1 . Born in 1873 in an old town, the Carival of Viareggio now is one of the most popular events held in Vareggio, Italy. Some of the biggest carnival floats (彩车) in Viareggio are known to the whole world, turning into a kind of symbol (象征) showing peace, unity and love.

The Location And Transportation

The huge street parades (游行) take place on the seaside walkway of Vareggio. To get to Viareggio before the parades, visitors can easily arrive here by direct trains from Florence, Pisa, Lucca and Cinque Terre. The train station is only 10-15 minutes walk from the seaside walkway.

The 2024 Time Plan Of The Carnival

2023 was special because it was the 150th birthday of the Carnival of Viareggio. All stories and cultures of the carnival come from different corners of the world. This is why people call it “a common carnival”. Only a few days after the end of the 2023 carnival, its organization already worked out the dates of the 2024 carnival’s parades, The following is the schedule of the 2024 carnival’s parades.

The winners will be showed and there will be fireworks at the end of the parades.

2 . Literary festivals all over the USA offer opportunities for readers to meet their favorite authors and learn about their new projects. You can start planning your next literary vacation!

It’s one of America’s most respected literary festivals and writing conferences. Authors are able to attend advanced workshops in order to improve the craft of writing. Besides, they can meet editors and literary agents and attend public panel discussions to gain inspiration and insight.

It is a celebration of books covering multiple styles and always nets a huge list of incredible author attendees. What makes it stand out, however, is not just its impressive list of attendees: it’s the charitable focus. All proceeds are donated to charitable causes, including those that benefit women and children.

It is a massive celebration of books and the bookish community, with book signings, panel discussions with distinguished professors and experts, art performances and book giveaways. The two-day event has grown to become an essential element of the L.A. cultural scene.

It celebrates all things about fantasy and science fiction. In addition to panels where authors will answer your questions, you’ll get to meet and acquire signed books from your favorite authors and have the option of brunching with them at the cosmic (宇宙的) brunch buffet.

3 . The sunmao (榫卯) method of joinery was commonly used in ancient Chinese architecture and furniture. But when modern technology discourages many in mastering this ancient skill, Jia Jing, a junior student at Hubei Ecology Polytechnic College, offers his answer.

“It is essential to train young people in this craft,” said the 20-year-old. “Not only does it ensure the preservation of carpentry (木工) skills, but there exist delicate wooden artifacts from ancient times that machines still cannot repeat.”

Growing up in a family with a carpenter father, Jia would constantly observe his father doing woodwork and sometimes assist him. This early exposure ignited (点燃) his passion and talent for carpentry. But as a child, he couldn’t build furniture on his own. So, he conveyed this passion into building with Lego bricks at the age of 8.

“At that time, I would think before going to bed about what I would build tomorrow,” Jia recalled. “I brainstormed a framework in my mind, and the next day I would start building it.”

This hobby significantly benefited Jia’s future furniture-making skills. Before making any piece, Jia can quickly sketch a draft in his mind, which proves useful during the carving process.

When the moment arrived for Jia to head to college, he chose interior design at the suggestion of his father. Beyond his theoretical studies, Jia also signed up for school furniture-making training center. Sawing, planning, and carving wood repeatedly every day can be an extremely dull job for most young people. While other students were enjoying their college life, Jia had already learned to bear loneliness and focus on achieving excellence. “This experience not only improved my skills but also tested my character,” Jia said.

Recently, Jia’s commitment to this craft achieved a significant milestone. He was chosen as one of the candidates to compete on behalf of China at the 47th World Skills Competition in Lyon, France next year.

“If I can represent China on the global stage, I will exert all my efforts to become the winner,” Jia said.

4 . Interested in different cultures? Take a look at these communities around the world, discover how they celebrate their traditional festivals, and see just how they like to throw a party.

Naadam Festival, Mongolia

Naadam Festival is an annual celebration in mid-summer that consists of the “Three Games of Man” strength, horsemanship and marksmanship. The festival is believed to have existed for centuries, first in the form of military and sporting displays that followed wedding and spiritual gatherings, and then as a way to train soldiers for battle. The festival begins as a colorful opening ceremony before the three sports.

Day of the Dead, Mexico

Taking place over two colorful days in Mexico and Latin America. this festival honors all things relating to the dead, and is not as scary as it sounds, as it focuses on people taking joy in lite, and showing love and respect for dead family members and friends. On November 1 and 2. participants dress up, hold parties and make offerings to the dead to welcome spirits back to the land of the living.

