If the West advances on the East, then the East also advances on the West, so among the "tourist" events of February, shows accompanying the Chinese New Year are becoming more noticeable every year. The Year of the Rat is celebrated lavishly in Paris, London, Nice, and other cities of cosmopolitan Europe. In addition, a large Chinese festival, Shen Yun, will take place in London at the end of the month. More details about these and other events are in the poster from Gazeta.Ru.
UNITED KINGDOM
Viking Festival, February 13-17, York. The February Jorvik Viking Festival traditionally takes place at the Viking Centre, whose exhibitions are dedicated to the events of the 9th century, when York was the capital of the Viking kingdom for 50 years and was called Jorvik. On February 13, after the grand opening ceremony of the festival, everyone can visit the "Viking settlement", which will be open all five days, and in the evening attend a demonstration battle with the Saxons.
On February 14, during the day you can quickly learn traditional Viking crafts, and in the evening at several venues there will be romantic "nights of epic and love" by candlelight, with Scandinavian cuisine and music. On February 15, first you will find yourself at a theatrical show where makeup artists will draw real battle wounds and injuries on anyone who wants them, then you will visit a children's festival, and in the evening you can go to the History vs. Hollywood show. On Saturday, the main events will take place - combat training, a parade, the Great Battle, and a demonstration of the battle fleet, and on the last day of the festival - a cultural show "Vikings and Samurai". Every day there will be a market of ancient crafts and a "living history" created in the Viking village. //www.jorvik-viking-centre.co.uk
Chinese New Year, February 9-10; Chinese Festival, February 22-24, London. Chinese New Year is considered one of the most beloved February holidays in London. Dancing lions and dragons, gong strikes, fireworks and lanterns, performances by acrobats and puppet theaters, martial arts shows, a photo exhibition dedicated to life in Beijing, a Chinese film festival - this is an approximate list of what fills the New Year events, most of which will take place in Chinatown.
And at the end of February, Londoners can expect the musical historical show Shen Yun with the participation of 200 Chinese artists, which will take place at the Southbank Centre. Viewers will be able to get acquainted with traditional and modern Chinese art, ancient rituals, traditional costumes, music and dance, and opera. Festival tickets cost from €15 to €55. //www.chinatown-online.co.uk //www.visitlondon.com //www.southbankcentre.co.uk
GERMANY
58th International Film Festival, February 7-17; Country Music Festival, February 8-10, Berlin. The 2008 Berlinale will open with a documentary by Martin Scorsese about the Rolling Stones. The jury, headed by Franco-Greek director Constantin Costa-Gavras, will select the best feature and documentary films in the main program, as well as in the "Panorama" and "Generation" sections. This year, the main program includes 18 world premieres, including films by Justin Chadwick, Majid Majidi, Philippe Claudel, and Dennis Lee. It is also worth mentioning the festival's retrospectives: viewers will see series of films by outstanding directors Francesco Rosi and Luis Buñuel. The full festival program is published on the official Berlinale website.
Parallel to the Berlin Film Festival, a country festival will take place at Fontane Haus, featuring 130 musical groups from 10 countries. Organizers promise 100 hours of live music on four stages and numerous thematic exhibitions. Exhibitions of musical instruments are particularly popular among visitors. //www.berlinale.de //www.countrymusicmesse.de
POLAND
Folklore Festival, until February 24, Krakow. The carnival spirit will also take over Polish cities at the beginning of February. On Fat Thursday, it is customary to eat unlimited amounts of local traditional sweets - jam donuts and "faworki" (angel wings) cookies, and on the last night, from Tuesday to Wednesday, noisy costume parades take place. Wednesday is commonly called "Herring Day" - it is the day of transition to Lent.
It is in February that folk traditions will become a relevant theme at the Krakow festival, which will be held at the Polish House. Performances by folklore groups from small towns and villages, master classes where you can learn to dance the Krakowiak, Mazurka, Kujawiak, and Oberek, will form the basis of the festival program. //www.krakow.pl
FRANCE
Carnival, February 16 - March 3, Nice. Although the carnival in Nice has medieval roots (it has been held since the 13th century), today it has lost its original meaning as a celebration before Lent. Resort life has prevailed over ancient meanings, leaving only fragments of old traditions and rituals. This year, the carnival starts on Chinese New Year, and its theme alliteratively reflects the upcoming Year of the Rat: "Roi des Ratapignatas, Raminagrobis et autres ramassis de Rats masqués", which can be roughly translated as "King of Bats, Cats, Rats, and other rat masks." The carnival program is based on repetition: in the morning - a traditional flower parade, in the evening - a parade of lights (February 16, 23, and March 1), on February 19 and 26 only a parade of lights is expected, and on February 20 and 27 only a flower parade. The grand carnival parade with giant floats will take place on February 17, 24, and on the night of March 2-3, which will end with a grand fireworks display. //www.nicecarnaval.com
Lemon Festival, February 17 - March 2, Menton. One of the most vibrant festivals at the end of February takes place in the lemon capital of France, Menton, and is linked to the largest citrus harvest of the year. Citrus parades are carts with huge fruit installations, a folk festival, and musical band competitions. Moreover, parades in Menton are held during the day and night. Sunny daytime parades this year will take place on February 17, 24, and March 2, while moonlit parades will be on February 21 and 29. Concurrently, exhibitions of citrus fruits and orchids will open in Menton, as well as the 'Garden Lights' festival (a light and music show). //www.feteducitron.com
SWITZERLAND
Carnival, February 11-13, Basel and other cities. Fasnacht is the Basel carnival, which has been held for over six centuries. It begins a week after Ash Wednesday. On Monday at 4 a.m., the carnival starts with a glowing procession accompanied by drums and pipes, and restaurants and cafes will offer carnival dishes and drinks to visitors early in the morning. Only members of carnival groups can participate in this procession. The main events take place on Monday and Wednesday afternoon - costumed processions accompanied by musicians, and in the evening - comic singing competitions. Tuesday is traditionally children's carnival day, and in the evening anyone can visit the lantern exhibition at Munsterplatz and listen to brass band concerts on the city's streets and squares. By the way, from Monday to Wednesday you can closely examine carnival floats at a special exhibition at Kasernenareal. The carnival ends at 4 a.m. on Thursday with the extinguishing of lanterns, symbolizing the end of wild revelry and the beginning of Lent. //www.baseltourismus.ch //www.fasnachts-comite.ch
Nyuta KUKUSHKINA.
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