AUTUMN FESTIVALS AND HOLIDAYS

BULGARIA

1.Unification Day

It commemorates the unification of Eastern Rumelia and Bulgaria in 1885. Bulgarian citizens considered the decisions of the Berlin Treaty to be unfair and began a peaceful demonstration against them. On 9 September the temporary Government was dismissed. Diplomatic efforts failed and Bulgaria had to defend its interests on the battlefield in the Serbo-Bulgarian War where the Bulgarians were victorious.

2.National Enlighteners Day

It’s an occasion to pay tribute to all those committed to culture and education. It is traditionally a day to give awards to outstanding teachers, actors, and artists of all sorts. Since the 1930s, it has been a tradition in cities and towns throughout the country to hold parades honoring students and teachers. In the capital city of Sofia, the parade progresses beneath huge portraits of those leaders who nourished Bulgaria’s cultural rebirth.

Saint Ivan Rilski Vasil Aprilov Vasil Levski Lyuben Karavelov

3.Independence Day

On 22.09.1908, “The Great Powerful Countries” declared the Independent Bulgarian Kingdom and Bulgaria became a sovereign state. The Government sets aside a special fund for the celebrations both countrywide and abroad. A number of activities have been organized to commemorate the special date. Musicians participate throughout the celebrations. There are celebratory liturgical masses held in the cathedrals as well. There are also parades which include military, civilian and even a bicycle parade. A raising of the Bulgarian flag follows all of these and then wreaths and flowers will be laid on the war memorial.

ITALY

1.ROME INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

The festival takes place at Auditorium Parco della Musica. From November 8th to November 17th . There are film projections, meetings with the protagonists, and exhibitions . The Maxxi Museum also hosts events that enliven the entire city of Rome and in particular the area of Via Veneto considered the iconic street of Italian cinema.

The Maxxi Museum

Auditorium Parco della Musica

The Festival’s award

2. Alba White Truffle Festival

The Festival is in the town of Alba. This is one of the biggest truffle festivals in Italy. Events start with a night of concerts and gastronomic stands and end with the truffle world auction and a white truffle walk for tourists. There's even a donkey race.

A White Truffle The Town of Alba

3.Barcolana Regatta in Trieste

The largest gathering of boats in the Mediterranean Sea. All types of boats race. There's music, food, and wine, as well. The race consists of a four-sided route with fixed beacons, one of them symbolically floating in the waters of Slovenia. The total distance to cover is about 16 NM.

4.Thrush festival

The Festival takes place in Montalcino , Tuscany and is a competition between the four neighborhoods of Montalcino. In this tournament the ancient archery skills of the Montalcinesi are tested, and the winning archers bring glory and honour to their neighbourhood.

POLAND

1.Warsaw Autumn Festival

The largest international Polish festival of contemporary music. For many years, it has been the only festival of its kind in Central and Eastern Europe. It is an annual event, normally lasts for 8 days. The first festival took place between 10–20 October 1956. The festival's leading aim is to present new music from Poland and around the world.

2.Plus Camerimage Festival

The biggest festival dedicated to cinematography and its creators cinematographers. Since 2010, the festival has taken place in Bydgoszcz. The event brings together professional cinematographers, students and other people associated with the film industry. In 2007, the name was changed from Camerimage to Plus Camerimage.

The Festival’s Award

3.International Dance Theatres Festival

For 35 years The Polish Dance Theatre has remained faithful to its mission to promote the art of dancing and disseminate ballet culture throughout the country and abroad. Adding an educational perspective to its wide spectrum of interests, the theatre started organizing the International Contemporary Dance Workshops in 1994 and the International Dance Theatres Festival in 2004.

ROMANIA

1.Sibiu Pottery Fair

This is Romania’s most prestigious pottery fair. Master potters gather at the ASTRA Museum in Sibiu early in September, where they showcase their work and perform public exhibitions of their craft.

2.Concert in the Cave

An unlikely venue for a classical music concerts, Romanesti Cave has hosts the Banat Philharmonic, the State Philharmonic and the Royal Danish Symphonic in past years. The natural acoustics in the cave create a truly magical experience.

3.Harvest Day Festival

Many small villages across Romania host festivals that celebrate the onset of harvest season. In many cases, these celebrations have historic roots dating back two centuries or more. One of the most well-known festivals takes place in Rameti, and features harvest rituals and traditional dances.

SPAIN

1.Wine Festival of San Mateo

Whiling away the time at wine bars or simply through strolling along the streets, dancing Giants and Big Heads, parades of carriages ornate with various symbols of wine making and a number of other ceremonies typical of Spanish fiestas. Most of all, this joyful harvest festival is a gastronomic delight with rioja wines and regional cuisine.

2.Fiestas de Nuestra Senora de La Merce

"La Merced," the day of parade and festival of Barcelona's patron saint, sounds like it should be a relaxing evening. But in reality, " La Merced" demonstrates a recurring theme in Spanish festivals found in many and varied forms: the struggle between life and death.

3.Fiesta de la Exaltacion del Marisco

This festival of seafood takes place in O Grove, Galicia. Combining traditional folkloric shows with seminars on seafood and the delightful consuming of all varieties of sea life, including barnacles, octopus along with mussels, cockles, flounder, clams and razors, to name a few.

LITHUANIA

1.Vilnius Marathon

An annual road marathon, held in Vilnius, Lithuania. In 2013, 10 000 runners ran the marathon. The start and finish line is near the Cathedral Square in the very heart of Vilnius.

2.Vilnius Jazz Festival

The oldest annual jazz festival held in Vilnius. It provides a broad perspective on contemporary trends in jazz from all over the world. The festival crosses and expands the stylistic boundaries of jazz and free improvised music by presenting joint projects with musicians from academic, ethnic music, rock and industrial music backgrounds. The festival usually offers a 3-4 day programme of concerts, workshops and jam sessions featuring up to 10 different groups.

3.Tai-aš Musical Festival

A song poetry musical festival (a genre somewhat peculiar to Lithuania). It has no counterparts in Eastern Europe but with the importance of lyrics over music in the genre the mostly Lithuanian songs may be hard to undestand for foreigners.

TURKEY

1.International Istanbul Biennial

A contemporary art exhibition, the Biennial aims to create a meeting point in Istanbul in the field of visual arts between artists from diverse cultures and the audience. Considered as one of the most prestigious biennials alongside Venice, São Paulo and Sydney, the International Istanbul Biennial prefers an exhibition model which enables a dialogue between artists and the audience through the work of artists instead of a national representation model.

2.Kurban Bayram

Kurban Bayram (the Festival of Sacrifice) is the most important religious festival of the year. This is a four-day festival when sacrificial sheep or other animals are slaughtered and the meat distributed to the poor, in memory of the ram sacrificed by Abraham in place of his son. According to Islamic rules, every Muslim who is wealthy enough must sacrifice a farm animal for God. The meat from the animal is then shared – one third saved for the household, one third shared between friends and neighbours and the final third given to the poor.

3.Republic Day

Many people in Turkey celebrate Republic Day on October 29 by attending performances and participating in traditional processions with flags and musical bands. The Turkish Republic’s founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk proclaimed Republic Day as Turkey’s most important holiday.

THANK YOU FOR TAKING YOUR TIME TO GO THROUGH IT!

Made by Bulgarian students