OUTLOOK studied the brightest Pakistani holidays, because the saying goes for a reason: people live same way they hang out. An amazing game of history. Pakistan appeared on political map relatively short time ago yet one doesn’t have the heart to call it ‘young’ for it is inhabited with heirs of one of the most ancient civilization.
Nowadays it is second most populous Islamic country of about 190 million people with own traditions and customs living in it.
Many things have transformed in Pakistan over the years but ancient customs remained preserved till now. Numerically insignificant Dard people of Kalasha that mainly neighbor with Islamized population are still adherents of heathenism. Ordinary in terms of habits but wise when it comes to common life issues, these people are particularly zealous in protecting distinctive character of their culture. Kalasha’s love to dances and music fostered numerous holidays. The most remarkable of them is Joshi. It is celebrated on May 14 and 15 and marks incoming of spring. Houses are decorated with flowers in these days, men put on new clothes and women – also bright and heavy accessories. During the festival it is customary to milk cattle and exchange dairy products with neighbors and friends after that. In the evening the whole tribe heads to hill slopes to continue celebration.
Heathen holidays are in perfect accord with modern ones, in particular, Shandur Polo Festival. The tournament has been held in the first week of July since 1936. Traditionally, two teams from Chirtal and Gilgit valleys participate in it. Long trade rows and campings emerge on the banks of Shandur Lake for the period of the festival. Vendors insistently offer tourist to buy all kinds of goods hoping to profit from reach foreigners. It is rather hard to get to Shandur – two-day-long trip in mountains along lacet isn’t everybody’s cup of tea; however marvelous views and exciting polo game will become a reward that’s worth it.Photo paktourtravel.com
We have already mentioned that almost entire population of Pakistan profess Islam. No wonder that religious holidays are particularly revered here. One of them, Eid al-Adha or Kurban Bayram, is celebrated to commemorate sacrifice of prophet Ibrahim. In order to make everything in time, preparations for it start well in advance: goats are bought, gorgeous bells are put on them, goats are decorated with ribbons, fed abundantly and let to have enough of walk. When Eid al-Adha arrives, they are sacrificed. At that it is done everywhere: on walkways, in squares, yards and parks. Men with huge knives run around in blood-stained aprons, corpses hang on trees and animal screams are heard from all sides.
It goes on like that for the whole day long and in the evening streets get filled with luring smells of roast meat. Pakistanis put on their best clothes and whole families gather for a meal. The festival lasts three days – golden times for needy and beggars that come from far and wide. Local poor folk know that in Eid al-Adha it is customary to serve food to those who cannot afford it themselves. Tents are set in front of rich houses where they can count on viands.Eid al-Adha in the mosque of SunehrionSaddarroadin Peshawar
Another Islamic festival – Eid al-Fitr that honors the end of Ramadan – is celebrated on especially noble scale. During last couple of days of the sacred month Pakistanis set on a trip around shops looking for presents for close ones, products for festive table and for new clothes. Cakes enjoy particular popularity – demand on them goes through the roof with long queues gathering outside confectionaries. Decorated with shiny bright-green, yellow and blue bracelets, domes and frescoes from mosques, Eid al-Fitr cakes rather resemble works of art then food. On the eve of the event Pakistan turns into a huge anthill where everyone is engaged in one’s own business. Light decorations are being installed in the streets and tables are set out for the evening’s first meal after fast – festive fuss reigns everywhere.Photo aljazeera.comPhoto dawn.com
Should you happen to be in Pakistan in late February or early March, we advise you not to miss Sindh National Horses&Cattle Show. It is traditionally held in Fortress Stadium trade centre in the country’s second largest city Lahore. Aside from participants of the exhibition, locals and numerous tourists come here in order to have a look at this parade of animals. Highlight of the show is dances on horses and camels, vaudeville with participation of stunt actors and performance by military orchestra.
And to conclude with, here are a couple of words about spring holiday of Holi. Although it is believed to be Indian national holiday, it is among favorite ones in Pakistan as well. Also known as the festival of colors, it symbolizes the end of winter and nature’s awakening from sleep. Streets turn into multicolored spots for two days. It may seem to a western person who happened to be in Pakistan during Holi like some kind of carnival: bright columns of people that move to the sounds of drums and carols, strewing each other with colored powder are quite impressive. The celebration is so colorful and exciting that it was adopted by European countries. In spring of 2013 Holi was first held in Kyiv.Photo pakistantourntravel.comPhoto parhlo.com
Ice cream with a taste of horse meat, pickled insects, fish with deadly venom, etc – Japanese cuisine has things to surprise, amaze and shock you with. And truth be told, enumeration of these dishes doesn’t help my appetite at all. But we are not after exotic stuff. True culinary tourism is an attempt to comprehend mindset and feel national distinctive color through traditional cuisine – not try most exotic dishes.
The free fight has not feminine face. The good girl could smile in a pretty way and care colorful dress but not strike out wildly. But in the fierce Ands such gentle flowers do not grow. The true Bolivian cholit will be quick on the uptake, and it is able to fill in if necessary. But on Sunday, having gathered the starched skirts, she will desperately go to fight
Stores, shopping malls, markets - all these places are an integral part of daily goings-on of almost every person on our planet. It would seem there is nothing special about them: they are all alike, just goods and prices vary depending on country or city. In fact, it is not quite true since some markets are only accessible via waterways. Our today’s story is about them.
