Euro zone: Is the end near?

I’ve been thinking about writing this post for a while now. However, I’ve been hesitant to do so simply because it’s such an important and complex issue that I wanted to let things play out for a bit before getting down to the nitty-gritty of it all.

So what’s happening in Europe? Well, to put it bluntly, the euro zone is proving to be a complete disaster. I will try my best to explain what’s going on in a way that is easy for everyone to understand, even those of you that aren’t very familiar with economic terms. So, please bear with me - I think this’ll be another long one.

As usual when tackling any problem, it’s helpful to go back to the beginning. With that in mind, let us begin this journey with a very brief summary of how the euro zone came to be.

The earliest precursor to the European Union was the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) founded in 1951 to create a common market for coal and steel, some of the region’s most vital resources. Now, keep in mind that Europe had just been devastated by World War II and was therefore seeking a way to encourage cooperation between European states in order to facilitate and speed up recovery. After seeing the success of the ECSC and to allow for even greater integration within Europe, the European Economic Community (EEC) was created in 1957, having as a main goal the establishment of a customs union (a free trade bloc with a common external tariff.) Throughout the 60s, 70s, and 80s, more and more members of Europe joined the customs union (originally there had only been six members), leading up to the Maastricht Treaty of 1993, where the European Union was officially established. By this point, the EU had a common market (freedom of movement of capital and labor) in addition to a customs union.

Theory indicates that the next stage in economic integration is the creation of a monetary (or currency) union, which as you all know by now, the European Union did eventually set up (the euro zone.) This was essentially the purpose of the Maastricht Treaty, to bind members of the European Union to join the euro zone after they’d met the following criteria:

1) Keep inflation rate no more than 1.5 points higher than the EU members with the best inflation rate.

2) Government deficit cannot 3% each year.

3) Government debt must not exceed 60% of GDP.

4) Long-term interest rates cannot exceed that of the three countries with the lowest interest rates by more than 2%.

5) A country must have implemented the Exchange-Rate Mechanism (ERM, consisting of semi-fixed interest rates) for more than 2 years with no signs of currency devaluations.

With a few exceptions (UK, Denmark), once members of the EU had met all of these requirements, they automatically became members of the euro zone. The euro starting circulating in 2002 and since then has become the world’s second largest international currency reserve. Why did European countries feel that they needed to have a common currency? Well, to put it simply, they expected it to provide great benefits to all members of the EU as it would reduce costs of transactions and eliminate exchange-rate risks. Consequentially, all of this would lead to more flexibility and increases in trade and investment.

And for a while, all of this did happen - which brings us up-to-date. If you’re even remotely interested in current affairs, I’m sure that you’ve heard the phrases “European sovereign debt crisis” and “fear of contagion” at least once in the last, oh I don’t know, year and half? So, what’s happened in Europe that’s led to talks of the euro’s demise?

I already explained how the euro zone came to be and how it works, so you must have an idea of the level of interconnectedness that exists between European countries. That said, each country gets to implement fiscal policies of its own. In other words, though they have a common market and use the same currency, the economic policies implemented by the Greek government can be completely different than those set in place by the German one. (Theoretically, this shouldn’t be the case since there is a checklist that euro zone members must abide by. But, we also know that things hardly ever work the same way in the real world as they do in theory.)

Pundits claim that the euro zone was doomed from the start. They argue that stronger economies (mostly Germany) were so eager to create the euro zone that they allowed weaker states to join even if they didn’t meet all of the requirements. Therefore, these countries didn’t have the sound infrastructure or policies that were necessary to thrive in the long-term. Although they all reaped the benefits at the beginning, it soon became clear that the euro zone was divided into a core (again, mostly Germany) and a periphery (Greece, Ireland, Spain, Portugal.)

The European financial crisis really started in 2008, with the collapse of the entire banking system in Iceland. However, most people (myself included) didn’t really start to pay attention until last year, when concerns over the ever-growing national debt in Greece really started to pile up (Greece’s debt was an exorbitant €400 billion.) With the incentive of low interest rates and “easy money” that came along with the introduction of the euro, the Greek government revealed that it had been running a large deficit (as a result of massive levels of spending and consumption) since its inclusion into the euro zone. The Greek economy, which is largely dependent on its tourism and shipping industries, was particularly hard-hit in the global recession of 2008. In May 2010, Greek government asked for a bailout from the EU/IMF, and after much debate, it was finally loaned €110 billion, with the continued commitment to implement harsh austerity measures (reduction of public spending and increasing taxes.) Also in May 2010, and largely in response to the Greek sovereign debt crisis, the European Union created the European Financial Stability Fund (EFSF) to help alleviate euro zone states in financial trouble.

