AustLit

Due to its rich diversity of cultures and traditions, the Asian region celebrates a vast number of festivals each year. Many of the texts in the Asian-Australian Children's Literature and Publishing (AACLAP) subset make reference to such festivals. These festivals have historical, religious, symbolic and/or local significance. Some festivals, such as the Chinese New Year and Dragon Boat Races, are celebrated throughout the continent, while others are particular to one country or one region within a country. The array of customs and rituals associated with the festivals is enormous and range from Songkran, which is the Thai New Year, through Hari Raya Aidilfitri, which celebrates the end of Ramadan in Malaysia, to Thaipusum, a Hindi festival observed by members of the Tamil community. In Japan many different matsuri (festivals or holidays) are conducted to honour local shrines or temples. While many of the traditions associated with various festivals are still observed, changes are also occurring. Often, people watch the festivals on television rather than participate in person, young people celebrate with their friends rather than their families and the use of firecrackers has declined due to the risks involved. The resources listed here (most of which are from the AACLAP subset) only cover a small sample of the festivals of Asia. However, a quick search of online resources will reveal an amazing variety of festivals held each year throughout the Asian region.