|
|
| Having trouble viewing this email? View it in your browser. |
|
| |
| | | January 11, 2011 | Call: 1-800-iExplore | | |
 |
|
Think New Year's is only celebrated once a year? It's true that the beginning of the new year is celebrated worldwide with feasts, gift-giving and best wishes for the year to come. But traditions vary greatly, and January 1st was only universally adopted as the start of the New Year fairly recently. Read on below as we track the New Year around the calendar and across the world from Ancient Egypt to present-day Greece. |
|
|
|
Visit these places for a completely unique take on a New Year | | |
|
 | | One of the most ancient known New Year's festivals is the Beautiful Feast of Opet in ancient Egypt, celebrated annually in Thebes, during the New Kingdom period from the 16th to the 11th century B.C. In this festival, the statues of the gods of the Theban Triad - Amun, Khonsu and Mut - proceeded down the Avenue of Sphinxes connecting the temples of Amun and Luxor, stopping at specially constructed chapels filled with offerings. The Feast was celebrated in conjunction with the most important occasion of renewal in ancient Egypt: the annual flooding of the Nile in the second month of Akhet, during the summer. Learn more... | |  | | The Mayan people of Mexico and Guatemala celebrated their New Year in July. Each year they chose a different god as the focus for the New Year. New idols were created and entrances of temples were decorated and adorned with blue paint, a sacred color. At the appropriate time, an effigy of the god would enter from the direction associated with them. The Mayans would also perform rituals of renewal, such as casting away old pottery and fiber mats - a tradition very similar to Japanese Shinto observances. Learn more... | |  | | Diwali is an important five-day festival for Hindus, Jains and Sikhs that occurs between mid-October and mid-November. Most Indian businesses begin their financial year on the first day of Diwali. It's one of the most ancient Hindu festivals, symbolizing the triumph of good over evil, and sometimes referred to as the 'second New Year' worldwide, as it's an official holiday in 11 countries spanning the globe, including India, Nepal, Trinidad & Tobago and Fiji. Learn more... | |  | | The Romans, famous for their feasting, celebrated a New Year's festival beginning on the January Calends, or the start of the new moon cycle in that month. To westerners this three-day festival seems a bit like Christmas, what with the decoration of houses with lights and greenery, an exchange of gifts, and feasts. Gifts included such things as sweets or honey to ensure sweetness and peace as well as gold, silver or money to symbolize prosperity. Learn more... | |  | | In Greece, New Year's has definite Christian overtones, as January 1st is not only the first day of the New Year but also Saint Basil's Day - one the forefathers of the Greek Orthodox Church, remembered for his kindness and generosity to the poor. Saint Basil is thought to have died on January first. New Year's is perhaps even more important then Christmas in Greece, as it is the main day for gift giving. It's also a time for stories of how Saint Basil would come in the night and leave gifts for children in their shoes. Sound like Santa Claus? For a child, it can be a little confusing! Learn more... | |
|
iExplore hot deals for February | | |
|
 | | Australia's biggest attraction is its natural beauty. From Sydney to Ayers Rock to Cairns' beaches and the Great Barrier reef, this trip packs a lot into nine days while saving time for enjoyment and reflection. Learn more... | |  | | Central Asia is a vast and area replete with deserts, steppes and mountain passes. For 2000 years a fragile network of intercontinental caravan tracks traversed some of the highest mountains and harshest deserts on earth. These are collectively known as the Silk Road. Join us on a journey where few travelers go. Learn more... | |  | | If you're looking for a 'beach +' vacation, this trip could be for you. With river rafting, mountain biking, canyoning and a host of other activities, your ten days in Central America's Eco-tourist hotspot will not only be memorable - it could hone your skills and tone your muscles! Learn more... | |  | | This is truly the best of both worlds: the culture and antiquities of the world's oldest civilization, followed by the meditative study of game large and small in Kenya's Maasai Mara National Park. From camels and pyramids to lions and wattle-and-daub, these 12 days encapsulate it all. Learn more... | |  | | From Bangalore's Palace of Tippu Sultan to the Venice of the East by houseboat, you'll discover the heart and soul of southern India on this, one of the more out of the way and culturally immersive tours through the southern part of this great land. Learn more... | |
|
| You are subscribed as: omsstravel.1234@blogger.com | iExplore, Inc., 833 W. Jackson Blvd. Suite 500, Chicago, IL 60607 Forward this email to a friend | Unsubscribe from this list. | View our Privacy Policy | © 2010 iExplore, Inc. All rights reserved. | | |
|
|
No comments:
Post a Comment