Taking holidays to India during festivals ensure exhilarating cheap holidays for visitors. While festive spirits run high, travellers can also look forward to a world of special offer travel deals offering cheap hotels and a number of other offers. Check out just a few of the festivals that can electrify your holidays in India.

Holi

Going on cheap holidays to India during Holi gives you the chance to experience the most colourful festival in the country. Mythological legend has it that the demon king Hiranyakashipu challenged the gods but was opposed by his own son Prahlada. Hiranyakashipu ordered his demon sister Holika to sit in a pyre with Prahlada in her lap. Holika had a boon, which was supposed to save her from the fire. However, the boon did not work and she went up in flames, while Prahlad remained unscathed. In the memory of this event, every year pyres are burnt on the night before Holi, while on Holi day, people have a gala time throwing colour and water on each other. However, during Holi, cheap hotels may be difficult to come by and one has to make early bookings.

Pongal

Pongal, a Hindu festival in Tamil Nadu, is the only Hindu festival to be celebrated according the solar calendar. Pongal marks the end of the traditional farming season and comes as a festive moment for farmers as well as families visiting Tamil Nadu on their holidays to India. While Pongal is celebrated on 14th January, the festivals of ‘Bogi’, ‘Maattuppongal’, and ‘Thiruvalluvar Day’ are celebrated on 13th, 15th, January and 16th January respectively. Pongal is celebrated with equal fanfare in Sri Lanka as well and is also called the First rice festival, Thai Pongal and Ulavar Thirunaal there. Sri Lanka’s Tamil farmers honour Suriyapakaran, the Sun God, on Pongal. Anyone on cheap holidays in India during Pongal can buy some package travel deal selling cheap holidays in India and Sri Lanka to check out the festivities in Sri Lanka as well.

Easter

Easter, the central religious feast of the Christian liturgical year, celebrates the resurrection of the Christ. The festival is extremely popular with India’s Christian community. Anyone planning cheap holidays in India during Easter should definitely visit Goa as this enticing beach destination has a high population of Indian Christians as well as Portuguese settlers. In fact, Goa is a year round great destination for planning cheap holidays to India. It is worth noting that Easter 2011 holidays together with the Royal Wedding that has been declared a public holiday in the UK, bestow upon those Britons who have been looking forward to explore places like Goa and Kerala, a great opportunity to plan a long relaxing holiday in India and witness the Easter celebrations the Indian way.

Onam

The festival marks King Maveli’s homecoming, stretches on for 10 days, and said to be the largest festival in Kerala. The festival celebrated during the off-season monsoon months and is an excellent time for spending holidays in India. Colourful features of Kerala’s culture play a part in Onam, including Kaikottikkali dance, Puli Kali, snake boat races, and banquet lunch, and intricately designed flower carpets.

Because of this, it is easy to find yourself in the middle of a Spanish celebration while here on holiday. Spanish people love to party and are also very accommodating to visitors to their lovely country. Grab yourself a drink and join in with the fun. I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.

NEW YEAR’S DAY (January 1st)

New Year’s Day is a public holiday celebrated throughout Spain to welcome in the beginning of a New Year. Each Spanish town and city throughout the country will have some festival arranged in the main square, typically the Plaza Mayor, often accompanied with music and fireworks. Many Spanish people celebrate the passing of the old year by eating 12 grapes, one for each month of the year, during each ring of the twelve bell tolls as the New Year approaches. This is considered to bring good luck, but only if all twelve grapes are eaten in time. Not as easy as it sounds, as many grapes are bought in a small glass flute, with the very last one squashed and difficult to dislodge at the bottom.

DAY OF THE THREE KINGS (January 6th)

Christmas for children in Spain falls on the 6th of January, twelve days after Christmas Day, with the coming of the Three Kings. Children place their socks outside for the Kings to deliver them presents, but only if they have been good. Naughty children have the fear of finding black coal in their socks instead of presents. On the eve of January 6th, it is tradition for three men to dress as the Kings and ride around the town in a colourful procession, scattering sweets to all the children who eagerly follow.

SEMANA SANTA HOLY WEEK (March – April)

Semana Santa is a very religious time for many people in Spain and in all the cities both large and small, processions of hooded penitents carrying religious icons of Jesus and Mary held high, are paraded solemnly throughout the streets. It is a truly emotional and colourful experience for the participants and the many thousands of people who come to watch the procession well into the night.
Processions begin on Palm Sunday and will last until Easter Sunday. Processions in the main towns of all regions of Spain are huge and excel in grandeur. Because this is a deeply religious experience for many Spanish people, fireworks and excessive drinking is frowned upon.

