Fall is here, and winter is just a few months away. As much as we hate to shovel the snow in winter, we all have to agree that winter is somewhat a magical season. The falling snow makes it all white as far as we can see. It’s the season that calls for a celebration.
Depending on the country and the culture, people in the different parts of the world celebrate winter differently. They all have their own festivals that make their winter more festive. And if going to the winter festival is your thing, we have for you some countries with the best winter festivals around the world. Check it out!
Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival (Hwacheon, South Korea)
Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival in South Korea is often claimed as one of the biggest winter festivals in the world, and for a good reason. This festival attracts over 1 million visitors every year. The visitors will be spoiled by a wide variety of activities, such as figure skating, bobsleighing, mountain trout fishing on ice, ice sledding, and ice soccer. But the giant snow castle and snow park are what everyone is most excited about. Ice fishing is known to be the main attraction here, like many other Korean winter festivals. This festival is usually held from the 5th to the 27th of January and open from 9 am to 7 pm.
Reykjavik Winter Lights Festival (Reykjavik, Iceland)
Not only famous as one of many places where we can see the Aurora Borealis or Northern Light (see more about that here), we can also visit the winter festivals in Reykjavik, Iceland. Along with the viewing of Aurora Borealis, this city also offers a night festival that is filled with art, music, sport, and culture. The visitors can Tour museums, soak in thermal pools, enjoy concerts, and do it all while enjoying the beautiful Northern Lights.
Shetland Viking Festival (Lerwick, Scotland)
Shetland Viking Festival usually takes place on the last Tuesday in January. This festival is a parade where the locals lead a procession through town to throw torches into a huge ship. This spectacle is preceded and followed by raucous parties all over town in honor of the area’s Viking ancestors.
The Venice Carnival (Venice, Italy)
If you are into winter festivals but want someplace a bit warmer, Venice is the place to go. In Venice, we can participate in a winter festival that has been held since the 12th century. When the Venice Carnival is being held, we can see people wearing beautiful Venetian masks and costumes before Lent all over the town filled with music.
Sapporo Snow Festival (Sapporo, Japan)
The Sapporo Snow Festival in Japan is a huge ice sculpture festival. The event is celebrating all things winter in Sapporo, which is known as Japan’s most mountainous metropolis. This event is held in February, and the main event is the sculpture contest where entries make various ice sculptures that can be as tall as the buildings. But if you just want to come to enjoy the festival, there are also other events such as giant ice slides, snow mazes, and also street stalls serving various Japanese comfort food.