A foodie, nerd, book lover, and eager taste tester. I'm a night owl with a need to expand my knowledge of other cultures and places to give myself better perspective.
Soon, Muslims around the world Muslims will be celebrating Ramadan. This year, 20202, it falls from sundown April 23rd until the evening of May 23rd. Many people who don’t celebrate it recognize this month-long holiday as a month of fasting. But Ramadan is so much more than that, it is a sacred month to Muslims with a long and rich history of celebrations, many unique to their regions. …
Okay Valentine’s Day is on its way, and if you’re like me you’re really only just starting to notice. So it’s too late to book the most popular places, and you probably don’t want to even look at flights to Paris right now. Don’t stress, you’re going to get through this. We’re going to get through this. For all the pressure Valentine’s Day brings us, it also brings endless opportunity and ideas to make a magical moment for you and the one you love. Follow these tips for Valentine’s Day survival and you’re going to make it through any romantic moment, just fine.
I don’t know about you, but Autumn is my favorite time of the year. The time where the leaves change colors, the weather cools down, and the tops are put on the swimming pool for the season. It’s a time of beauty and to celebrate the end of another fun summer with family and friends. In the United States it brings about the new school year for children and teachers, and Pumpkin Spice takes over everything around us. But how do people celebrate beloved autumn traditions around the world? Where can you attend a Regatta, watching traditional boat races with all of your friends and family? Where can you get a pint of beer and a Bavarian pretzel to share with your loved one? And where might you fill your belly with a garlic heavy meal to ward off evil spirits on St. Andrews Day?
With so many autumn holidays and traditions to choose from, it was hard to narrow down all of the fun things I wanted to share with you. Here are my top five traditions I’ve added to my own bucket list and I’m sure you will love them too. Follow me around the world as we celebrate the changing of the leaves, the changing of the seasons, and Fall Traditions sure to bring a smile to your face.
Deepavali, otherwise known as Diwali, is a five day festival of lights, love and celebration. Coinciding with the Hindu New Year, Diwali in India is celebrated by millions of Jain, Sikh, and Hindu people. It is a time of new beginnings, and the triumph of good versus evil and light versus darkness. Millions of people around the world participate in the festivities of Diwali through fireworks, prayer and celebrational events every autumn. For the current year, Diwali falls between Sunday October 27th and Thursday October 31st, 2019. The date does change every year as it follows the Lunar calendar instead of the Gregorian Calendar. Each day holds its own individual meaning, with the third day being the most import of them all.
There are many different meanings and reasons for the Indian holiday. Some people celebrate Diwali as it honors Lakshmi, the Goddess of Wealth. They pray for a good and prosperous year for themselves and their loved ones. For Hindus, Diwali is a celebration honoring the return of deities Rama and Sita to Ayodhya after a fourteen year exile. For others, it’s a celebration of the day Mother Goddess Durga destroyed and eradicated the Demon called Mahisha, a buffalo demon who could shape-shift into different forms.
In the countries that celebrate Diwali, festivals are held where people congregate to light up the streets and enjoy food, and the New Year, but for those that live outside of the area, it can be difficult to know what to do. Fear not my reader friends, I have a list of things you can do from anywhere to help welcome the Hindu New Year and celebrate a prosperous 2020.
Our favorite season is here, and it ushers in a stunning array of international summer festivals! This most popular time for traveling offers endless opportunities for celebration. Honestly, no matter where you’re spending your summer vacation this year, you have plenty of exciting festivals to attend. Whether it’s the arts, culture, music, sports, food or wine you’re into, there is a festival that gathers like-minded people from around the globe to celebrate the things you enjoy the most. From the bizarre Burning Man to messy La Tomatina, here are a few international summer festivals for your bucket list.
A country deeply rooted in history, there are many long-held and important gift giving traditions in Japan that significantly differ from Western culture. While in other parts of the world, people give gifts without expectations, gift giving in Japan is an endless gratitude cycle. There’s a lot of emphasis placed on the act of giving rather than the gift itself. For the Japanese, gifts are not just a way of showing appreciation, but also a sign of respect, generosity, and friendliness between people. Gift exchange is common through during common celebrations like birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, graduations or housewarmings. There are also many other occasions when people expect to give and receive small gifts.
There are forms of Easter celebrated all over the world. And you don’t have to be religious to have some form of family gathering, or celebration. However in Mexico this time of year brings a holiday that is second only to Christmas. From Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday people in Spain celebrate something called Semana Santa, a holy week filled with celebrations that are a mix of Catholic and Christian. This year Semana Santa falls during April 14th to April 20th. But what is Semana Santa? How do people celebrate Santa Semana in Mexico and around the world? Where is it celebrated? What is the difference between Easter and Semana Santa? Here’s our guide to everything you need to know!
If you live in the US, I know you might already be tired of Christmas songs in every major retail store. It seems like it starts earlier and earlier every year. So I promise, there’s no playlist with overplayed holiday music anywhere on this page. But I do warn you, we are talking about Christmas, so much Christmas. So if you want to wait until December 1st, go ahead and save this for later. But if, like our team at GBO, you are trying to make sure you have the most stellar holiday to date: read on! I can say that since I started working for GiftBasketsOverseas 5 years ago I’ve learned so much more to help me fall in love with the holiday season all over again. What better time to share than now? If you’ve ever wondered how to celebrate Christmas in other countries, I’m here to give you some answers. What are the best Christmas gifts to send to your friends overseas? I’m helping there too. From sake, to mistletoe, fruitcake, to decorations, below we talk about some of the unique Christmas traditions around the world for the countries we deliver to the most!
Let’s face it: we could all use a “spa day” once in a while. Today’s world moves so fast that people wear themselves out balancing work, family, and other responsibilities. With all of the stresses of everyday life, it’s important to take some time for ourselves and just relax. But while we may need it, only a few of us actually have the time (or money) to be pampered with professional spa treatments. But that’s OK. Keep reading to learn our top spa gift basket tips.
Sending a gift to another part of the world isn’t as complicated as you think. Sure, there’s a lot to consider: local gifting customs, holidays, traditions, etc. But that stuff is a lot easier to navigate than you think. To help, we’re giving you a cheat-sheet about traditional gifts to Cyprus. Here’s our quick reference to Cyprus gift traditions: what you should send, when you should send it, and a brief history about why.
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