World Travel Guide: Holiday attractions and events - |
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In the mid-1950s the shops in Regent Street, London, decided to entice more customers to the area (and into the shops) by having a lavish display of Christmas lights. They were motivated by an article in the Daily Telegraph in late 1954 which stated that London was "drab" despite it being Christmas time.
The first Christmas Lights were little more than lanterns on the fronts of the buildings, but with the passage of time (aided by technology) the lights have become more and more extensive, elaborate and sophisticated.
Despite the success of the lights in attracting people to the area, in 1971, the economic downturn saw them discontinued and it was not until 1978 that they returned.
The fact that they were a success was not lost on the shops in Oxford Street (which meets Regent Street at Oxford Circus) and the traders there, in 1959, launched their own Christmas lights.
Since those early days, lights at Christmas time have spread to other areas of the capital, especially the West End, where up-market traders and theatre-land merge. So, in 2006, Christmas lights also featured in the street decorations of Covent Garden Market and Bond Street, as well the area around the Christmas tree in Trafalgar Square.The lights now are not just fixed to the facades of buildings. They stretch across the road, suspended above the traffic, and follow an increasingly sophisticated (and commercial) series of themes.
There is often intense competition to get a "hot" popular entertainer or celebrity to perform the "switch-on" each year, and now the events resemble a concert, often with the roads closed to traffic, live singers, bands and musicians, or big screens showing excepts from stage shows or recent movies.
The main beneficiaries of the display, the traders themselves are no longer having to bear the whole cost - which has been heavily criticised in recent years as being anti-environmental - as they are getting the "man in the street" to sponsor individual bulbs, and large corporations to sponsor huge tableaux.
From early November until early January, the lights are a major attraction in themselves – 24 hours a day in Oxford Street, from 2pm until 2am in Regent Street and at various times elsewhere. Some 40 million people are estimated to view the lights in London (2006 figures) which are estimated to stretch for over 2 miles.
Torrevieja is one of the most important summer holiday spots in the province of Alicante, about 50 kilometres from the city of Alicante and making up what is known as the Costa Blanca in Spain. Torrevieja and the town of Pilar de la Horadada are in the southern tip, the last towns before you head into the province of Murcia.
When making holiday plans, if you are to arrive there by plane, the closest airport would be the one in Alicante called the Altet. It has great flight combinations with the rest of Europe, especially when flying in from England.
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Like many other aboriginal cultures around the world, the Inuit of the Canadian Arctic have made use of drums in some of their traditional music for centuries. Inuit drum dancing played a part in many special occasions such as births, marriages, an Inuit boy's first hunt, changing of seasons, greetings for visitors or to honor someone who had passed away. News of these special events was spread by word of mouth and many Inuit traveled great distances to attend.
The Inuit drum called a qilaut was traditionally made from
caribou skin with seal or walrus skin around the handle. Before,
Inuit drum dancing was most commonly done by men
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The New Year's parade in Hong Kong is an event not to be missed! The city is dressed up with bright decorations and colorful lights for its biggest celebration of the year, and thousands pour into Hong Kong to take part in the festivities.
Winding along Hong Kong's picturesque waterfront, the New Year's parade is filled with colorful, lavishly decorated floats. Representatives from Hong Kong and countries all over the world sing, dance and play music. The songs of marching bands fill the air along the parade's route as performers in bright costumes prance along the streets.
The forthcoming year
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The annual Edinburgh Festivals are regarded world wide as some of the best Europe has to offer in terms of film, literature and music. Every year it is estimated that the population of Edinburgh doubles as the city becomes one of the most vibrant places to be in all of Europe. However, despite this worldwide recognition, only a third of the visitors are locals which means many Britons are failing to take advantage of this fantastic short break opportunity available to them right on their doorstep.
Starting in 1947, the Edinburgh Festival has grown into the largest festival in the
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