Around the World in 80 Festivals

People around the world celebrate thousands of different holidays and festivals. Many may form part of a religion, but others remember loved ones who have died, or historical people and events. Many have been celebrated in the same way for hundreds or even thousands of years.

Food and dressing up is also often part of festivals from a variety of cultures, from the Cheung Cahu Bun Festival in Hong Kong, where a contest sees climbers scale an 18-metre tower covered in rice flour buns, or Festima in Burkina Faso, a festival that celebrates the ancient tradition of mask-wearing in African culture.

Featuring festivals from Europe, Asia, Africa, the Americas and Oceania, this colourfully illustrated book also features chapters on ancient festivals, food and festivals, dressing up and a lovely fold-out section that shows a year’s worth of festivals from around the world, including festivals using the lunar calendar. It’s a great introduction to the variety of cultures and religions around the world, and acts as a super starting point for children to research more about the ones they’re interested in.