh every day; those marked "about" follow the moon or local calendars and can shift by a day.
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October 2026
On now, 10 to 18 Oct 2026BathukammaTelangana's flower festival: women stack seasonal flowers into a cone and sing around it for nine evenings.
On now, 10 to 11 Oct 2026TbilisobaTbilisi's autumn festival of wine, bread, churchkhela and song, held every October in the old town.
11 to 19 Oct 2026NavratriNine nights for the goddess: fasting by day, and Garba and Dandiya dancing by night in Gujarat.
11 to 25 Oct 2026DashainNepal's longest and biggest festival: jamara barley shoots, a family tika from elders, kites and swings.
17 to 20 Oct 2026Durga PujaBengal's great autumn festival: pandals, clay goddesses, drums, and the community on the streets for four days.
20 Oct 2026DussehraThe tenth day after Navratri, when the triumph of good over evil is marked with effigies, processions and new beginnings.
about 25 to 31 Oct 2026Festival KreolA week of Creole music, food, dress and language in Seychelles at the end of October.
31 Oct to 1 Nov 2026Samhain and HalloweenThe night of 31 October: turnip lanterns, costumes, bonfires and barmbrack with a ring baked in.
31 Oct 2026Halloween in North AmericaCostumes, carved pumpkins, trick-or-treating and haunted houses on 31 October.November 2026
6 Nov 2026DhanterasThe first day of Diwali: buying a new utensil or a little gold for good fortune, and lighting a lamp for Yama.
6 to 10 Nov 2026TiharNepal's festival of lights, in which crows, dogs, cows and oxen are each honoured in turn before the Bhai Tika.
7 Nov 2026HogbetsotsoThe Ewe festival of the exodus from Notsie, with a durbar of chiefs, drums, and the symbolic casting-out of bad.
8 to 12 Nov 2026DiwaliThe festival of lights: lamps in every window, new clothes, sweets, and a prayer to Lakshmi for the year ahead.
about 15 to 24 Nov 2026Pushkar Camel FairA Rajasthan desert fair of camels, horses, folk music and a holy dip in the lake on the full moon of Kartik.
23 Nov 2026Karthigai DeepamThe festival of lights of Tamil Nadu: rows of clay lamps, and a great beacon lit on the hill at Tiruvannamalai.
about 24 Nov 2026Loy KrathongOn the full moon of November, small floats of banana leaf with candles and flowers are set on the river.
about 24 Nov 2026TazaungdaingBurma's festival of lights on the November full moon, with hot air balloon contests at Taunggyi and robes woven overnight.
about 26 Nov to 23 Dec 2026Christmas MarketsWooden stalls of mulled wine, gingerbread, ornaments and roasted almonds in the old town squares of Europe.December 2026
1 to 10 Dec 2026Hornbill FestivalNagaland's week-plus gathering of all its tribes at Kisama, with war dances, songs, crafts and morung displays.
1 to 31 Dec 2026Calabar CarnivalAfrica's biggest street party: a month of bands, floats and costumes in Calabar every December.
5 to 12 Dec 2026HanukkahThe festival of lights: a candle is added each night on the menorah, with fried foods, spinning dreidels and gifts.
5 Dec 2026KrampusnachtThe Alpine night of the horned Krampus: costumed runners in carved masks and bells walk the streets before St Nicholas Day.
11 to 13 Dec 2026L'EscaladeGeneva's costumed march and the smashing of a chocolate cauldron full of marzipan vegetables.
26 Dec to 1 Jan 2027KwanzaaA week of African American heritage from 26 December: a candle for each of seven principles and a feast, Karamu.
26 to 27 Dec 2026JunkanooA dawn parade in the Bahamas on Boxing Day and New Year's Day: cowbells, goatskin drums, and paper-and-crepe costumes.
31 Dec to 1 Jan 2027HogmanayScotland's New Year: first-footing with coal and whisky, torchlight processions, fireballs and Auld Lang Syne.