Something about the economic world that most people don’t understand is that public perception is really important. Say you were a German investor that had bought Greek government bonds. What would happen if the Greek government suddenly revealed that it had manipulated its budget sheets to make its debt seem less than it really was? Fearing the possibility of Greece declaring bankruptcy, you’d try to get your money back as soon as possible, right? Investors no longer wanted to have their money tied to Greek bonds so they started to pull out. This, in combination with the austerity measures implemented by the Greek government, led to even bigger problems, which is why we were still hearing about Greece’s debt crisis a few weeks ago.

However, problems don’t end there. Ireland’s public debt is about 94% of its GDP, whereas its deficit is of 32% (recall that the requirements to be included in the euro zone were for public debt to remain below 60% of GDP and the deficit below 3%.) Similarly, Portugal’s debt is of 83% and its deficit is about 9% of its GDP. Another source of worry is Spain, with a deficit of 9.2% and a debt of about 60%

What about Italy, you ask? Well, Italy’s situation is even more relevant because Italy has one of the largest economies in Europe. Not to mention that Italy’s bond market is the third largest in the world (after the US and Japan only.) Even though Italy has been running current account surpluses, its debt is of about 120% of its GDP. That, coupled with the fact that Italy has been experiencing one of the slowest economic growth rates in the last decade has led investors to perceive Italy as a very risky business. Yields on Italian 10-year-bonds have remained well above 6.5% (they even rose to about 7.5% last week.) Just imagine already being severely indebted (120%!) and on top of that having to repay all of your loans with an additional 7.5% of their additional value. Yea, it isn’t the most promising of scenarios.

Another issue that I’ve failed to mention (mostly because it’s too big of an issue to tackle in this post) is the role that politics has been playing in the euro’s debacle. Both Greece and Italy have seen governments ousted in the last month (Lucas Papademos succeeding George Papandreu in Greece; Mario Monti replacing Silvio Berlusconi in Italy.) Again, public perception and investor confidence play an important role in all of this (one of the reasons why Italian bond yields are so high.) Political unrest has historically been a precursor to economic woes, so its expected that investors will try to pull out of politically unstable markets.

So, can the euro survive? Honestly, if things remain the same, I don’t think it has a significant chance of being around for much longer. As I’ve already explained, I don’t think that austerity measures, the conventional way of tackling the issue, are doing much of anything to ameliorate the situation. In fact, austerity measures will create greater social unrest and if anything, I believe they’ll actually precipitate the euro’s demise. Most European countries are already dealing with higher interest rates and slow economic growth as it is.

That said, nothing is set in stone. Analysts would argue that the power now lies with the European Central Bank to come to the rescue. However, up until very recently (as in yesterday), the European Central Bank was firm in its position of not granting debt relief. The European Central Bank had instead been focusing on buying bonds from the weaker states. However, it’s been said that it’s too little, too late and that the ECB must start to play an even bigger role if it plans on keeping the euro zone alive. Another proposed solution is that the European Financial Stability Fund (EFSF) seek to increase the amount of bailout money available, by attracting private investors from China and other developing countries that have recently experienced unprecedented levels of economic growth.

And there you have it - my take on the European sovereign debt crisis. Forgive me if at times I oversimplified the facts, but you have to understand that I like presenting information in a way that will be easily understood by everyone, from high school students to university professors alike.

If you have any questions, please let me know. And as usual, keep an eye on the developments in Europe. Remember that we live in a highly interconnected world and that what happens in one part of the world will most likely end up having an effect on us all, even if it’s not immediately obvious. Until next time…

