In the month of June the ancient holy city of Fez in Morocco hosts the Sacred Music Festival where musicians from different faiths gather to pay melodious homage to their religion.

The festival originated after the first Gulf War as a humble attempt to wipe out the political differences and bring humanity together with the sound of music. The Sacred Music Festival aims at promoting love and peace between people of different religion caste and creed and in some way has been successful as those who attend it feel nothing but peace and contentment in their hearts.  Though words are foreign and not understood but the soulful rendition of the singers really touches the chords of one’s heart. At times the whole audience is in a trance and hatred and other ill feelings are totally forgotten.

The event lasts for 10 days Fez echoes with Pakistani Qawwalis, the whirling dervishes of Turkey, the Sufi chants of Morocco, Egyptian Madhi odes, the chants of ancient India and Christian Saeta. Every performance is unique and soul stirring and has made this festival so very special. The program ends with a joint performance as the musicians from different faiths and different countries find common grounds to unite.

A Sacred Music Festival is also held in Los Angeles USA after every three years. It also strives at connecting together people from different faiths. It is a major event of the city and for sixteen days churches, synagogues, temples; theaters and outdoor areas serve as stages for the music and dance performances. It provides an opportunity to understand the various faiths and sends a strong message that humanity is above all differences.

Similar events are hosted in Olympia, Washington and Michigan in the USA. Spain, Canada, France, England and India are other countries where World Sacred Music Festivals are held.

Ashura or Youm-e-Ashur falls on the 10^th of Muharram the first month of the Islamic calendar. This day is a day of grief for all the Muslims as the grandson of the Prophet Mohammed, Hussain Ibn Ali was martyred.

This day commemorates an event which took place in the 61 AH (680 AD). After the death of Hazrat Ali, the fourth caliph of Islam, evil practices began to creep into Islam. The new caliph Muawwiya appointed his son Yazid as the next caliph. Yazid was a pleasure loving person and when he succeeded his father, Hussain the grandson of the Prophet refused to pay allegiance to Yazid.  This resulted in an encounter between an army of Yazid and less than 100 follower of Hussain on the banks of River Euphrates near Kerbala (present day Iraq). His followers included women, children and other members of his family.

Almost all the male members gave up their lives fighting for their beliefs. The women and children were taken as prisoners. The head of Hussain was removed from his body, taken over a spear and marched through the streets of Kufa and was then presented to Yazid along with the prisoners of war.

In Yazid’s court, Zainab Binte Ali the sister of Hussain delivered a fiery speech and being the daughter of a dauntless warrior of Islam, protected the honor of her family.

Soon after the incident of Kerbala, people began to acknowledge the sacrifices made by the Prophet’s family to uphold the true teachings of Islam.

Bali is a beautiful island of Indonesia. The island, with a predominant Hindu population, is the seat of art and culture. This land of scenic beauty hosts the Pesta Kesenian or an art festival annually at Werdi Budaya Art Center in Denpasar. The festival lasts for a month in which both local and international artists participate. A colorful opening ceremony marks the beginning of the festival in which participants from all the regions of Bali introduce themselves with a brilliant performance depicting their traditions and culture. The ceremony, usually officiated by the president of Indonesia, ends with a dance drama.

There are daily performances of dance and music which continue through out the day. Besides music and dance, various forms of art and handicrafts of this fabulous place are also displayed. Food is another thing that is representative. During the festival you can savor the mouth-watering cuisine of Bali.

“La Fiesta de las Cruces” (The Festival of the Crosses) also known as “Cruz de Mayo” is celebrated in Spain on 3rd May.

Like some other Christian Festivals, it has pagan roots. During this festival, crosses made of flowers are installed in the city’s main squares and streets. Even the balconies of houses are decorated with floral crosses. These floral crosses are further decorated with other ornaments such as candlesticks and scarves.

Although celebrated in many places of Spain, the cities of Granada and Cordoba are specially known for their remarkable display of floral crosses. A competition is held to pick the best floral cross later in the day.

No festival is complete without some sort of merry making and to complement this festival, temporary bars are set up where the locals gather to enjoy a few glasses of wine and tapas. Every Spanish festival features flamenco dancing and “La Fiesta de Las Cruces” is no exception. Dancing continues till the wee hours of the morning.

La Feria de Abril or Seville’s April Fair is held in the city of Seville. Seville is more popular for its oranges and Islamic architecture. The Fair commences on a Tuesday at midnight two weeks after Easter and continues till the midnight of the following Sunday. The fair started off in 1847 as a cattle market and is now a colorful extravaganza attracting over a million visitors both local and foreign. This festival is mainly about ongoing flamenco performances, bull fights and a free supply of Tapas.

The main event takes place at Real de La Feria where a thousand marquees known as “casetes” in Spanish are setup. The “casetes” are tastefully decorated with multi colored paper lantern which present a pretty picture when lit up at night.

Most of the casetes are owned by local families, businesses, clubs, and societies and admission is strictly on invitation only. Here guests are entertained with food, Flamenco performances and free flowing “tapas” as Spanish drink. There are some public casetes as well set up by the city council. The ladies of Seville dressed in pretty flamenco outfits roam around the town and the men in their riding gear strut about on horses. Every day at noon, a procession, “Paseo de Caballos”, is taken out in which girls dressed as Flamenco dancers ride through the city in beautiful carriages. The bull fights take place later in the evening at Plaza de Toros de Masetranza. Other amusements, like rides and games for families, are also arranged in a ground adjacent to the main venue of the fair.

If you happen to be in Spain in April, do visit Seville and feel the real spirit of Spain.

