January
China
JAN 5–MAR
HARBIN ICE & SNOW FESTIVAL
The biggest winter festival in the world, the 38th annual Harbin Snow and Ice Festival takes place in the northeastern Chinese city of Harbin in Heilongjiang province
India
JAN 14
UTTARAYAN (INTERNATIONAL KITE FESTIVAL)
Considered one of the biggest and most important festivals celebrated in India, the festival of Uttarayan marks the day when winter begins to turn into summer according to the Indian calendar. Residents spend months preparing grand, colourful and decorative kites
Myanmar
JAN 16
ANANDA PAGODA FESTIVAL
Devotees pray and give offerings at the most revered Ananda Temple built in 1105 CE, where 1,000 monks chant for 72 hours during the week-long event
Philippines
JAN 16
SINULOG
The Sinulog Festival celebrates one of the country’s most famous historic relics: the Santo Niño de Cebú. This was the statue of the baby Jesus that was handed to the Rajah Humabon of Cebu by the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan in 1521
Japan
JAN 22
WAKAKUSA YAMAYAKI
Taking place every year on the 4th Saturday of January, Wakakusa Yamayaki is an annual festival where the grass on the hillside of Nara’s Mount Wakakusayama
Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Singapore and India
JAN 18
THAIPUSAM
This festival commemorates the occasion when Parvati gave Murugan a spear so he could vanquish the evil demon Soorapadman and his brothers
February
Korea
FEB 1
KOREAN SEOLLAL
A festival and national holiday that