Day 9

60 Day Picture Challenge - Day 9: A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most.

In early 2010, I came up with the idea of having a "Brilliant Club," a group of unique individuals who I felt were just as brilliant as I am. There aren't any specific requirements to becoming a member. Essentially, it was meant to include people who I felt I could talk to about anything: politics, philosophy, music, literature. Most importantly though, I felt that these were people who simply understood me and everything that I stand for, in ways that few others can. Originally, there were three members (myself included.) However, one of them was exiled indefinitely, so now it's just two. (Lately, I've started considering the possibility of inducing a few others, though. So, don't fret!) The other remaining member is my dear friend, and the person who has gotten me through the most, Danny. Danny and I became friends in 2007, and he's stood by me ever since. Whenever I'm feeling said, he always knows exactly how to cheer me up. Whenever I need encouragement, he always knows what to say. But most importantly, when I'm going through a rough patch, he's always there to tell me to "handle myself" and to motivate me to continue moving forward. Even when we've had disagreements, we've both known exactly how much space to give to the other, and are able to talk things through and come out of it with an even closer bond. I am confident in saying that Danny and I will be close forever, even if we're currently separated by many miles. <3

30 Day Song Challenge - Day 9: A song that you can dance to

Like a.muse.d mentioned in her own post, I can dance to just about anything. Pop, techno, salsa, hip hop, Middle Eastern music, you name it! So, I could've easily included any song in this post. However, I chose Eddy Herrera's "Pegame tu vicio" because to this day, it is one of my favorite songs to dance to. As soon as the music starts, I'm reminded of just how big of a Latina I am and immediately want to start dancing.

Why we get fat

Those who have been following me for a while know that I am on a journey to lose weight and to become healthier. I really am taking this quite seriously, for it isn’t just about eating healthily and exercising, but also about trying to absorb and apply as much information on the subject as possible. For this reason, I have devoured (pun intended) as many books (and documentaries) about weight loss and health that I can get my hands on (I’m including a list of recommended material at the end of the post.)

Recently I discovered Gary Taubes’s “Why we get fat,” which will be the topic of today’s post. Gary Taubes is by all means a scientist. He studied physics at Harvard University, as well as aerospace engineering at Stanford. However, he is also a very skilled journalist. He got a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University and has written for several magazines, including Science and Discover. In his “Why we get fat” Taubes seeks to explain the obesity epidemic in light of decades of scientific evidence that he feels has either been ignored or hidden from the public by the authorities and scientists alike.

More than 1 billion of the world’s adults are overweight (if you’re keeping track of the world’s demographics, you’d know that that’s 1/7 of the total population) and at least 300 million of those are considered obese (having a body mass index of over 30). As you all know, the problem with being overweight and obese is not just a matter of vanity, but most importantly one of health and wellbeing, for overweight and obese people have greater risks of suffering from chronic diseases such as: type 2 diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular diseases (heart failure, elevated cholesterol, etc.), osteoarthritis, etc. Furthermore, the problem isn’t just a personal one, but society in general gets the backlash of it too. At the beginning of 2011, a report was published that estimated the total cost of obesity at a staggering $270 billion a year in the United States alone! (Why don’t you do something about that Obama?) Childhood obesity is also on the rise. It has more than tripled in the last 30 years! In 2008, reports in the US showed that more than 30% of children and adolescents were overweight. (Yea, it's not a pretty picture.)

Despite the fact that the US Department of Agriculture and the American Heart Association both have voiced their opinions regarding the recommended dietary guidelines for Americans, obesity is still on the rise, leading to the conclusion that something is clearly not working. For this reason, Gary Taubes dived head first into years and years of scientific reports on nutrition and health, trying to find if there was anything that scientists and physicians had missed or overlooked.

The conventional answer to the question “Why do we get fat?” is that our caloric intake is greater than our energy expenditure, or to put it simply and bluntly, we eat too much and don't move enough. However, one of the observations that particularly struck Taubes was the fact that in societies all over the world, there is increasing evidence of obesity coexisting with malnutrition. For instance, here in Honduras (and many other Latin American countries too, actually) it is quite common to see overweight mothers with severely malnourished children. One would immediately start to question how this is possible? Do mothers willingly overeat at the expense of keeping their kids undernourished? As Taubes humorously put it, “Do the mothers sneak out of the house at the middle of the night to eat a Snickers bar that they could very well have given to their children?” He argues that this would undoubtedly go against universally accepted notions of maternity. Therefore, it would probably be simpler to change the paradigm with which we think about obesity and its causes.

For Taubes, answering the question of “why we get fat?” by saying that it’s because we eat too much and don’t burn enough calories would be analogous to saying that an auditorium is crowded because a lot of people decided to go into it, but not enough people decided to go out. Taubes's point in using this comparison is to illustrate that the answer most traditionally used to answering the question of obesity is too simple and says nothing about the true reasons WHY it actually happens.