31 Dec to 1 Jan 2027New Year's EveTwelve grapes in Spain, white clothes in Brazil, lead pouring in Germany: the world greets midnight in its own way.January 2027
1 to 3 Jan 2027OshogatsuThe Japanese new year: osechi in lacquered boxes, a first shrine visit, kadomatsu at the gate and money for children.
2 Jan 2027Kaapse KlopseCape Town's New Year carnival: troupes in satin suits, banjos and brass, parading and singing on Tweede Nuwe Jaar.
12 Jan 2027YennayerThe Amazigh new year: a family couscous with seven vegetables, dried fruits and nuts, and the start of the farming year.
17 to 25 Jan 2027SinulogCebu's dance procession for the Santo Nino, with drums, costumes and a ritual two-steps-forward, one-step-back dance.
22 Jan 2027ÞorrablótAn Icelandic midwinter feast of preserved traditional foods, with songs and brennivín.
about 23 Jan to 9 Feb 2027Carnival of VeniceEighteen days of masks and costumes in the lagoon city, ending on Shrove Tuesday.
24 Jan 2027AlasitasBolivia's fair of miniatures: tiny houses, cars and money are blessed for a wish to come true, under the god Ekeko.
26 Jan 2027Up Helly AaLerwick's Viking fire festival: a Guizer Jarl and hundreds of torch-bearers burn a galley ship on the last Tuesday of January.February 2027
4 to 9 Feb 2027Cologne CarnivalFasteleer: women cut ties on Weiberfastnacht, Rose Monday parades, costumes and Kölsch beer in the streets.
5 to 9 Feb 2027Carnaval in Rio de JaneiroFour days of samba schools in the Sambadrome, street blocos, costumes and music before Lent.
6 to 9 Feb 2027Carnaval de BarranquillaColombia's Caribbean carnival: the Battle of Flowers, Marimonda masks, cumbia and the burial of Joselito.
6 to 8 Feb 2027Oruro CarnivalBolivia's mountain carnival: thousands of dancers in devil masks and embroidered costumes for the Virgin of the Mineshaft.
about 7 to 9 Feb 2027LosarThe Tibetan new year, kept with butter lamps, cham masked dances, khapse biscuits and a sweet barley porridge.
7 to 11 Feb 2027TetThe Vietnamese lunar new year: banh chung, peach blossom and kumquat trees, red envelopes and a return to family.
7 to 21 Feb 2027Lunar New YearThe Spring Festival: the great family reunion dinner, red envelopes, firecrackers, lion dances and fifteen days of visiting.
7 to 9 Feb 2027SeollalThe Korean lunar new year: hanbok, ancestral rites, deep bows for elders, sebae money and tteokguk soup.
about 7 to 9 Feb 2027Tsagaan SarThe Mongolian White Moon: a pyramid of biscuits, mutton, deep greeting with the blue silk khadag and the exchange of snuff bottles.
8 to 9 Feb 2027Trinidad CarnivalThe greatest show of the Caribbean: J'ouvert at dawn, then masquerade bands in feathers, soca and steelpan on Carnival Tuesday.
9 Feb 2027Shrove Tuesday and Mardi GrasThe last day before Lent: pancakes in Britain and Ireland, king cake and parades in New Orleans.
9 Feb 2027Mardi Gras in New OrleansKrewes on floats, beads thrown to the crowd, king cake and Mardi Gras Indians in hand-sewn suits.
14 Feb 2027Valentine's DayThe day of lovers: cards, flowers and chocolates, with local twists such as white-day returns in Japan and Korea.
21 Feb 2027Lantern FestivalThe fifteenth night of the new year: lantern displays and riddles, glutinous rice balls and the end of the holiday.
21 Feb 2027DaeboreumThe first full moon of the Korean year: nut-cracking, five-grain rice, daljip burning and a rope tug-of-war.
about 27 Feb 2027Nc'walaThe Ngoni first-fruits ceremony in eastern Zambia, with warriors in animal skins and a blessing of the harvest by the paramount chief.March 2027
8 to 14 Mar 2027MaslenitsaThe pancake week before Orthodox Lent: blini by the stack, sledding, fistfights for fun and the burning of Lady Maslenitsa.
