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Fall semester is a superb time to research or intern overseas and uncover new seasonal traditions. With a fall semester overseas, you’ll have the prospect to witness distinctive native customs that mark this time of yr, all whilst you earn educational credit score or achieve skilled expertise. Along with some unbelievable autumn harvest festivals, there are a lot of distinctive fall holidays celebrated all over the world that honor nationwide delight, cultural heritage, or non secular reflection. Experiencing these holidays firsthand provides the prospect to uncover a deeper appreciation for autumn and its seasonal traditions—lengthy after you come back dwelling.
Expertise the magic of fall overseas—uncover a few of the distinctive autumn holidays you’ll be able to have a good time if you go overseas with AIFS Overseas!
Chuseok – South Korea
Chuseok, additionally referred to as Hangawi or “Korean Thanksgiving,” is a standard vacation celebrated in South Korea. This three-day vacation celebrates the autumn meals harvest and is an opportunity for households to return to their hometowns, reconnect, and share conventional dishes. Chuseok is well known on the fifteenth day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar, which is mostly in September or October. Simply as Individuals collect for Thanksgiving every November, households throughout Korea come collectively to share beloved Chuseok dishes handed down by generations.
When you research or intern overseas in Seoul, you’ll discover town grow to be busy as individuals put together for the vacation after which develop calm as residents journey to their hometowns within the nation to reconnect with household. It’s an exquisite time to expertise Korean tradition extra deeply—and in case you’re fortunate, you may even be invited to affix an area household for a Chuseok feast!
Halloween and Samhain – Eire
Whereas Halloween and Samhain have completely different origins—Samhain hailing from Pagan mid-autumn traditions and Halloween stemming from the Christian celebration of All Saints’ Day—many Samhain influences might be discovered within the fashionable follow of Halloween, each of that are noticed on October thirty first. In Eire, the place each traditions hint their roots, individuals will typically have a good time each holidays on the identical day.
In historical Eire, Samhain was believed to be a division of the yr that marked the time when the veil between the worlds of the dwelling and useless grew to become thinnest. Ancestral spirits have been honored and invited dwelling, and other people wore costumes to disguise themselves as dangerous spirits, which they wished to keep away from. As we speak, Samhain’s historical spirit weaves by fashionable Halloween festivities, and gives perception into historical Celtic traditions. Examine or intern overseas in Eire and you’ll study extra about these centuries-old Celtic customs, all whilst you get pleasure from a well-known fall vacation.
La Toussaint, All Saints’ Day – France
All Saints’ Day, also referred to as All Hallows’ Day, follows Halloween or All Hallows’ Eve. It’s a day of Christian solemnity celebrated in honor of all saints of the Church. This vacation is well known in lots of nations internationally on November 1st, most notably in European and Latin American nations with giant Christian populations.
In France, the place it is called “la Toussaint,” it’s an particularly common public vacation. On la Toussaint, individuals attend church companies in reminiscence of all of the saints. Then, within the night, households collect collectively to go to cemeteries, the place they honor their deceased family members by inserting heather, chrysanthemum flowers, or immortal wreaths on their graves. They might additionally mild candles to represent happiness within the afterlife. When you research or intern overseas in France, you might even see households gathered collectively on today, bouquets of flowers of their arms as they stroll by metropolis streets, recounting their favourite reminiscences of family members who’ve handed.
Day of the Lifeless – Latin America
The Day of the Lifeless (“Día de los Muertos” in Spanish) is a vacation celebrated on November 1 and a couple of in some Latin American nations, significantly Mexico. Throughout this vacation, households reunite to create choices, or “ofrendas,” to honor and bear in mind their members of the family who’ve handed. These choices are adorned with shiny yellow marigold flowers, pictures of the deceased, and their favourite meals and drinks, encouraging their departed members of the family to go to from past, hear their prayers, and be a part of within the celebrations. Whereas it might sound like a somber occasion, the Day of the Lifeless celebrates life and dying and the reminiscence of their deceased family members, slightly than mourn for them.
Every nation that observes Día de los Muertos has its personal method of honoring the event. In Costa Rica and Argentina, the vacation tends to be extra reflective, aligning carefully with the spiritual traditions of All Souls’ Day. In Argentina, households typically bake dough collectible figurines formed like angels, doves, hearts, crosses, and ladders (symbolizing the soul’s descent from heaven in order that they’ll partake within the celebration after which reascend afterwards). Whether or not you research or intern overseas in Latin America, it is a significant time to expertise the great thing about remembrance and the cultural significance of honoring those that got here earlier than.
Oxi Day – Athens, Greece
Oxi Day (additionally spelled “Ohi” or “Ochi”) is a nationwide vacation celebrated yearly in Greece on October 28. This vacation commemorates the day in 1940 when Greek Prime Minister Ioannis Metaxas denied Benito Mussolini’s request to permit Italian troops to enter Greece. Within the days following, phrase of Metaxas’s refusal unfold throughout Athens, the place individuals took to the streets shouting “Oxi!”, which means “no!” in solidarity with their Prime Minister’s message. It’s a day that symbolizes Greece’s resistance to the fascist regime of the Axis Powers and represents the bravery and heroism of the Greek individuals and their nationwide id.
Examine or intern overseas in Athens, town’s capital, and you’ll watch the most important Oxi Day celebrations come to life. Go to town heart, the place you’ll see marching bands, schoolchildren, golf equipment, and different teams marching by town within the Oxi Day parade. It’s an unbelievable time to absorb Greek tradition and higher perceive their nationwide delight.
Man Fawkes Night time – the UK
Man Fawkes Night time is just not a public vacation, however it’s a enjoyable fall custom that anybody finding out or interning overseas in England could wish to participate in. Additionally referred to as Bonfire Night time, this celebration happens each November fifth to commemorate the identical day in 1605 when Man Fawkes and a number of other different co-conspirators didn’t blow up Parliament and assassinate King James I. When the “Gunpowder Plot,” as it’s recognized, was uncovered and stopped, British residents lit bonfires throughout London to have a good time the failed assassination.
Whereas a few of the largest celebrations happen in London, England, you could find bonfires, fireworks, and different associated festivities occurring throughout the UK. Wherever you might be within the U.Ok. throughout the fall semester, we suggest you discover a native competition celebrating today and attend for an evening of revelry and blazing shows!
Oktoberfest – Germany
Oktoberfest is one other notable non-holiday and one of the crucial well-known fall celebrations on the earth. Its recognition and worldwide recognition draw individuals from across the globe to Germany to participate within the festivities.
Whereas Oktoberfest is a beer competition, it’s about rather more than simply sampling the native brews. The competition commemorates the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese on October 17, 1810, in Munich—in the present day it’s a energetic celebration of Bavarian tradition. Attendees immerse themselves in native customs, get pleasure from conventional music, and have the chance to decorate in Bavarian folks costumes—ladies in Dirndls and males in Lederhosen. For these finding out or interning overseas in Central Europe, significantly the Czech Republic, Austria, and, after all, Germany, Oktoberfest provides a enjoyable and genuine cultural expertise you gained’t discover wherever else.
Uncover fall holidays all over the world—research or intern overseas with AIFS Overseas!
Examine or intern overseas in autumn with AIFS Overseas and expertise distinctive seasonal festivities to increase your cultural horizons and have a good time with locals. With AIFS Overseas’s beneficial program inclusions, resembling coordinating your housing to offering issues like journeys and excursions, complete insurance coverage, 24/7 emergency help, on-site workers, and cultural and social actions, you’ll take consolation in figuring out you’ll have help all through your complete expertise overseas.