Essentially, the alternate hypothesis that he proposes is that “we don’t get fat because we overeat, we overeat because our fat tissue is accumulating excess fat.” In other words, “overeating and inactivity are compensatory effects, not causes of obesity.” For Taubes, the real explanation for why we get fat is that our fat cells have become deregulated and they’ve started to take in nutrients that should be available to other tissues, which in turn makes us hungrier and tired.

So, what can we do about it? Taubes argues that insulin is the key to it all. Insulin is one of the most important hormones involved in the metabolism of fat. For those who aren’t very good with science, let me try to explain in a simply way how fat is metabolized. Once fat enters the digestive system, it is broken down into its constituent fatty acids, which are burned for fuel. Now, when fatty acids aren’t immediately used up, they enter fat cells, where they amalgamate to form triglycerides, their unit of storage. It’s easy for the fatty acids to pass into the fat cells, but it’s hard for the triglycerides to exit (they’re too large.) Therefore, one would logically assume that in order to lose the fat deposits (and consequentially, lose weight), all one would need to do is to reverse the process; to break down the triglycerides into their constituent fatty acids so that they can exit the fat cells and be used up for energy. The only way that this happens is actually through insulin deficiency. However, as I’m sure you’re all aware, insulin deficiency can lead to diabetes.

Since insulin is secreted primarily in response to carbohydrates, Taubes’s research indicates that obesity can be cured (or at least controlled) by maintaining a low carbohydrate diet. If you’re anything like me, you were probably disappointed by his grand conclusion, for this is not a ground-breaking statement. The Atkins diet has been promising rapid weight loss for years, just as long as its adherents are willing to give up carbohydrates completely. That said, Taubes does a great job at presenting the information in a way that is methodical, but above all easy to understand. I might not eliminate carbohydrates from my diet completely, for I truly do believe in balance, but I’ll certainly try to limit them (even more than I already do.) One way of doing so is by following the low glycemic index. (http://www.southbeach-diet-plan.com/glycemicfoodchart.htm)

Personally, I’m a huge fan of the Mediterranean-style diet, with its high consumption of olive oil, legumes, nuts, fruits and vegetables, fish, and wine. I’m also trying to eat as organically as possible. However, I’ve also read up on raw food diets and vegetarianism, which in my opinion are a bit extreme, even if their adherents swear that going on these types of regiments has completely changed their lives. Again, this journey is all about learning as much as I can in order to make the best choices for myself and my health.

Recommendations.

Books:

- Michael Pollan, "Food Rules"

- Michael Pollan, "In Defense of Food"

- Arthur Agatston, "The South Beach Diet"

- Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin, "Skinny Bitch"

- Colin Campbell and Thomas M. Campbell, "The China Study"

Documentaries:

- Super Size Me

- Food, Inc.

- Foodmatters

- Forks over knives

- Supercharge me! 30 Days Raw

And they lived happily ever after...

Although the term “fairy tale” as used to describe a literary genre wasn’t coined until the 17^th century, fairy tales have been around for ages, particularly in oral tradition. We all grew up with fairy tales and so, are quite familiar with their defining characteristics, which include: 1) the presence of folkloric/fantastical characters (fairies, goblins, giants, etc.); 2) a far-fetched storyline; 3) a constant struggle between good and evil; 4) a happy ending; and 5) the use of magical elements. Keeping all this in mind, I ask you: Are fairy tales a good or a bad influence?

Let’s start off by talking about what fairy tales have going for them. As mentioned previously, fairy tales have been around for ages and although their target audience is usually children, this wasn’t always the case. The earliest fairy tales were actually intended for adults, primarily as a form of entertainment, but also to act as a reminder of important moral lessons. It wasn’t until the 19th century that fairy tales came to be almost exclusively associated with children, not only as a form of amusement, but most importantly, as a guideline of societal norms and behaviors meant to help children transition smoothly from childhood to adulthood. Therefore, we can say that fairy tales have a strong didactic component, which in and of itself, is great. Furthermore, no matter how bleak and gloomy life may seem, characters in fairy tales always keep moving forward, and are ultimately rewarded by getting their long-deserved happy ending. I know that some argue that this encourages unrealistic expectations, and as much as I agree, I also urge you to keep in mind that realistic or not, fairy tales encourage kids to dream and be ambitious. And the truth is, no one without dreams ever accomplishes much, or would you disagree? Yea, I didn’t think so.