15 to 19 Mar 2027Las FallasValencia's fire festival: giant satirical sculptures are paraded and burned on the night of 19 March.
about 16 Mar 2027Chaharshanbe SuriThe fire-jumping Wednesday eve before Nowruz: "give me your red, take my yellow" is said over the flames.
21 Mar to 4 Apr 2027Nowruz in AfghanistanAfghan new year at the spring equinox: haft mewa fruit compote, the Mazar-i-Sharif tulip fair and the raising of the Janda.
21 Mar to 2 Apr 2027NowruzThe Persian new year at the spring equinox: a haft-sin table, spring cleaning, jumping over fires and thirteen days of visits.
21 to 23 Mar 2027Nauryz in KazakhstanThe spring new year of the steppe: yurts raised in city squares, nauryz kozhe soup of seven ingredients and horse games.
21 to 23 Mar 2027Navruz in UzbekistanThe Uzbek new year: women stir sumalak through the night, plov for hundreds in the street, and spring fairs.
21 Mar 2027Nooruz in KyrgyzstanSpring in the mountains: ala kiyiz felt, ak-kiyiz yurts, kok boru horse games and a shared seven-grain porridge.
22 to 23 Mar 2027HoliThe festival of colours: a bonfire the night before, then a day of coloured powder, water, music and sweets.
23 Mar 2027PurimThe story of Esther read aloud with noise at each mention of Haman, costumes, gifts of food and a festive meal.April 2027
4 to 10 Apr 2027Merrie Monarch FestivalHawaii's week of hula in Hilo, a competition of kahiko and auana dance which honours King Kalakaua.
7 Apr 2027Ugadi and Gudi PadwaThe new year of the Deccan: neem and jaggery pachadi, mango leaf garlands, and the Marathi gudi raised on a pole.
13 to 14 Apr 2027Sinhala and Tamil New YearSri Lanka's shared new year: the sun enters Aries, a lit hearth, oil-bathing, kiribath and traditional games.
13 to 15 Apr 2027SongkranThe Thai new year: first a gentle pour of water on the hands of elders, then three days of street water fights.
13 to 16 Apr 2027ThingyanThe Burmese water festival at the new year: pavilions on every road, thabyay flowers and gentle blessings.
14 Apr 2027BaisakhiThe Punjabi harvest and the founding of the Khalsa: gurdwara processions, nagar kirtan, fairs and bhangra.
14 Apr 2027PuthanduThe Tamil new year: mango pachadi, kolam, temple visits and the first look at auspicious things.
14 Apr 2027Nepali New YearBikram Sambat new year, which starts in mid-April with fairs, processions and the Bisket Jatra of Bhaktapur.
14 to 20 Apr 2027Bohag BihuThe Assamese spring new year: bihu dances in red and white, gamosa gifts, and seven days of feasting.
14 Apr 2027Pohela BoishakhThe Bengali new year: red and white clothes, panta ilish, fairs and the Mangal Shobhajatra of Dhaka.
14 to 16 Apr 2027Choul Chnam ThmeyThe Khmer new year: sand mounds at the pagoda, a bath for the Buddha, games of angkunh and Bonn Chol Chnam.
14 to 16 Apr 2027Pi Mai LaoThe Lao new year: processions of Buddha images in Luang Prabang, baci strings on wrists and playful splashing.
15 Apr 2027VishuKerala's New Year, begun by seeing the Vishukkani, an arrangement of auspicious things, as the first sight of the day.
about 15 Apr to 13 Jun 2027Naghol Land DivingOn Pentecost Island, men leap from a tower of tree trunks with vines tied to their ankles, to bless the yam harvest.
