Every country in the world has its own festival and celebration. Festivals are a great way to experience the local culture and tradition. Sometimes they even offer a glimpse into past. There are hundreds of festivals across the world. Here are some festivals scheduled for Jan – Feb 2019.

THE KERALA LITERATURE FESTIVAL, Kozhikode, Jan 10-13, 2019

Popularly known as “The grandest celebration of words, stories, and ideas”, Kerala Lit Fest is the second largest cultural gathering in the country. Set along the shore of the Arabian Sea by the beaches of Calicut, the KLF offers something for just about every age and interest, bringing readers and writers together for inspiration, entertainment, and discussion. Every Year, The festival presents an array of the best artists, actors, celebrities, writers, thinkers, and activists closer to people by engaging in meaningful discussions on literature, art, cinema, culture, dance, music, environment, science, and technology. Fireside chats at night with a plethora of performing artists like rock bands, musicians, dancers, concerts; ghazal nights make altogether, the Kerala Lit Fest an indelible affair in the literary scene. With the goal of reaching as broad an audience as possible and including them in the festival in many ways, KLF remains open to the public, non-exclusive and open platform for discussions and idea exchanges. Wales is the guest nation for the year, offering audiences a taste of the contemporary legacy of one of Europe’s oldest cultural traditions. Featuring leading Welsh authors and the innovative Invertigo Theatre Company with their show My Body Welsh, the Guest Nation Wales programme will also include a day dedicated to screenings of Welsh films related to literature.

MODHERA DANCE FESTIVAL, Sun Temple, Modhera, Gujarat, Jan 19-21, 2019

The 11th century Sun Temple at Modhera in the Mehsana District of Gujarat in western India is one of the finest examples of ancient Indian architecture. Built in 1026-27 A.D. during the reign of King Bhimdev I of Patan, the temple is dedicated to Surya or the Sun God. The remarkable temple is so scientifically constructed and positioned that at the equinoxes, the rays of the rising sun illuminate the deity in the sanctum sanctorum of the temple. The outer walls of the temple are covered with stunning sculptures, most of which are of Surya. The gorgeous canvas on the walls and pillars depict scenes from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. It is in the premises of this stunning temple that the spectacular Modhera Dance Festival is held every year in January. Organised by Gujarat Tourism, the three day visual extravaganza celebrates dance, music, and art – reviving the state’s glorious royal heritage, and recreating the ambience of centuries gone by. Classical and traditional dance forms from all over the country set the stage on fire, with the incredibly beautiful Sun Temple acting as the backdrop to this celebration of India’s beautiful traditions and culture. The biggest highlight of the Festival is the Garba dance of Gujarat. People dressed in colourful clothes perform the vibrant Garba dance. Lights, colours, entertainment, glimpses of culture, and the exquisite setting of an ancient temple make the whole festive experience simply perfect.

AMSTERDAM LIGHT FESTIVAL, Amsterdam City Centre, Amsterdam, Netherlands, until Jan 20, 2019

Every year, the city of Amsterdam organises the Amsterdam Light Festival. International and national artists have created 30 spectacular light sculptures especially for the light exhibition in the canals of Amsterdam. This year’s theme is ‘The Medium is the Message’. The best way to see the Amsterdam Light Festival is by Canal Cruise. The light art installations are placed in and around the Amsterdam canals. From the end of November 2018 till the end of January 2019, the inner city of Amsterdam lights up with light sculptures, projections and art installations along the Keizersgracht canal. The light art installations of the Amsterdam Light Festival water exhibition illuminate every day from 5 pm until 11 pm. The Amsterdam Light Festival is in open air and so free for everyone. Great opportunity to take impressive photos indeed!

SAPPORO SNOW FESTIVAL, Multiple Venues, Sapporo, Japan, Jan 31-11 Feb, 2019

The Sapporo Snow Festival is held during one week every February in Hokkaido's capital Sapporo. It is one of Japan's most popular winter events. The Sapporo Snow Festival was started in 1950, when high school students built a few snow statues in Odori Park. It has since developed into a large, commercialized event, featuring spectacular snow and ice sculptures and attracting more than two million visitors from Japan and across the world. The Snow Festival is staged on three sites: the Odori Site, Susukino Site and Tsu Dome Site. The main site is the Odori Site in Sapporo's centrally located 1.5 kilometer long Odori Park. The festival's famous large snow sculptures, some measuring more than 25 meters wide and 15 meters high, are exhibited there. They are lit up daily until 22:00. The Susukino Site, located in and named after Sapporo's largest entertainment district, exhibits about one hundred ice sculptures. Susukino is located only one subway stop south of Odori Park. The ice sculptures are lit up daily until 23:00. The less centrally located Tsu Dome Site is a family oriented site with three types of snow slides, snow rafting and more snow sculptures. Inside the dome, there are many food stands and a stage for events. The Tsu Dome Site is open daily from 9:00 to 17:00. The Tsu Dome Site opens a few days before the full start of the festival.

LONDON INTERNATIONAL MIME FESTIVAL, Multiple Venues, London, UK, Jan 9-3 Feb, 2019

The London International Mime Festival embraces circus, physical theatre and comedy, juggling, object manipulation, live art and some shows that weave together film and theatre. For its 2019 incarnation, British artists at the forefront of the programme, with main stage debuts for Gandini Juggling, with Alexander Whitley, at Sadler's Wells and Gecko at the Barbican, plus a festival co-commission for Theatre Re’s latest show, Birth, at Shoreditch Town Hall. LIMF also an international dimension which this year includes companies from Belgium, Finland, France, New Zealand, Norway and Spain.