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Brazil’s iconic carnival opens in Rio with Carmelitas street party

Rio’s Carmelitas parade draws thousands to Santa Teresa, with samba, costumed revellers and a nod to a runaway nun legend.

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Beijing stages molten iron fireworks show ahead of Lunar New Year

Residents in Beijing watched a traditional molten iron fireworks performance as part of celebrations leading up to the Lunar New Year.

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Scottish vikings march through the streets for Up Helly Aa festivities

Hundreds of vikings in Lerwick celebrated Up Helly Aa with a torchlit procession, ending with the ceremonial burning of a replica longship.

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Bulgaria’s Kukeri dancers revive ancient winter rituals

Bulgaria comes alive each January as Kukeri dancers take to village streets to perform rituals meant to drive away evil spirits and mark the end of winter.

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Japan: 100 worshippers endure icy waters for Shinto ritual in Tokyo

The annual Kanchu Misogi ritual saw around 100 worshippers plunge into icy water at a Tokyo shrine on Sunday.

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USA: New Orleans kicks off Carnival season with parades and more security

New Orleans kicked off the Carnival season on Tuesday with parades for Twelfth Night, featuring police motorcycles, marching bands, and colourful floats.

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Over 40 swimmers brave icy Vltava River for Prague's Three Kings Swim

In the Czech Republic, more than 40 swimmers took part in Prague’s Three Kings Swim, diving into the icy Vltava River near the Charles Bridge.

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Young men in Greece dive for wooden cross in Epiphany celebration

Greeks celebrate Epiphany with the traditional blessing of the waters. In Piraeus, men dove into the cold sea to retrieve a wooden cross for good fortune.

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Thousands celebrate Madrid's 2026 Three Kings Parade

Spain celebrates its most magical night for children on 5. January with Three Kings tradition and its festive processions, where 2,100 participants, including 250 royal servants, handed out 1,200 kilos of sweets.

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New Year swim continues at Carcavelos beach despite cold

Dozens braved cold winds and rain at Carcavelos beach near Lisbon for the first sea swim of 2026, marking a tradition of renewal and strength despite rough conditions.

Voices from Central Asia

A family of welders and the future of skilled work in Kazakhstan

In partnership with MDQ

From a retired instructor to his son and grandson, one family’s journey through welding education highlights why skilled trades remain essential to Kazakhstan’s economy – and why human craftsmanship still matters in an age of automation.

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Bandos and Parrandas: Venezuela celebrates freedom on Holy Innocents Day

Each December, Caucagua in Venezuela bursts with colour for the Bandos and Parrandas of the Holy Innocents, a tradition celebrating freedom and resistance through humour.

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Els Enfarinats: Revelers battle with flour and eggs in traditional Spanish festival

Each 28 December, Ibi in Alicante turns into a flour-covered battlefield for Els Enfarinats festival.

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Winter swimmers take a plunge on Christmas Day in Berlin

Brave swimmers in Berlin's Oranke Lake celebrated Christmas with a cold swim in 1.5°C water, facing minus eight temperatures outside.

Modern Nomads

An ancient Kazakh puppet tradition reborn

In partnership with MDQ

A centuries-old Kazakh puppet tradition is finding new life on global stages, in classrooms, and even through 3D printing.

Partner content

Uzbekistan’s ‘Echo of Enlightenment’: Reclaiming Central Asia’s Role in the History of Science

Partner content presented by the Tourism Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan

A new documentary series from Uzbekistan explores how Central Asian scholars shaped global science, challenging Eurocentric narratives of intellectual history.

Lifestyle

Ho ho... huh? The strangest European Christmas folklore explained

While you’re overindulging in the festive cheer and the rampant commercial takeover of these holidays, keep these strange Christmas folklore figures in mind. Whether it’s the anti-Santa cat from Iceland or a child-chopping murderer from France, there’s plenty that’s bleak around the holidays.

Crossing Cultures

Spain and China’s iconic foods: olive oil and Jinhua ham explained

In partnership with CGTN

From Andalusia to eastern China, two ancient food products reveal how tradition, geography and regulation shape global food heritage.

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Hundreds join annual year-end clean at Kyoto's major Buddhist temples

Hundreds joined the annual year-end clean at Kyoto's Higashi-Honganji and Nishi-Honganji temples, a 500-year-old tradition to prepare for the New Year.

Around Azerbaijan

Why Shusha remains a cradle of culture and creativity

In partnership with Azerbaijan Tourism Board

Shusha, known as Azerbaijan’s cultural cradle, reveals its rich heritage through historic landmarks, music, poetry, crafts and traditions shaped by centuries of creativity.