My main issue with fairy tales (particularly in their 20^th century Disney form) is actually the message that they convey to young girls about having to be damsels in distress. The basic premise of Disney movies goes something along these lines: girl is sad and alone - girl meets prince (and yes, it’s always a prince) - girl and prince live happily ever after. Romantic? Yes. Realistic? Hmmm, not so much. Don’t get me wrong; I’m a sucker for romance and stories about finding one’s soul mate and all of that wonderfully mushy stuff. However, fairy tales essentially tell young girls, “Don’t worry. Your prince will come one day – you just wait. Oh, and by the way, there is only one prince for you, so when he does knock on your door, make sure you look your best and that you do everything in your power to get him to marry you, for marriage will give you the ultimate happiness.” Whoa! That’s some heavy stuff, right? I believe this idea encourages passivity amongst females, who feel that things (particularly, love) will just come to them. Not only that, but it creates an obsession with marriage, that to be quite honest, I still don’t understand. My parents have been married happily (more or less) for 31 years. The logical assumption would be that I’d want the same thing for myself. However, that is not the case. I don’t see marriage as being the ultimate end goal, nor do I perceive it as something that will define my self-worth (but I digress).

Furthermore, I feel that some girls might take fairy tales as a justification for leading a superficial lifestyle. And though this may be somewhat of a far-fetched generalization to make, it’s not entirely inaccurate - episodes of “My Super Sweet 16” come to mind. In an attempt to shield them from the cruelty and harshness often experienced in the real world, some parents sadly do encourage their children to live in a fairy tale fantasyland, giving them every indulgence known to man (or at least those that their wallets can afford.) For girls, this means that they end up being spoiled brats who don’t have much perspective on life, much less personalities of their own. But, if you think about it, fairy tale heroines (and I’m again referring to Disney princesses) aren’t just about looks. Though they are undeniably jaw-dropping beauties, they all have unique traits that set them apart. For instance, Ariel collects weird things, Belle loves to read, Jasmine has a pet tiger, etc. (I feel silly mentioning these things, but I must in order to prove my point.) So, although the obvious thing that girls might want to take from Disney princesses is that they’re all beautiful, wear diamond tiaras, and have a prince charming, it’s also important for them to realize (sometimes only possible with parental guidance) that the princesses have peculiar personality traits, but most importantly, that they aren’t afraid to be themselves.

In conclusion, I don’t think that fairy tales have a particularly positive or negative influence on their own. At the end of the day, it all comes down to how they’re interpreted, and what people take from them. Fairy tales are all about magic, fantastical creatures, princes, princesses, castles, etc., which are all great in encouraging creativity and letting imaginations run wild. Also, with their trademark happy endings, fairy tales foster positivity and ambition. At the same time, however, fairy tales could also be interpreted as unrealistic and superficial. In any case, if I ever have children, I will most likely read fairy tales to them and will probably even play Disney movies for them, as well. That said, I’ll make sure to play an active role in helping them figure things out and allowing them to develop their own personalities. Also, when encouraging their dreams, I’ll make sure that they understand the difference between fantasy and reality and that they keep their feet firmly planted on planet Earth.

What about you? What’s your take on fairy tales: yay or nay?

Day 8

60 Day Picture Challenge - Day 8: A picture that makes you laugh

I've always been very close to my brothers and we usually end up doing crazy things together. I believe this picture was taken in the summer of my junior year of high school. It was a boring night and for some reason, we decided to paint our faces black and act all ghetto. I know some people might perceive this as being racist, but to be honest, we were just having fun. Anyways, after rapping (or at least attempting to) along with a few songs, the three of us ended up in the pool with all our clothes on, trying to get the black paint off our faces.

30 Day Picture Challenge - Day 8: A song that you know all the words to

I know all the lyrics to so many songs that I would seriously have to use some complicated mathematical formula with algorithms and differentials in order to pick just one. Or, I could go ahead and just pick one arbitrarily, but you all know that's not really my style. So, I decided to change things up a bit and instead posted "The song in a foreign language whose lyrics I most recently learned." And voila, here we have a clear winner! Giorgia - E' L'amore che conta (Love is what counts.) Giorgia is definitely one of my favorite Italian artists and this is her latest single. I've included the lyrics as well as my rough translation of them.

