Spring festivals

All around the world, people from different religions and cultures mark the arrival of spring with festivals and traditions.

While there are common themes to some of these festivals, there are a host of fascinating variations. Here are just a few.

May Day

The earliest may day traditions date back to the Celtic Beltane and the German festival of Walpurgis Night. The festival of Floralia – honouring Flora, the goddess of flowers – which was celebrated by the Romans is another important predecessor.

While the spread of Christianity ended some of these traditions, remnants of the pagan Celtic and Anglo-Saxon traditions remain, such as the crowning of the May Queen and dancing around the maypole. Such traditions celebrate the fertility of the soil, animals and people.

Holi Festival

In India, the Holi Festival takes place during March. It is known as the festival of colours or the festival of love and is celebrated by Hindus around the world.

People taking part hold a Holika bonfire on the eve of the festival. On the day itself, people chase one another with coloured powder – a tradition which originates from a tale involving Hindu gods. They also tend to gather together to eat and drink, trying to mend broken relationships and restore harmony with one another.

Water Festival

In parts of south-east Asia such as Thailand, water festivals are held during the spring, although these mark the start of the New Year. Participants splash water on one another as part of a cleansing ritual – although, as this occurs in the hottest month of the year, people often end up getting doused.

This practice derives from Buddhist traditions and occurs following the 'Bathing of the Buddha', in which a statue of the Buddha is splashed with water. Splashing people is believed to be a sign of good luck.

There's probably a good reason we don't have a similar tradition over here – spring usually involves a decent chance of finding yourself in the middle of a shower.