Zimei Festival, China

Every year, on the 15 day of the 3’d lunar month, the Miao people of South China celebrate the Zimei Festival, known as “Nong ga liang”. The festival is a good opportunity for young girls and boys to meet and fall in love. Wearing traditional costumes, people gather on the village square. Young women, singing and dancing, travel from village to village and offer Zimei rice to boys they like.

Holli, India

Holli is a Hindo (印度教的) festival that marks the victory of good over evil, the arrival of spring and is also a time for people to meet, spend time together and repair broken relationships. On the first night people gather in front of a bonfire and pray for their inner evil to be destroyed. The next morning people take to streets and spray colored powder and water to each other.

5 . The dinner party is disappearing according to an article in The New York Times. “How can this be?” You might wonder. Don’t we meet with friends to taste food in the hottest restaurants? Aren’t we invited by friends to enjoy home-cooked meals? And we throw parties for friends on special occasions, don’t we?

    1    It is more formal and usually hosted in one’s home. Invitations are sent out ahead and hosts prepare food with great care. A beautiful tablecloth is spread out on the dinner table, which is then set with expensive cutlery (餐具). Guests dress up for the occasion and are expected to carry on a conversation at the table.    2    

Is it because people are too busy to cook for others and then invite them to the table? Perhaps, but there are many food lovers nowadays, and TV programs teaching people how to cook are very popular.    3    According to Judith Martin, a US writer, people have been brought up to express themselves rather than to exchange ideas. They don’t know how to share their experiences and feelings with others in a proper way.    4    

In her opinion, its influence has been harmful to human communication. “People don’t even respond to dinner invitation anymore,” she said. “Not only do they cancel at the last minute, they do it by text message.”

Things have changed a lot today. Perhaps the dinner party has just become a different kind of thing. However, it needs only be more than some food, a table and a location.    5     Even if we are using ordinary plates and are not wearing party dresses, we can still enjoy food and share our ideas of life, love and culture, can’t we?

7 . Hot air balloon festivals are held annually in many places throughout the year. Here are some of the best hot air balloon festivals around the world.

The Saga Balloon Festival

More than 100 balloons from about 20 countries took part in the annual five-day competition and celebration in Saga, Japan, in 2019.

The most beautiful sight at the Saga Balloon Festival happens in the evenings. The balloons all light up at once and an extraordinary glow is reflected in the river.

The balloon festival in Saga takes place in early November.

The Leon Balloon Festival

The first Leon International Balloon Festival took place in 2002 with just 25 balloons. It is now the biggest balloon festival in Latin America. Like at other festivals, the balloons come in different colors and shapes.

The yearly balloon celebration takes place from November 15 to November 18.

The Albuquerque Balloon Festival

The biggest hot air balloon festival in the world takes place in the American city of Albuquerque, New Mexico. There are about 600 balloons and pilots from around the world.

The festival also appeals to photographers and it has long included a competition for best pictures of the celebration.

This festival takes place from the first weekend of October to the second weekend, lasting 9 days every year.

The Chateau- d'Oex Balloon Festival

The Chateau- d'Oex Hot Air Balloon Festival got its start in 1979, when 12 balloons from five countries gathered to promote Chateau- d'Oex at the suggestion of Hans Brücker. The festival grew over the years, and in 1999，the first hot air balloon to fly around the globe without stopping left from Chateau- d'Oex. These days the festival hosts a number of special events and contests, drawing balloonists from all over the world. The festivities include a unique children 's themed night show with fireworks and music.

This festival takes place in the last week of January and lasts 5 days every year.

8 . It can be very easy to stick with what you know, instead of trying to meet people who are different from you.     1    Here's what you can do:

Become self-aware.     2    This includes biases(偏见）about your own cultural background. It can be confronting, but by doing this you'll be able to think about how these traits might impact on your approach to and understanding of differences. You could try: Think about what assumptions you make about your friends, peers, and people you work with.

Talk to someone from a different cultural background. Try and get to know someone from a different cultural background better.     3    You'll automatically find out more about their life and experiences. Just being curious and open-minded can be helpful.

Be more accepting. Sometimes, for one reason or another, it's not all that easy to understand some cultural differences.     4     In other words, you don't have to understand, or even agree with, someone in order to accept them.

    5     One of the biggest difficulties to overcome in understanding cultural differences is making judgments based on one opinion. You should do some research to actually learn about people, instead of making broad-brush assessments. Stereotyping(模式化）people from different cultural backgrounds can impact their quality of life and opportunities.