Di errori ne ho fatti (From the mistakes I've made)

Ne porto i lividi (I carry the bruises)

Ma non ci penso più (But I don't think about it anymore)

Ho preso ed ho perso (I had and I've lost)

Ma guardo avanti sai (But I look forward, you know)

Dove cammini tu (To where you walk)

Di me ti diranno che sono una pazza (They'll tell you that I'm crazy)

Ma è il prezzo di essere stata sincera (But it's the price of having been sincere)

E' l’amore che conta (Love is what counts)

Non solo i numeri, e neanche i limiti (Not just the numbers, or the limits)

E' una strada contorta (It's a winding road)

E non è logica, e non è comoda (And it's not logical or comfortable)

Nell’attesa che hai (While you wait)

Nell’istante in cui sai (For the moment in which you know)

Che è l’amore che conta (That it's love what counts)

Non ti perdere, impara anche a dire di no (Don't get lost, also learn to say no)

Di tempo ne ho perso (Of time I've lost)

Certe occasioni sai (There are certain occasions, you know)

Che non ritornano (That don't return)

Mi fa bene lo stesso (The same suits me just fine)

Se la mia dignità (If my dignity)

E' ancora giovane (Is still young)

Di me ti diranno che non sono ambiziosa (They'll tell you that I'm not ambitious)

E' il prezzo di amare senza pretesa (It's the price of loving without pretense)

E' l’amore che conta (Love is what counts)

Non solo i numeri, e neanche i limiti (Not just the numbers, or the limits)

E' una strada contorta (It's a winding road)

E non è logica, e non è comoda (And it's not logical or comfortable)

Nell’attesa che hai (While you wait)

Nell’istante in cui sai (For the moment in which you know)

Che è l’amore che conta (That it's love what counts)

Non ti perdere, impara anche a dire di no (Don't get lost, also learn to say no)

Day 7

60 Day Picture Challenge - Day 7: A picture of your most treasured item

I thought long and hard but couldn't really come up with one specific item that I particularly treasure. At first I thought about featuring either my Mac or my iPhone, since I really don't know what I would do without either of them. However, I don't really have an emotional attachment to them. So, something about mentioning them in 'my most treasured item' post just felt wrong. For this reason, I decided on using my books - not one specific book, but just books as general. I'm always reading. Seriously, I probably read as much as I breathe, and I'll read just about anything. I just finished Haruki Murakami's "1Q84" (fiction) and Jen Lancaster's "Such a Pretty Fat" (weight-loss memoir), and started working on "The end of overeating: taking control of the insatiable American appetite" (nonfiction) by David Kessler and James Thurber's "My life and hard times" (autobiography). For as long as I can remember, books have always played an important role in my life, allowing me to escape reality and submerge myself into whatever fantasy world I was reading about. Furthermore, books have always fostered my creativity and have recently started to inspire a passion for writing that had lay dormant for quite some time.

30 Day Song Challenge - Day 7: A song that reminds you of certain event

Coldplay's "Viva la vida" reminds me of my university graduation. Probably anyone who graduated from FIU in 2009 would say that this song reminds them of their graduation, as this was one of the songs they would always play at the end of the ceremonies. To be quite honest, I actually didn't want to participate in my graduation because I felt it was a waste of time and money. That said, my parents wanted to fly in from Honduras just to see their baby girl graduating, and since they had invested more than $70,000 in my education, I felt that it was the least I could do.

These humans sure know how to party...

I recently bought this fill-in journal called "My Future Listography," which is essentially a bunch of to-do-lists including Things to explore online and Unique sights to visit. Although I'm aware that I might not get to do everything that I want to do while I'm still alive, I think it's my responsibility to try my best. That said, I believe that planning is half the fun. Making lists and pondering about the road ahead serves as great inspiration to continue moving forward at all times. So, for today's post, I decided to share the list of festivals that I plan on attending at some point.

CARNEVALE DI VENEZIA

Where: Venice, Italy
When: Before Lent, more specifically, it starts 40 days before Easter and ends on Mardi Gras, or the day before Ash Wednesday.
What: One of the oldest and most iconic festivals in the world.

Estimated that 30,000 people visit Venice daily during the festivities.