LABOUR DAY (March 1st)

Dia del Trabajo is celebrated as a national holiday throughout Spain.

MONTH OF FERIAS (April)

April is the month of exuberant ferias in Andalucia, with Seville holding what is considered to be the biggest and best in Spain. The festivals last up to two weeks with colourful processions held in traditional costume, bullfights, firework displays, flamenco shows and partying well into the early hours.

SAN JUAN (June 24th)

San Juan is celebrated throughout Spain and particularly in the costal regions with bonfires on the beaches that last all night on the 23rd. It is tradition to rush into the sea at midnight to wash away your sins, symbolising the baptism of Saint John the Baptist. It is the one time when camping is allowed on many beaches, and celebrations typically last all weekend with loud music, fireworks and a lot of noise.

SAN ISIDRO (May / June)

Each city celebrates this fantastic festival differently. Typical Spanish events will involve processions, bullfights, concerts, funfairs and spectacular processions of horses and decorated carts throughout the city. Traditional costumes are normally worn with sweets and local drinks handed out to the many locals and tourists who follow the procession and join in the merriment. This is a great party atmosphere that lasts 2-3 days. In Nerja on the Costa del Sol, the procession leaves the centre of the town and heads towards the famous Nerja Caves, one of the most visited holiday attractions in Spain.

CORPUS CHRISTI (June)

Many large cities hold magnificent processions to celebrate the body of Christ in the holy water by bearing the consecrated host through the streets. This is a solemn and religious festival of great importance to many Spanish people.

ASUNCION (August 15th)

Catholics observe this feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, celebrating Mary’s body being taken to Heaven after her death.

FERIA DE MALAGA (August)

Festival held in the city of Malaga on the Costa del Sol. The festival lasts 10 days and includes a huge number of fairground rides, processions of horses, stalls selling food and wine, and spectacular firework displays on the first and final night.

ALL SAINTS DAY (November 1st)

Relatives spend the day at the graves of their loved ones, to remember them, and adorn them with beautiful flowers.

CONSTITUTION DAY (December 6th)

National holiday throughout Spain in commemoration of the 6th December 1978 when the Spanish people voted in a national referendum to approve the draft constitution, thus providing the way forward for the creation of a democratic system in Spain.

IMMACULATE CONCEPTION (December 8th)

On the Roman Catholic Church calendar of holy days, today is celebrated as a holy day of obligation, commemorating the Immaculate Conception of Mary.

CHRISTMAS DAY (December 25th)

Christmas Day is a national holiday in Spain, but there is not the huge commercial occasion here as celebrated in other western cities. Children may receive a small gift on Christmas Eve (Nochebuena), as the day for presents is 6th January, Epiphany, when the Three Kings come bearing gifts.

DIA DE LOS SANTOS INNOCENTS (December 28th)

Similar to April Fools Day that falls on April 1st in England, this is an opportunity for people to play practical jokes on friends and generally get away with doing silly things.

If a public holiday falls on a Tuesday or Thursday, it is known as a Bridge because many Spanish people like to take either the Monday or Friday off to give a long weekend. Public holidays falling on both Tuesday and Thursday, is commonly known as an Aqueduct, bridging both weekends together. Obviously this is a great opportunity to take all the days off, leaving the whole week free to party. No wonder Spanish people love to celebrate.

Steve Greenwood has lived in Spain for 3 years and has enjoyed participating in many of the Spanish holiday festivals, sometimes reluctantly. You are invited to visit Holiday Apartment Rentals in Spain for information on Spanish attractions, holidays, festivals and celebrations. Ideal Rentals For You http://www.idealrentals4u.com offers information on all the regions of Spain including holiday activities, things to do and interesting places to visit.

Known widely as ‘Little Rome’ due to its strong Roman Catholic background, Sri Lanka’s western coastal town of Negombo brings to mind an air of revelry, cheer and music at the mere mention of its name. The city which saw its origins as a thriving fishing port is famous for its catholic festivals and celebrating in style with accompaniment of Kafirinha music; a relic from the days of Portuguese invaders. Having a reputation as a jolly crowd all around the country, residents of Negombo really know how to throw a party and have some fun, which amounts to the number of festivals that goes on there each year.