If what they show in cinematograph is true than a typical samurai appears to be austere, taciturn and even slightly unsociable person. But this image in actual fact doesn’t get in line with reality... You don’t believe it? Our journalist Elena Rasenko suggests you make sure of it for yourself.
It is just as hard to imagine a Japanese who doesn’t eat fish as to picture a Scott who doesn’t drink whiskey. OUTLOOK journalist Elena Rasenko will tell you about a unique place where successors of samurai purchase fine seafood for their tables.
OUTLOOK journalist Elena Rasenko came back from Japan and launches a special series of articles devoted to this country. Warning for very sensitive readers: Beware! After reading, you will get a keen desire to break away, buy a ticket and fly to such a marvelous and fascinating Land of the Rising Sun!
History of Estonia isn’t preserved in scrolls of parchment but in leaden chronicles of the North Sea. Winding coastline three thousand kilometers long has seen millions of sails starting with striped cloths of drakkars to nap-of-the-earth flight of clippers over the waves in the era of steam and electricity.
Small ethnic groupshave been always interesting for scientists and artists, who sought inspiration in their lifestyle. The Bajau - nomadic seafarers who formally can be correlated with Malaysia, are one of the most popular ethnic groups today.
In this cheerful and mischievous dance, the all Europe and America are spinning, modestly adding to their word "polka" their geographical location. For example, there are Finnish, Andijon or even Mexican kinds of dance. It is with this choreography that the children begin, they consider it to be the "upper class", which only the hardy dancers with a strong vestibular apparatus can do.
Everyone knows that being in Scotland you should try whiskey, in France you should taste wine, and in Japan t is all about sake. But few people think about national soft drinks. They were created by peoples with far more practical intentions - refreshing and burning, repelling from the climate features, possessing nourishing properties.
Our journalist came back from Ecuador with unique experience and we share it with you. For the first time I was suspected of drug trafficking. Alone, in the country where there is no Ukrainian Embassy, I was standing and feverishly figuring out if someone could plant something on me on the way to the airport.
Have you ever thought how many grains of history are stored in each item sold at little booths in Thailand? Yet, strolling along those souvenir stalls you are browsing craft records of the whole nation, briefly looking through notes survived from a thousand years ago to the present day. Some pages have thinned to transparency, but marks did preserve their former accuracy.
Only dancing and wearing mask, Korean peasants were able to express their disgust towards rudeness or greed of the hosts or apply to some deity with extraordinary request. Keeping anonymity, the people played out the scenes from life, cried, and laughed. At the end of the performance the destiny awarded the good characters and punished villains.
How can you understand the nature of finance, if there is no desire to go deep into the jungle of science? It is better to see once, than to read a hundred times: a trip to the island of Yap in Micronesia replaces the entire university course of monetary theory. Yap roads are lined up with giant doughnut-shaped, carved disks the size of a millstone - rampant inflation has made the world biggest money into fun for tourists.
Famous Kazakh proverb says: “Art of a craftsman can only be told in gold and silver”. Nevertheless, no matter how skillful hands of a creator are, in order to make a truly worthy thing it takes hard work, obstinacy, and, sure enough, courage to make a claim about yourself and about your talent.
When Bahriddin’s mother was getting ready for work, she was assiduously arranging her hair around her tubeteika. It resulted in some sort of a crown. On holidays she plaited special adornments into her black hair with a tinge of blue. When she walked, they were tinkling slightly to create an aura of a dance. And in evenings little Bahriddin couldn’t fall asleep without holding her tight braid in his hands.
While watching Discovery or other popular science shows it seems that our planet has been explored and examined length and breadth long ago. However some phenomena that we come across in our lives literally knock us down. Like, for instance, the fact that in Hindu Kush Mountains mysterious and blonde Kalash people live in isolation...
In this day and age, it is difficult to surprise anyone, especially an urban resident, with some large department store or market, since nowadays one can buy everything from a humble convenience store next door. However, the iconic bazaars and flea markets are still operating across the globe, they are famous in legends and described with delight.
The well-known saying goes: east is a delicate matter. All-in-all, it is true as evidenced even by details. Due to specific climate, eastern women have similar type of appearance, and their nations are united by close cultures. Therefore, they prefer the same beauty standards. Women are supposed to be modest, to dress so as to completely or almost completely conceal figure.
Magic dance of a snake in time with flute’s melody often described in Eastern fairy tales and depicted in movies is no fiction but a true symbol of those countries. In Egypt, India, African countries and some other states slithering tribe are tamed to make a spectacular entertainment out of it. Profession of reptile charmers exists there; it is believed to be as nearly as the most amazing on Earth.
Photo paktourtravel.com
Eid al-Adha in the mosque of SunehrionSaddarroadin Peshawar
Photo aljazeera.com
Photo dawn.com
Photo pakistantourntravel.com
Photo parhlo.com
