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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The Notting Hill Carnival is an annual event which takes place in Notting Hill, West London, England – commencing on a Saturday and ending on the night of the August Bank Holiday Monday. In 2007, it takes place from 25th to 27th August.
The Notting Hill Carnival has attracted up to 1.5 million people in some years, placing it amongst the largest street festivals in the world and probably the largest in Europe.
The format for the Carnival takes the following pattern:
Saturday – the “Panorama” takes place, a competition between steel bands mainly from the London area, but increasingly from around the
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So, this is the Brazil. This is what Rio de Janeiro is really all about. When the Carnival arrives, companies close down, shops shut their doors early, and streets are closed off to make way for dancing, parties and parades. This awe inspiring festivity not only provides entertainment for the thousands of people attending the Carnival, but also for the millions watching it on their televisions, giving them a chance to learn about the true culture of Brazil.
The next Carnival starts on Saturday 25th February 2006, and ends on Fat Tuesday leading up to Ash Wednesday, the beginning
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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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