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Whilst we’re huddled up with our mince pies and mistletoe here in Britain, have you ever wondered what the folk in the far flung corners of planet earth might be up to?

Take a trip with us as we explore some other winter festivals that are taking place around the world this year…

	Festival in the Desert, MaliThe oasis town of Essakane holds its annual music festival in January, celebrating local and world music. The festival attracts visitors from across the globe, and also gives the nomadic people of the desert an opportunity to meet in song, dance, poetry, ritual, games, and other ancient cultural traditions.
Fiesta de Santo Tomas, Guatemala  For one week every December, the town of Chichicastenango in Guatemala throws a huge colourful festival including religious processions, colourful costumes, cultural dances, jiving music and spectacular firework displays to honour their town’s saint.
	Ice & Snow Festival, ChinaOnly China could pull off something this spectacular! In the town of Harbin, January sees the largest ice and snow art exhibition in the world. Huge sculptures and palaces carved out of ice and lit by multi-coloured lights – the stuff fairytales are made of!
Mevlâna Festival, TurkeyIn mid-December in the town of Konya, Turkey, whirling dervishes can be found spinning in ecstatic dance to casts off the cares of the world as they mark the anniversary of the death of famous Sufi poet Rumi.
	Bikaner Camel Festival, Rajasthan, India In Dec-Jan when the climate is at its coolest, thousands gather in the desert town of Bikaner to celebrate and show off their camels. Camels are decorated and take part in tug-of-war contests, camel dance competitions and parades… And by night under the starry desert skies the visitors enjoy food, bonfires, folk music and dancing.
Ati-Atihan Festival, Philippines On the Island of Panay, an exotic tribal street parade every January in honour of Santo Niño, with elaborate indigenous costumes, drumming and dancing into the night –fuelled by locally brewed rum!

We’d love to hear about your winter celebrations – home or abroad! Join the chat on Facebook and Twitter!