19 Apr 2027SechseläutenZurich's spring festival: guild parade, and the burning of Böögg, a snowman, to forecast the summer.
29 Apr 2027MimounaThe Moroccan Jewish celebration at the end of Passover: open doors, mufleta pancakes, honey and a table of sweets.
30 Apr to 1 May 2027VappuFinland's spring and student festival: white caps on, sparkling wine, sima mead and funnel cakes on 1 May.
30 Apr to 2 May 2027Gathering of Nations PowwowNorth America's largest powwow in Albuquerque: drum groups, grass and jingle dancers, and a Miss Indian World pageant.May 2027
1 May 2027AboakyerThe deer hunt festival of the Effutu people of Winneba, with two companies racing to capture a live deer for the gods.
1 May 2027Lei DayMay Day is Lei Day in Hawaii: garlands of flowers, lei-making contests, hula and a Lei Queen.
13 to 17 May 2027Cheung Chau Bun FestivalA Hong Kong island festival with towers of buns, bamboo scaffolds and children floating on stilts.
25 May 2027Lag BaOmerBonfires, bows and arrows and a pilgrimage to Meron: a joyful pause in the counting of the Omer.June 2027
July 2027
2 Jul 2027Palio di SienaA bareback horse race around the shell-shaped Piazza del Campo, run for the contrade of Siena on 2 July and 16 August.
2 to 11 Jul 2027Calgary StampedeTen days of rodeo, chuckwagon races, pancake breakfasts and a parade in white hats in Alberta every July.
4 Jul 2027VardavarArmenia's water festival: fourteen weeks after Easter, children and adults splash everyone they meet.
about 4 to 10 Jul 2027Heilala FestivalTonga's festival around the king's birthday, with a float parade, brass bands and the lakalaka dance.
5 to 13 Jul 2027Rath Yatra of PuriThree enormous wooden chariots carry Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra down the Grand Road of Puri.
6 to 14 Jul 2027San FermínPamplona's nine-day fiesta: all in white with a red scarf, the daily bull run and the rite of the Pobre de Mí.
7 Jul 2027TanabataPeople write wishes on paper strips and hang them on bamboo, for the two star lovers who meet once a year.
about 8 to 18 Jul 2027Kandy Esala PeraheraTen nights of torchlight processions in Kandy, with drummers, whip-crackers, dancers and caparisoned elephants carrying the relic casket.
11 to 13 Jul 2027NaadamMongolia's three manly games of wrestling, archery and horse racing, in the National Stadium and out on the steppe.
17 Jul to 16 Aug 2027Gion MatsuriKyoto's month-long festival of towering floats, with the great parade of Yamaboko on 17 July.
about 23 Jul 2027Mwaka KogwaThe Shirazi new year of Zanzibar: a mock fight with banana stalks, a hut set alight, and a feast at Makunduchi.August 2027
about 1 to 4 Aug 2027Garma FestivalA gathering of the Yolngu people in north-east Arnhem Land, with bunggul dance, song, forums on policy and bush skills.
2 Aug 2027Crop OverBarbados' harvest festival, which ends on Kadooment Day with costumed bands, calypso and soca.
8 Aug 2027Qixi FestivalThe seventh night of the seventh month: the cowherd and the weaver girl meet across the Milky Way.
15 Aug 2027Parsi New YearNavroze of the Parsis: fire temple prayers, rangoli, sev and dar ni pori, and a long family lunch of patra ni machhi.
25 Aug 2027La TomatinaAn hour-long tomato fight in Buñol, near Valencia, on the last Wednesday of August.
27 Aug to 7 Sept 2027Osun-Osogbo FestivalThe Yoruba festival of the river goddess Osun, in a sacred grove at Osogbo, with a procession to the river for her blessing.
29 to 30 Aug 2027Notting Hill CarnivalEurope's largest street festival: Caribbean costumes, steel pans, sound systems and jerk chicken in west London.
about 31 Aug to 7 Sept 2027Umhlanga Reed DanceTens of thousands of young Swazi women cut reeds and carry them to the royal residence, singing and dancing before the king.
