TODAY’S HOLIDAY: FLORES DE MAYO

Flores de Mayo

Flores de Mayo (“May flowers”) festivals take place throughout the Philippines during the month of May. Children create offerings of flowers and bring them to their churches in the afternoon. Parades make their way through towns and villages, with girls wearing traditional costumes followed by their relatives and friends singing Hail Marys. The festival ends on May 31 with fiestas everywhere. In big cities like Manila, Flores de Mayo is one of the largest festivals of the year, featuring May Queens and fancy dress balls.More… Discuss

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TODAY’S HOLIDAY: CARNIVAL OF VENICE

Carnival of Venice

The Carnival celebration in Venice, Italy, is more sophisticated than the flashy celebrations that take place in Rio de Janeiro and New Orleans. Costumes for the event are often drawn from the stock characters of Italian popular theater from the 16th through 18th centuries—including traditional costumed characters such as La Bautta (the domino) and Il Dottore (the professor or doctor of law). Italian university students pour into Venice as Ash Wednesday draws near. The rhythm of the celebration quickens, evidenced by a number of spectacular costume balls. More… Discuss

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