Festivals are happy occasions for the whole community to come together and celebrate something meaningful to them. Every time these merrymaking events are held, there is a building up of sense of belonging for members of different religious, social, or regional groups. All countries have their own festivals, but there are top festivals that caught the attention of the world and are worth seeing up close because of their uniqueness.



Amazing Top Festivals in the World:

Rio Carnival
It seems this one rowdy celebration is synonymous with Rio de Janeiro, Brazil because it is difficult to think of this Latin American country without thinking of Rio Carnival. Held in early February, the four-day long festivities always attract a million people yearly to experience the throbbing beat of samba music and dance with the nearly nude bronze-toned samba dancers.It is an electrifying build-up of excitement as the Sambodromo parade gets closer and closer to where one stands until the flashy floats pass by before the eyes and the loud music fills the ears. The Masquerade Ball keeps the whole city alive with celebrities and fans, all bedecked with colorful costumes and frilly accessories. The party never seems to stop.

Mardi Gras
Celebrated in early January, the two-week festival is observed in many European countries. Nevertheless, more notable is the celebration in New Orleans, USA featuring parades of flamboyant floats driven by "krewes" with on-board "kings" and "queens". The "krewes" throw tiny ornaments to the wild crowd usually acting to be begging for them.If the crowd refuses to play along, the female krewes expose their breasts encouraging them to be more cooperative. The affair climaxes on Mardi Gras Day, also called Fat Tuesday, when all cares are let loose. The day seems to be an ultimate excuse to be brazen, wicked, and wild for the following day is Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent and time to start abstaining from the ways of the world.

You could also go on bus tours of New Orleans to explore the place further. In fact, you can avail of bus tours of New Orleans from neworleansnativetours.com. You'll find that this website provides details on the schedules of tours, as well as places included in the itinerary. Make sure to check out the site for helpful information in case you decide to stay in New Orleans for more than just the Mardi Gras festivities.

Kanamara Matsuri
Japan celebrates this unique festival at the end of March and on the first day of April. Called the Festival of the Steel Phallus, this fertility gala features transvestites parading a gigantic pink penis around town while onlookers along the route suck on phallus-shaped lollipops in public places where everything seems to be shaped and patterned after the male sex organ. The festival was initially conceived to prevent the spread of syphilis in the 17th century and now it is a fund-raising spectacle for AIDS research.

Il Palio
Italy celebrates this nerve wracking festival with a bone-crunching, bareback horse race circling the Piazza del Campo. Expect the event to be violent since the competitors come from rival neighborhood that do not see eye to eye. It is normal to see riders banging to the ground. However, in the end, anybody's win means rebirth to be celebrated with a baby bottle of wine.
These are just four of the top festivals around the world worth experiencing.