Wherever you go around the globe, everybody loves to celebrate. And festivals of the world probably give us the best reason and chance to celebrate the way we can.

Almost every country of the world has one major event on the annual calendar that claims to trump all others.

But with almost 200 countries across the globe, experiencing every single one is nearly impossible for most us – no matter how much we’d like to go.

Here’s a look at our top picks for the biggest world festivals:

Festival de Santo Tomas

Date: 11 December -21 December
Place: Guatemala

Located north of Guatemala’s Lake Atitlan, the indigenous town of Chichicastenango sets the ambiance of for this fascinating religious celebration of dance and acrobatics called the Festival de Santo Tomas. The vibrant festival revolves around the town’s church which dates back to 1540.

After a week of dance, fireworks, drink, parades and various other activities, the revelry reaches its peak with the Palo Volador event. It is men swinging from ropes that are attached to a tall central pole.

Falls Festival

Date: 29 December- 31 December
Place: Australia

The Falls Festival Victoria Event will be held in Melbourne for the first time after a two-year hiatus. For the first time in its nearly 30-years’ long history, this three-day festival will relocate from regional Victoria to the inner-city.

Kwanzaa

Date: 26 December-1 January
Place: The USA, Caribbean and African countries

The seven days’ festival is a celebration of communities, families, and cultures as a way of helping African Americans to connect with their roots and heritage. Although Kwanzaa is traditionally an African American festival, it celebrated in countries inhabited by people of the African origin.

Each of the days of the celebration is dedicated to one of the seven principles of Kwanzaa- unity (umoja), self-determination (kujichagulia), collective responsibility (ujima), cooperative economics (ujamaa), purpose (nia), creativity (kuumba), and faith (imani).

On December 31, families join in a community feast called the karamu. Some participants wear traditional African clothing during the celebration.

The Giant Lantern Festival

Date: 17 December- 1 January
Place: Philippines

The Giant Lantern Festival is an annual festival in the city of San Fernando in the Philippines. It is held in December on the Saturday preceding the Christmas Eve. The festival features a competition of giant lanterns. Every neighbourhood of the city produces its own lantern design which can soar up to five metres. These lanterns are then paraded through the streets of the city to get everybody in the mood for Christmas, which is probably why the city is known as the “Christmas Capital of the Philippines”.

Christmas

Date: 25 December
Place: Worldwide

Christmas is unarguably the most popular December holiday. What sets Christmas apart from most religious festivals is that this festival is generally celebrated even by non-Christians.

The day marks the birth of Jesus Christ of Bethlehem whom Christians believe to be the last true prophet sent by God to save humanity from sin.

There are numerous ways to mark the occasion, including leaving gifts for Santa Claus or Father Christmas. Cakes and ales are an integral part of this festival.

Many people also attend Church services on Christmas day, with some opting to go on an all-out vacation.

Afrochella Festival

Date: 28 December – 6 January
Place: Ghana

The Afrochella festival highlights and elevates the thrilling and thriving millennial talent from and within Africa.

The festival features a festive celebration of the Ghanaian culture in the form of art & fashion installations, live painting, African cuisines and a host of live performances.

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