Festivals which use light

As the sunlight comes back, so things come to life again, so as well as lighting the darkness with your festival you are heralding the rebirth of another year. Shining a light helps us see more clearly.

The act of switching on a lamp, igniting a fire or lighting a candle banishes darkness into the corners. There are many sayings and quotations that explore this aspect of light. Try a few of these on your students — how do they interpret them; can they come up with more? Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. Happiness never decreases by being shared. So shines a good deed in a naughty world. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in their true beauty is revealed only if there is light from within.

Further details on the BBC website , which also has some great photos of Christmas in the Orthodox world. Despite not being strictly a Muslim festival it is celebrated as New Year in Iran and right across many Islamic countries in central Asia. BBC News has some pictures of Nowruz celebrations. There is also a provision for tourists to participate in the event a week after the actual celebrations.

Celebrated by Jews all over the world, this festival of light or the Feast of Dedication is celebrated to commemorate the re-dedication of the Holy Temple located on Temple Mount in Jerusalem.

Observed over a period of eight nights, the festival starts on the 25th day of Kislev, the ninth month of the Hebrew year around November and December. This year, the festival will be celebrated between December 6 and December The festival involves the lighting of the traditional menorah, the nine-branched candle tree, is lit with an additional candle every night.

On the eighth night, the menorah is complete. The November festival is already in the planning. Loy Krathong celebrates light and offerings are made to bring good luck.

They had local community performances, food stalls, and fun games organised by local hotels with prizes. I would recommend celebrating locally rather then at a hotel purely for the community spirit. The fountains are choreographed to colourful lights and music, with a spectacular laser show. Some are interactive with surprises — of the wet variety.

July , exact dates TBC, circuitomagicodelagua. Canadians handle cold, long winters by throwing themselves headlong into them. It may be C but ice skating, torchlit snowshoeing or a bonfire will help keep the spirits up and the darkness away. Enormous floats depicting Japanese gods and mythological beings are paraded around and it's quite a visual spectacle.

Taking place in Valencia, the festival gets its name from the Latin word 'fax' which means 'torch'. It basically includes setting a bunch of things on fire, and therefore it is no surprise that this is the hottest festival. The festival takes place on December 8 every year, to express gratitude toward Mary, mother of Jesus. Much like Diwali, every house places candles outside windows. The festival usually lasts 4 days. A festival celebrated by Jews all over the world, it is observed for a period of eight nights and days anywhere between the end of November and December.

It all starts with lighting eight candles. It is an annual event which takes place in October, each year. It was started in , and the latest entrant to the list of festivals of light.

All major and popular landmarks are illuminated during the 9 days. It is now extremely popular among tourists and locals alike. Celebrated on the fifteenth day of the Lunar year, which falls anywhere between late February and March. The festival is a sight to see so many lanterns floating, making a constellation of their own. Preceding the Lantern festival on the 15th day of the Lunar calendar, the Chinese also celebrate their new year with lights and lanterns.