Started in 1162, as a celebration of the victory of the “Repubblica della Serenissima” (what Venice was called back then), over Ulrico (Patriarch of Alquileia.) However, the use of masks, which makes the Carnival of Venice particularly unique, didn’t begin until 1268.

Masks hide one’s identity, rendering it impossible to make any distinctions between social classes. Also, the masks allow people to enjoy themselves fully, by encouraging them to lose all inhibitions and to stop fearing judgement.

Different types of masks:

Bauta

Colombina

Medico della peste (Plague doctor)

Volto

In addition to the mask contest (La Maschera Più Bella, Most Beautiful Mask), there are a lot of other forms of entertainment during the Carnival of Venice, including: puppet shows, private parties (masquerades), and street performers.

CARNIVAL IN RIO DE JANEIRO

Where: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
When: Saturday before Ash Wednesday until Mardi Gras
What: Biggest carnival in the world, with an estimated 2 million people joining every day.

More than 500,000 foreigners visit every year.

Dates back to 1723.

Considered to be an act of farewell to all bodily pleasures before Lent.

Characterized by excesses and euphoria, where people dance, sing, drink, party, and just enjoy life.

The highlight of the event is the parade of samba schools in the Sambadrome, which features over 3,000 performers scantily dressed in feathers, beads, and sequins dancing on floats as they compete for the title of best samba school.

HOLI

Where: India, Nepal, Pakistan, Suriname, Trinidad, etc.
When: Last full moon of the lunar month Phalguna (usually in either February or March)
What: Religious spring festival of fertility and harvest celebrated by Hindus.

Also known as the Festival of the Colors, it is a celebration of new life.

People throw colored powdered and water at each other.

The strict rules of separation between castes are abandoned.

At the end of the first day, bonfires are lit with the purpose of purifying the air of evil spirits.

The smearing of paint and throwing of colored powder happens on the third day.

There are references to similar festivals in Sanskrit texts, where people would go to the temples to apply red paint not only onto Krishna icons (images and statues) but also onto themselves and their families/friends. The red color represented passion and the practice of smearing the paint symbolized their commitment to diverting their desires for the wellbeing of society and in order to become one with Krishna.

GION MATSURI

Where: Kyoto, Japan
When: July
What: Most famous festival in Japan.

It is the festival of the Yasaka shrine, located in the Gion district of Kyoto.

The festival started in 869 as a way to appease gods during an epidemic that had hit the city. At this time, mikoshi, or portable shrines, were paraded through the streets of Kyoto.

Mikoshi

Nowadays, the main event of the festival is the Yamaboko Junko, or procession of floats, which takes place on July 17.

There are 2 types of floats: Yama and Hoko.

There are 23 Yama floats that carry life-size figures of famous and important people. The Yama are about 6 m in height and weight about 1.2-1.6 tons.

The Hoko, of which there are 9, represent the 66 spears used in the original purification ritual and are significantly larger than the Yama, weighing in about 12 tons and standing up to 25 meters tall.

Hoko

Both Yama and Hoko floats are adorned with beautiful tapestries.

During Gion Matsuri, the streets of Kyoto are lined with street vendors selling: yakitori (chicken skewers), takoyaki (octopus dumplings), okonomiyaki (Japanese pancakes), and a whole array of Japanese sweets.

Yakitori

Takoyaki

Okonomiyaki

LA TOMATINA

Where: Buñol, in the province of Valencia, Spain
When: Last Wednesday in the month of August
What: The world’s biggest tomato fight.

In the 1940s, during a parade of “gigantes y cabezudos,” a group of friends started a tomato fight (it is unknown if they were rebelling against authority or simply fooling around amongst themselves) in Buñol’s main square. Passersby decided to join in and had so much fun that they decided it to make it a yearly tradition, even if at the beginning they met some resistance from the police.

About 90,000 pounds of tomatoes are used up every year.

The festivities start at 10am, when people try to climb a greased pole that has a ham sitting at the top. Once someone is finally able to knock the ham down, a shot is fired and the launching of the tomatoes can begin. After exactly one hour, a second shot is heard, signaling the end of the tomato fight.

The tomatoes have to be crushed beforehand in order to avoid injuries, and the use of goggles and gloves is recommended. (I'd probably wear a hair cap, too. lol)

Don't they seem like a ton of fun??? Who's coming with??? ;) Comment below and if you've got any suggestions, please let me know. Until next time.