8 Aug 2027Qixi FestivalThe seventh night of the seventh month: the cowherd and the weaver girl meet across the Milky Way.
15 Aug 2027Parsi New YearNavroze of the Parsis: fire temple prayers, rangoli, sev and dar ni pori, and a long family lunch of patra ni machhi.
25 Aug 2027La TomatinaAn hour-long tomato fight in Buñol, near Valencia, on the last Wednesday of August.
27 Aug to 7 Sept 2027Osun-Osogbo FestivalThe Yoruba festival of the river goddess Osun, in a sacred grove at Osogbo, with a procession to the river for her blessing.
29 to 30 Aug 2027Notting Hill CarnivalEurope's largest street festival: Caribbean costumes, steel pans, sound systems and jerk chicken in west London.
about 31 Aug to 7 Sept 2027Umhlanga Reed DanceTens of thousands of young Swazi women cut reeds and carry them to the royal residence, singing and dancing before the king.September 2027
4 to 13 Sept 2027Ganesh ChaturthiThe birthday of Ganesha: clay idols at home and in street pandals, ending in a joyful immersion in water.
about 5 Sept 2027Kwita IzinaRwanda's naming ceremony for newborn mountain gorillas, with a name given to each baby in the Volcanoes National Park.
about 5 to 11 Sept 2027Teuila FestivalSamoa's week-long festival in Apia: fire knife dancing, outrigger races, tattooing, weaving and the Teuila Queen.
12 Sept 2027EnkutatashThe Ethiopian New Year in September, with yellow Meskel daisies, children's songs and a family coffee ceremony.
15 Sept 2027Tet Trung ThuThe Mid-Autumn children's festival of Vietnam: star lanterns, lion dances and mooncakes.
about 16 to 18 Sept 2027Goroka ShowHighland tribes in feathers and paint gather for the sing-sing, a display of dance, song and body decoration.
about 17 to 19 Sept 2027Imilchil Marriage MoussemA September gathering of the Ait Haddidou in the High Atlas, with songs, dance, trading and match-making.
18 Sept to 3 Oct 2027OktoberfestMunich's great beer festival: a parade of brewery horses, a tapping of the first keg, dirndl, lederhosen and roast chicken.October 2027
about 1 to 7 Oct 2027OdwiraThe Akan festival of purification and thanksgiving, with a cleansing of stools and a durbar of chiefs, strongest at Akropong.
2 to 3 Oct 2027Golden Eagle FestivalKazakh eagle hunters of Bayan-Olgii gather on the steppe in October to show their birds and their horsemanship.Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Jack-o'-lantern: Toby Ord, CC BY-SA 2.5, source
- Vikram Samvat: Westindischer Maler um 1400, Public domain, source
- Lantern Festival: -Zest, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Esala Perahera: Ashan96, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Holi: Jitenderasingh, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Oktoberfest: Heribert Pohl, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Mardi Gras in New Orleans: Flickr user radiate2357, CC BY 2.0, source
- Durga Puja: Subhrajyoti07, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Vijayadashami: DiplomatTesterMan, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Losar: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Naadam: Chongkian, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Vaisakhi: Michael Clark, CC BY 2.0, source
- Ganesh Chaturthi: Original uploader was MatthieuMoy at fr.wikipedia, CC BY 2.5, source
- Loy Krathong: John Shedrick, CC BY 2.0, source
- Chaharshanbe Suri: Philippe Giabbanelli, CC BY 3.0, source
- Pohela Boishakh: Abidhasan00, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Palio di Siena: Mirco, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Kwanzaa: Apavlo at English Wikipedia, Public domain, source
- Tanabata: Laika ac, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Hogmanay: Robbie Shade, CC BY 2.0, source
- Notting Hill Carnival: Diliff, CC BY 2.5, source
- Ugadi: Kalyan Kanuri, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Land diving: Paul Stein, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Qixi Festival: shizhao ( talk )拍摄，画者不明, Public domain, source
- Tsagaan Sar: User:Chinneeb, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Barranquilla Carnival: el heraldo, Public domain, source
- Maslenitsa: Лобачев Владимир, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Hanukkah: Vyacheslav Argenberg, CC BY 4.0, source
