Shibazakura Flower Festival of Japan

Shibazakura is Japanese for Moss Pink or Phloxes flowers. The Fuji Shibazakura Matsuri (Festival) is one of the best occasions to witness the beauty of shibazakura. Mt. Fuji is the highest mountain in Japan. Shibazakura in Fiji is a seasonal event that attracts thousands of tourists each year. So what is this festival all about?

1.  People come here to behold the vast expanse of red, pink, white and lavender flowers as if laid down like a a carpet over 2.4 hectare  of land.
2.  The official “festival” takes place from April 20 to June 2, 2013. The blossoms so thoroughly cover the ground that you see only shades of pink, no green, truly creating a floral carpet.
3. May is the season for “shibazakura”, which literally means “cherry lawn” but really refers to the pink carpet created by blooming moss phlox. 
4. Shibazakura Hill, a beautiful spring sightseeing spot located in Hitsujiyama Park, overlooks the entire city area of Chichibu.
5.  About 400,000 moss phloxes are in full bloom from early in April to early in May on a hill that is approximately 17,600 square meters in size
6. Approximately 1,000 cherry trees, including yoshino cherry, weeping cherry, and double-petal cherry trees, planted in the park, blossom out in April. The moss phloxes and cherry trees serve as colorful harbingers of spring in April.

Corraleja

Every year in January, Colombia holds 'bullfighting' events in many towns. "Corraleja"(bullfighting), a popular festival in the South America's Caribbean coast of Colombia where there are fights in bullring. It is carried out inside the Corraleja (this word comes from farmyard), a place delimited by boxes for public. Caribbean coast city  Sincelejo is the most famous for bullfighting. The bulls are sent into the bullrings one after the other. In the parade “Veintenerito”, many children pass mounting sticks like horses. Outside the bullring, the city has street parties, musicians in every place and one can hear different folkloric songs of the region everywhere.

Source: Reuters

The 20th Jan day has great significance to regional and national level as Corraleja is celebrated on this day in Sincelejo. It is also known as the feast of Holy name of Jesus. Sincelejo has a popular celebration on that day.According to Ramiro de la Espriella, "The first bullfight as Corralejas was celebrated on the honor of its patron St. Francis of Asísteniendo in Sincelejo on  October 3, 1845.

Bullfighting in Colombia formally started with bullfights celebrating the independence from Spain.Colombia seems to be the second most bullfighting country among the five Latin American countries that have a bullfighting industry.

Doll's Festival

 Hinamatsuri

Dolls festival, otherwise called  Hinamatsuri (hina means doll , matsuri means festival), or  girls day is celebrated in japan on 3rd March every year. This festival performs for young girls to wish  growth and happiness, on this day, young girls place a set of ornamental dolls (Hina - Ningyo) on  tired stands (steps) which are covered with red carpets. These tired stands are usually five or seven. The tradition of dolls displaying started during the Heian period (794 - 1185 ) in Kyoto.

source: Vikipedia              

Generally in mid February   families get ready to display the Hina. The dolls should be put away  immediately soon after the Hinamatsuri. The people believe that  if they don't put away the hina-ningyo  as soon as the festival ends, their daughters will get married late.

 Prince (Obairi - sama) and  Princess (Obina - sama) dolls are mainly used and they are displayed on the top tire. The princess wears a  beautiful  Heian court costume which is called "juuni-hitoe". Even today the royal families wear this costume on wedding ceremonies.  Three court ladies are displayed on the next tier and the third tier has five musicians, two ministers and finally three servants. They display not only these dolls but also  small pieces of  furniture, small meal dishes and other things.  All hina platforms are not decorated in this way however the tiers are filled with load of dolls.

This day some special dishes are prepared  like Chirashi Sushi, Sakura- mochi,  Hina-arare , Shirozake and Hishimochi (a diamond shaped rice cake). The Hishimochi are prepared in three colors, red or pink (chasing evil spirits away), white (purity) and green (health).

The people in various areas still follow the custom of floating paper dolls down the river late on the afternoon of the festival, which is called "hina-okuri" or "nagashi-bina".

The japanese celebrate not only girls festival but also a boys festival on May 5th, which is called "Kodomo no ho" (Children s day) which is a national holiday (but Hinamatsuri is not!)