Each year in March streets across India transform into vibrant scenes of colours, performances, and bonfires. Known as the festival of love and light, it begins in the evening of the Purnima, also known as the Full Moon Day, where bonfires are lit to kick-off celebrations, and continues through the next day with the throwing of bright colours.

Holi derived from the Hindu legend of Hiranyakashipu, a demon king that was defeated by the Hindu god Vishnu, and Krishna, the manifestation of Vishnu. Vishnu inspired the lighting of pre-festival bonfires, while Krishna’s playful nature inspired the throwing of chalks and dyes. As a result, Holi is made up of an amalgamation of joyous festivities for everyone to enjoy. 

The equinox defines the point in the year when the Earth’s axis is tilted neither away nor towards the Sun, causing an equal day-to-night ratio across the globe. There are two equinoxes in the year – spring and autumn – and both stand as mid-point markers between the seasons.

Spring equinox represents a time of rebirth, growth and light, with events including gatherings of people dressed in all-white at Teotihuacán, Mexico, sunrise viewing parties at Stonehenge, England, and residents in Zenica, Bosnia meeting around pots of eggs to scramble them and break bread (known as ‘Cimburijada’). 

Marking the start of the New Year in the Buddhist calendar, Songkran Water Festival is filled with jovial celebrations across Thailand. A symbol of purity, rejuvenation, and the renouncing of sins, water was historically poured over Buddha statues and sprinkled on heads of loved ones in a display of gratitude, respect and blessings. Today, the festival has evolved into a full-on water fight, with people armed with buckets, water guns, and balloons.

The Christian festival of Easter is celebrated as both a full week (known as the Holy Week) or the more common three-day weekend. The events start on Good Friday, marking the death of Jesus, and finish on Easter Sunday – Jesus’s resurrection. Many destinations that observe Christianity celebrate with public holidays, religious services and feasts of roasted meats, hot cross buns, and eggs (which represent new life).

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