One such festival is the Fishermen’s Festival that takes place each July. Since Negombo’s roots are that of a thriving fishing community, this is a festival celebrated with much enthusiasm. The whole beachfront of Negombo is taken up by fishermen who display their catches proudly in boats laden with a multitude of sea creatures of every variety and colour, and this brings in crowds from all over the island. Also, it wouldn’t be difficult to enjoy a spot of sea food while you’re there.

Another great festival that you shouldn’t be missing is the Negombo Church Fiesta which takes place in January, revered and known widely as one of the most prominent and attractive festivals that take place in the city. Accompanied by carnivals and musical celebrations, the colourful church procession taking onto the streets of Negombo is a must see for any visitor. If you’re visiting in September, it would be interesting to check out the Negombo Kite Festival, in which thousands of colourful kites large and small take to the air, borne upon the mighty sea breeze. The festival is both fun to watch and take part in, and if you master your kite in all its aerial acrobatics, you are surely in for a prize. Christmas time is also great in Negombo, as the yuletide celebrations include great shopping fiestas, carnivals, food festivals and more, where even the local resorts and hotels get into a festive mood with yearend special promos and events.

The best place for you to stay and enjoy Negombo will be a Negombo Beach Hotel in order to enjoy the festivals of Negombo. Classy accommodation with all the modern comforts is available at star class Sri Lanka hotels around the city, such as the Jetwing Sea, so make your booking early before the revels begin.

There are different events and festivals, celebrated by different communities of the world. All these events and festivals bring holidays and breaks to different professionals and corporate personnel. Like new year, christmas, easter day, chinese new year, good friday, boxing day, independence day, labor day and many more, all these events and festivals bring different bank holidays for bank employees of the corporate sector. Different banks follow different criteria of declaring list of bank holidays. Like private banks and government banks comprises different list of their bank holidays. Like UK, USA, India, Ireland, Canada and in other countries of Europe all have follow different rules for listing bank holidays. Bank holidays are also called by public holidays, when all public departments are remained closed and no transaction would be done by these offices. These bank holidays come in the highest magnitude of celebrations across the world.  

UK is one of the financial and richest countries of the globe where you will head center of all world leading financial institution. To know bank holidays in UK is very important for professionals who need to make business tour to UK as well for tourism, who want to make holiday tour to UK.
Bank holidays in uk,

•    January 1st for New Years Celebration,
•    April 2nd celebrated as Good Friday when banks remain closed in UK,
•    April 5th for Easter Day celebration as one of the biggest day for Christian Community,
•    May 1st for Early May celebration, bank remain closed,
•    August 1st for Summer Holiday celebration,
•    December 25 one of the biggest event Christmas Day,
•    December 28th for Boxing Day celebration

Apart from UK, in whole Europe are familiar with the list of bank holidays where these days are treated as meticulous day when banks are usually closed and not a single trisection would be made by these closed departments. Below are the some bank holidays of Europe.

•    January 1st for New Years Celebration,
•    January 6 for Epiphany when banks remain closed in Europe,
•    February 14 for Valentine’s day celebration as one of the biggest day for lovers,
•    March 1 for Spring Festival celebration, bank remain closed,
•    April 2 for Good Friday celebration,
•    April 5 for Easter Monday Celebration,
•    December 25 one of the biggest event Christmas Day,

Apart from Europe, Ireland is also one of the parts of western culture where bank holidays are celebrated as special days, banks are usually closed and people are seems to have their picnic, get together parties, stage shows or other types holiday enjoyment activities. In Ireland you will 9 bank holidays in Ireland celebrated every year.

•    January 1st for New Years Celebration,
•    March 17th for St. Patrick’s Day when banks remain closed in Europe,
•    April 2nd for Good Friday,
•    May 3rd celebrated as Spring Bank Holiday,
•    Easter Monday date varies each year,
•    First Monday in May, June & August and last Monday in October Celebrated as bank holiday,
•    December 25 one of the biggest event Christmas Day,
•    December 28 for Boxing day,  

Apart from Ireland, there is another country with seventh largest geographical area with name India, where you will find most of head center of world leading companies. Therefore, you will find long list of public holidays that are celebrated as banks holidays in India,

•    January 26th celebrated as Republic Day
•    Aug 15th celebrated as Independence Day
•    Oct 2nd celebrated as Mahatma Gandhi’s Birthday
•    Nov 5th celebrated as Deepavali or Diwali
•    Dec 25th celebrated as Christmas Day
•    Dec 26th celebrated as Boxing Day

All these above are just a sample, where 123newyears.com brings you with different bank holidays of different countries around the world