The Anastenaria is another festival with deep pagan roots blended with Christian rituals. The Christian Orthodox festivals revolve around various Christian saints; the Anastenaria Festival is celebrated in some villages of Greece and Bulgaria to honor Saint Constantine and Saint Helen. A popular legend associated with its origin is that once the church caught fire with the saints trapped in it. Some brave locals on hearing the cries for help of the saints, rushed into the burning building to rescue the reverend saints. The blazing fire did not harm the locals and from that day onwards, a festival is held in which the devotees walk on burning coals.

Anastenaria is celebrated in May and dancing, music, animal sacrifice and walking on fire are the main rituals of the festival. The participants gather in a special building or a room called Konaki where the icons of the saints are placed along with other objects considered sacred. The festival commences with dancing; some devotees get so involved in the dancing that it seems as if they are in a trance. On the 21st of May, the participants march towards a holy well to be blessed by the holy water. Next ritual is the animal sacrifice; the meat is later distributed among the villagers. Then a bed of burning coals is prepared and devotees dance around it. Some of them even run barefoot on the hot coals carrying the icons. The festival lasts for three days and ends with a private fire walking ritual.

Songkran is the Buddhist New Year celebrated in Thailand in the month of April. Thais have a unique way of celebrating this festival, they spray water everywhere and on everyone!

Songkran lasts for three days during which life comes to a standstill as all the businesses, government offices, schools etc are closed and those working in other cities return to their native towns to celebrate the New Year.

Water holds great significance and is considered a purifier which washes away misfortunes and bad luck. The houses are thoroughly cleaned before Songkran. People go to temples where the images of Buddha are bathed by pouring scented water from silver bowls. After that it is water splashing time as young, old, priests, policemen, locals and foreigners are sprayed with water. You can see people armed with water guns, spray guns, hoses, bottles etc throwing water on each other. This activity continues from dawn to dusk.

Besides merry making, there is a sober side to the festival as well. Thai youngsters sprinkle water onto the hands of their elders (parents and grandparents) as a mark of reverence. The elders in turn bless them and wish them prosperity and good health. Monks are also presented with new robes.

A Miss Songkran Beauty Contest and colorful parades are also a part of the festival.

Easter is the most important Christian festival of the year relating to the crucifixion and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Easter is a movable festival which occurs between 22nd March and 25th April as it is celebrated on the first Sunday that falls after the first full moon following the spring equinox. Easter marks the end of the Lent; a 40 day fasting period.

The Roman Catholics offer special prayers in the church every Friday till Good Friday. As Jesus was crucified on Friday, it is a sad day for the Christians. A special mass is held on Friday at 3 pm sharp as Jesus Christ was crucified at this hour. A Special midnight Mass is also held on Saturday, the eve of Easter. In some churches, all candles are extinguished on Thursday and then on Easter eve, new candles are lit. The main candle called the Paschal candle is white in color with a red cross on it and signifies the presence of the Christ amongst the people. This candle is lit for a whole month and also on special occasions. People light their candles with it as well. Easter Sunday symbolizes the resurrection of Jesus and begins with special prayers in the church. For Christians too, it is a sign of a new beginning.

The day is then spent greeting and visiting friends and family and feasting. Easter eggs and Easter bunnies are some Easter traditions. Easter eggs represent a new life. Brightly colored eggs are hid all around the house and the garden for children to find. The eggs can be of chocolate or they may be an egg shaped container with goodies inside. Other traditional Easter foods are hot cross buns, roast duck or roast lamb.

This festival of colors is celebrated by the Hindus all over the world. Holi is celebrated on the last full moon of the lunar month Phalguna which comes somewhere in February or March. Phalguna is the last month of the winter season as well and Holi is a way to welcome the spring season. However, Holi is mainly celebrated to mark the triumph of good over evil.

Although many legends are associated with its origin, the most popular one involves the demon king Hiranyakashyap, his daughter the she devil Holika and his son the pious Prahlad. Prahlad was a devotee of Lord Naarayana and had unshakeable faith in him. The demon king not happy with this situation ordered his daughter Holika to walk into a burning fire along with her brother. Holika cold not be harmed by fire but when she entered into it, contrary to everyone’s expectations, Holika was burnt to ashes while Prahlad escaped unscathed. Holi is celebrated to commemorate this victory of good over evil forces and a person’s ultimate faith in his Lord.

Holi celebrations kick off with the burning of the effigy of Holika over a huge pile of sticks collected for days on the eve of Holi. The next day, the day of Holi known as Dhuleti is a day of pure merrymaking and enjoyment. People of all ages from all walks of life throw colored powder and colored water on each other amidst the chants of Holi Hai. Singing, dancing and savoring especially made delicacies is another way to enjoy Holi.

Holi brings people together as not only Hindus but also members of other communities like Muslims and Christians take part in this joyous occasion as well.

Puno is a quiet town in Peru better known for its scenic beauty. Puno rings with festivity, color and music as the town celebrates the Candelaria festival.

This colorful festival is a blend of Catholic and pagan customs. It is celebrated to honor the Virgin de la Candelaria (Virgin of Candles) in a traditional pre Columbian style. Town people along with 200 dancers and musicians dance along the streets of the town dressed in colorful costumes. The statue of the saint is carried through the town in a procession including priests and altar boys. The procession is doused with holy water as it passes by the cathedral. Spectacular parades, masks and fireworks are a regular feature of the 18 day festival.

The first nine days are spent decorating the church and arranging banquets and fireworks. The later celebrations are more influenced by pagan rituals and are related to the farming and mining activities of the town. The main dance of the festival is the Devil Dance or the Diablada. It is said that a group of miners trapped in cave created this dance and left themselves at the mercy of the Virgin of Candelaria. In the end, the celebrant head towards the graveyard to honor the dead.