For a few days, people drop their daily routines to celebrate whatever it is that their culture values. Festivals are a great time for tourists to travel. It is during festivities when locals are friendliest and most inviting. Everyone lets their guard down and simply indulge in fun activities. Festivals are a great way not only to have fun with the activities, but also to understand a foreign country’s history, culture and beliefs.

Monkey Buffet Festival: Thailand
November is a festive time for Thailand. In the province of Lopburi, a feast of fruits is prepared for hundreds of monkeys. It is Thai belief that the province was given by the famous hero Rama to Hanuman, the Monkey King. This legend brought tourists and locals together in a friendly encounter with the numerous monkeys that live near San Phra Kan and Phra Prang Sam Yot – famous and historic structures in Lopburi. The monkeys are playful but harmless.

Songkran: Thailand
Songkran is Thai New Year, which falls on April 13 to 15 according to astrology. Being Thailand’s hottest time of the year, the tradition of water-throwing is widely practiced. Tourists and locals all hold water guns and buckets of water to throw at anyone they please, may it be a friend or a total stranger. The great thing about this festival is that almost everyone on the streets is willing to participate. So it is rare that a stranger gets mad if he/she gets wet by a total stranger. So if you are a tourist walking in Thailand at this time of the year, suspect anyone to throw buckets of water at you.

Holi: India
Like any other festival, Holi or the Festival of Colors in India is rooted to an interesting legend. This is celebrated to welcome spring season in India with goodness, bounty and health. The story behind thisfestival involves Prince Prahlad who, despite being the son of the demon King, is devout to Lord Vishnu. His disobedience to his father and loyalty to Lord Vishnu gave him protection from various death encounters. At one attempt to kill the prince, the King ended up burning his sister, Holika, instead. Thus, on the first day of the celebration, Holika is burned in a big bonfire. The second day is much more fun as people throw colored powder and water at each other. Traditionally, the colored powder comes from medicinal plants important in keeping people from getting sick in Indian spring weather. Today, however, these medicinal powders are replaced with synthetic dye that can sometimes be harmful on the skin.

El Colacho: Spain
Whole of Spain celebrate Corpus Crhisti, but only in Castrillo de Murcia do people celebrate by baby-jumping. This tradition is centuries old and its significance is quite unclear. A grown man, dressed in something that resembles a matador suit or a colorful Elvis attire, jumps over a few babies lying on the ground. These unknowing babies are volunteered by their parents to be jumped over, but Spaniards are also inviting to tourists who have their babies with them during the festival.

These are only a few of thousands of inviting festivals around the world. The next time you wish to travel, you might want to consider peeking at another country’s festival calendar. It will surely give you a memorable visit. And your tour does not have to be expensive. Get $500 Airline Gift Certificates to ease the budget burdens of traveling!