- Vardavar: Камалян001, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Running of the bulls: The original uploader was Bernard bill5 at Dutch Wikipedia . Later ver, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Mid-Autumn Festival: Shizhao, CC BY-SA 2.5, source
- Thingyan: Pagan era painter(s), Public domain, source
- Navaratri: Mukerjee, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Dashain: Unknown author, CC0, source
- Daeboreum: hojusaram, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Sinulog Festival: Herbert Kikoy, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Tihar: Sreekumar K. S., CC BY 2.0, source
- Cambodian New Year: Sam Sith, CC BY 2.0, source
- Rio Carnival: Sergio Luiz, CC BY 2.0, source
- Nowruz: Katzenfee50, CC0, source
- Cologne Carnival: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Sechseläuten: anonymous, Public domain, source
- Yennayer: Vermondo, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Enkutatash: Nati Tad, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Tbilisoba: DDohler, CC BY 2.0, source
- Kwita Izina: Thesmiler de, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Odwira Festival: Duncanoff, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Alasitas: Ener6, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Dhanteras: The original uploader was F16 at Hebrew Wikipedia ., CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Purim: Unknown author, CC BY 2.5, source
- Junkanoo: WikiPedant, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Trinidad and Tobago Carnival: Jean-Marc /Jo BeLo/Jhon-John, CC BY 2.0, source
- Tết: vi:Lưu Ly, Public domain, source
- Korean New Year: Kang Byeong Kee, CC BY 3.0, source
- Gion Matsuri: 江戸村のとくぞう, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Golden Eagle Festival: Altaihunters, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Songkran: ผู้สร้างสรรค์ผลงาน/ส่งข้อมูลเก็บในคลังข้อมูลเสรีวิกิมีเดียคอมมอนส์ - เ, CC BY 3.0, source
- Karthika Deepam: SriniG, Public domain, source
- Bathukamma: Randhirreddy at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Bohag Bihu: Diganta Talukdar, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Pushkar Fair: sheetal saini, CC BY 2.0, source
- Calabar Carnival: Raji kunle, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Vishu: Vishnu Kunnathully, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Hornbill Festival: Vikramjit Kakati, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Carnival of Venice: Roberto Vicario, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Mimouna: U.S. Embassy Tel Aviv, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Christmas market: Dietmar Rabich, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Up Helly Aa: Mike Pennington, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Fête de la Musique: dalbera, CC BY 2.0, source
- La Tomatina: Graham McLellan, CC BY 2.0, source
- Cheung Chau Bun Festival: ．怪貓．, CC BY 2.0, source
- Krampus: Naturpuur, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Walpurgis Night: Luis Ricardo Falero, Public domain, source
- Shrove Tuesday: Pieter Brueghel the Elder, Public domain, source
- Lag BaOmer: Yoninah, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Diwali: Kalli navya, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Puthandu: Amila Tennakoon, CC BY 2.0, source
- Aboakyer festival: Fquasie, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Valentine's Day: Upload: Chordboard, Public domain, source
- Tazaungdaing: Christian Heimig, CC BY 4.0, source
- Pi Mai Lao: Sam Haldane, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Lunar New Year: Myrabella, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Dragon Boat Festival: After Wen Jia, Public domain, source
- Oshogatsu: No machine-readable author provided. Fg2 assumed (based on copyright c, Public domain, source
- Kaapse Klopse: Olga Ernst, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Mwaka Kogwa: Marwa elchazly, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Merrie Monarch: This file was created by Thomas Tunsch . It is not in the public domai, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Las Fallas: Falconaumanni, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- New Years Eve: Andreas Weith, CC BY-SA 4.0, source