Small states attract a lot of tourists. Firstly, it’s interesting to visit a country whose size is smaller than your hometown. And secondly, all kinds of cultural events for tourists are often organized there, because the income from them often accounts for the lion’s share of the country’s budget. We will tell you further about holidays and festivals that are definitely worth visiting.
Macau
The administrative region of Macau, located in China, was once a colony of Portugal, and is now part of the People’s Republic of China. At the same time, there is a certain autonomy from China – Macau has its own currency, as well as its own legal and legislative systems. This status will remain until at least 2049. The population is about 540 thousand people. There are two official languages here – Chinese and Portuguese.
Water transport plays a big role in Macau, so some of the biggest events are related to the sea in one way or another. For example, April 29 there will be a festival in honor of the Goddess of Sailors A-Ma, the most popular deity in Macau. According to legend, A-Ma, also known as Tin Hau, calmed the storm and saved sailors from death. In gratitude, they built a temple to worship the goddess. It was erected about six hundred years ago, during the Ming Dynasty (1368 – 1644). Usually on this day, sailors and their families visit an ancient temple, and various events are held in the city. A day later, April 30, the 27th Arts Festival will begin, which will run until May 29 inclusive.
Macao’s main annual event – dragon boat competition. The tradition dates back to ancient times. The poet Qu Yuan (who lived in 340 – 278 BC) expressed his dissatisfaction with corruption in a unique way – he threw himself into the Milo River and drowned. Sailors on boats went to look for Qu Yuan, but did not find him. Then they began to feed the fish so that it would not attack the poet’s body. Over time, the search and rescue operation evolved into a boat race, which was invariably decorated with dragon heads. In 2016, the competition will be held on June 4, 5 and 9.
June 11-19, Macau will host the annual Lotus Festival. Almost the entire city will be decorated with flowers, and in the Taipa House Museum and Low Lim Yeok Garden you can see rare species of lotus. During the festival, restaurants offer guests exotic flower dishes.
It is also home to the fireworks festival, one of the largest in the world. More than a hundred teams from all over the world come to Macau to compete with each other and show the audience an incredibly colorful show. This year’s event will be held in the fall – preliminary dates are September 3, 10, 15, 24 and October 1.
Singapore
Singapore has long been one of the most popular places to do business. There is a flexible system of tax benefits and fairly simple legal rules without unnecessary bureaucracy. However, in addition to the business component, the city-state is interesting for the abundance of various events that are regularly held here.
Singapore is a diverse city, with people from India, China, Malaysia, Indonesia and other countries in the region living here. As a result of the overlapping of traditions, a distinctive culture has emerged in which the voice of each ethnic group can be distinguished.
One of the main holidays is considered to be Wesak Day, which celebrates the birth, enlightenment and departure into parinirvana (death, in simple terms) of the Buddha. The date varies from year to year, this time the holiday will be held on May 21. This is a major event for the Buddhist community in Singapore and is celebrated with great pomp. All temples are decorated with lights, flags, flowers and fruits, fairs are opened in the city, street processions are held, and mass singing of the anthem is held. Charitable events called Dana are also organized: donating blood, helping the poor, feeding animals.
Muslims in Singapore widely celebrate Hari Raya Puasa – the end of the holy month of Ramadan. On this day, the Malay community opens bazaars and shops with traditional dishes and treats, and performances with folk dances and songs are held on the streets. Hari Raya Puasa will be celebrated on July 6th this year.
Singapore’s National Day is held on August 9th, with fun and raucous events taking place throughout the city, followed by spectacular fireworks displays. In autumn comes the time for another major event – Diwali Festival of Lights(sometimes called Deepavali),
main Hindu holiday. The festival symbolizes the victory of the forces of light over the forces of darkness. The event is especially celebrated in the Little India area, with the entire neighborhood decorated with lights and traditional garlands. Usually on this day people visit temples and hold street celebrations. In 2016, Diwali fell on October 29.
Hong Kong
Another administrative region of China that has autonomy until 2047. Hong Kong celebrates a number of its own dates that are not related to Chinese traditions, but some of the holidays coincide. Like the people of Macau, Hong Kongers celebrate the birthday of the goddess of the seas, Tin Hau. A celebration in her honor is organized on a grand scale. Parades with dragons take place on the festively decorated streets, sailing ships swim close to the shore, and at the end there is a fireworks show. Tin Hau Festival will be held on April 29th.
Hong Kong annually hosts a rather unusual festival dedicated to ordinary buns. Celebrations take place in the city and they last for several days. The main attraction is climbing high (about ten meters) towers, which are covered with buns and resemble ears of corn. The task is to get the bun from the very top. Anyone who can do this need not worry about anything else – next year will be especially prosperous for him. You can try your luck from May 11 to 15.
God Tang Kung is interesting because outside of Hong Kong almost nothing is known about him. Like Tin Hau, Tang Kung is considered the patron saint of sailors. According to legend, at the age of twelve he discovered the ability to control the weather. The talents of the young deity were appreciated and from ancient times they began to treat him with great honor. Tang Kung’s birthday is celebrated on May 14th.
Andorra
People often go to the dwarf state between Spain and France for shopping: Andorra is a duty-free zone, which promises profitable purchases. But there are also several interesting events held here, which are annually attended by tourists from Europe and further afield.
Until the second of June, Andorra hosts the Theater Season – a variety of productions are presented, including puppet shows. The main event is the Day of Andorra la Vella. The holiday is celebrated on the first Saturday of the last month of summer; in 2016 it will be August 6. The program includes fairs, sports tournaments, puppet parades, concerts and performances. In addition, music festivals are regularly held in the country.
Liechtenstein
This European principality has microscopic dimensions even by the standards of dwarf states – the area is only 160 square kilometers. The country is associated with Switzerland, that is, the independence and sovereignty of Liechtenstein are preserved, but the bulk of the powers are given to Switzerland.
Liechtenstein hosts many music festivals. On July 1-2, the LIFE festival will take place, immediately after it starts LiGiTa – concerts of guitar music. The event will take place from July 2nd to July 9th. The village of Malbun annually hosts a festival Malbun Donkey Festival, the main characters of which are donkeys. Visitors will be able to see that these animals are called stubborn creatures for a reason. Competitive descent from the mountain accompanied by a person turns into a real competition for them. The festival will take place on August 9th. And in a week, 15th, you can take part in the main holiday of the country – National Day, when Liechtenstein gained sovereignty.
