Bucket List Journeys for the Soul

It has been said that the first tourists in the world were pilgrims, religious folk making their way through exotic deserts and across foreign shores on a holy journey. They didn’t have digital cameras or blogs, but their journeys were as much about the soul as about discovering new cultures, cuisines and adventure. Today, there are just as many spiritual destinations for us to discover, whatever faith we choose to follow.

Buddhist Temple, South Korea.

Buddhism

Buddhism is a path, a way of life that tunes its followers towards the road to nirvana. Lets start by heading over to South Korea for an authentic Temple Stay in a Buddhist monastery, developed to introduce foreigners to the concepts of Zen Buddhism. Here you’ll don grey robes, eat strictly vegetarian meals, learn about meditation and the worthiness of chores in a relaxed, tranquil environment. Thailand (and many other countries) offers 10-day Buddhist meditation retreats, where silence and reflection is revered. Tibetan Buddhism has its centre nowadays in the northern Indian town of Dharamsala. Here you can take Buddhist classes (in various languages), and meditate in the crowded presence of the Dalai Lama. Incredible temples devoted to the Buddha abound throughout Southeast Asia, and consider climbing the magnificent Adam’s Peak in Sri Lanka, where legend states you can find the footprint of the Buddha himself.

Lalibela, Ethiopia

Christianity

Biblical Tourism is booming in North America, as Christians of various denominations book tours to discover Biblical sites in Israel and beyond. For an alternative, consider the11th century rock churches of Ethiopia’s Lalibela, built to mirror Jerusalem. Israel is ground zero for Biblical tourism, as busloads of foreigners visit sites like Bethlehem, the Red Sea, and the Sea of Galilee. Amongst old ruins and beautiful landmarks, you can hear the echoes of Jesus and his followers. Turkey, known as the “other holy land”, is rich with Biblical history, especially in the east. Here you can find villages like Harran, mentioned in the Bible, regarded as the oldest continuously inhabited settlement in the world. Christians also make annual pilgrimages to the resting places or shrines of saints, such as the shrine of St Francis Xavier in Goa, India, the Marian centres of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico, or churches like Lourdes in France.

Jama Masjid, India

Islam

Foreigners are denied entry into Mecca, site of the holy pilgrimage, or hajj, mentioned as one of the cornerstones of Islamic faith. Muslims undertaking the journey describe it as unforgettable and transcendent, and millions undertake the hajj each year. Following in the footsteps of the Prophet Mohammed has always drawn followers of the faith, through countries like Oman, Yemen and Saudi Arabia. Travellers of any faith are overwhelmed by the majesty and grandeur of the great mosques in Istanbul – the 16th century Blue Mosque, the Suleyman Mosque, and the basis of them all, the 6th century Hagia Sofia (originally a church of Eastern Orthodoxy). Ancient mosques, holy sites and pilgrimages can also be found throughout Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Pakistan and Iraq. Jerusalem, a holy city to all three monotheistic faiths, has many important destinations for Muslims, such the magnificent Dome of the Rock.

Kataragama Festival, Sri Lanka

Hinduism

Hindu festivals, as befits the religion itself, are renowned to be colourful, vibrant, and thrillingly jovial. A blend of worship, celebration, spectacle and processions, festivals like Diwali, Esala or Durga have been delighting travellers and Hindus alike for millennia. Along the banks of the holy Ganges in India, ashrams sound bells in Rishikesh to signal the puja, a ceremony of worship, bursting with dancing and music. In Sri Lanka, I bore witness to a stunning spectacle at the annual Esala festival in Kataragama, where men demonstrated their faith by dragging loads behind them with hooks in their back, or piercing parts of the body in vows of devotion. Today, many westerners depart on yoga retreats throughout India, a chance to grow both mind and body. Ashrams, under the guidance of gurus and masters, are full of foreigners seeking answers to the burning questions of life.

Jerusalem, Israel

Judaism

Jews around the world are emotionally tied to the Holy Land of Israel, their spiritual and political home. The famous Western Wall in Jerusalem, all that remains of the grand Temple from Biblical times, sweeps most visitors away with the raw emotion on display. Walking the city streets of Haifa, Tiberius or Jerusalem reconnects modern Jews to their ancient legacy. Climbing Masada in the desert symbolizes the eternal struggle and courage of Jewish ancestors. In eastern Turkey, visitors to Sanilurfa can visit Biblical sites like the cave where Abraham, the father of all three monotheistic religions, was born. In Prague, the Old New Synagogue dates back to the 11th century, and Jewish visitors to the mostly decimated Jewish Quarters of post World War Europe – Krakow, Budapest, Vilnius and others – are both fascinated, and horrified, by the not-too distant past.

Confucianism, Bahai, Jainism, Zoroastrianism – whatever your faith, visiting historical roots, festivals and holy centres offers incredible rewards for the modern traveller. And for all the unfortunate tragedies of history demonstrating otherwise, it will always be worth noting that every prophet, teacher and religious path urges us to treat one another as we would treat ourselves.

New Years Eve Traditions Around the World

new-years

 

All around the world, people will be celebrating (or lamenting) the New Year on December 31st.   While music, friends, family and fun seem universal on this night, some countries have unique customs and traditions.

SCOTLAND

In Scotland, New Years Eve is known as Hogmanay, and there’s a rich heritage associated with its celebration.   Its roots date back to Viking, or Norman, or Flemish traditions (depending on who you speak to) but all call for an epic night of partying. Friends and strangers are made welcome, while ladies freely dish out New Years kisses, much to the delight of the gents. A custom called “first footing” is still common throughout the country. After midnight, a male should step first into the house for good luck. Since he’s typically bearing a bottle of fine Scotch, it’s good luck indeed.

THAILAND

Thais love to party, and they love to party on New Years Eve.   Perhaps that’s why they enjoy three annual New Years Eve celebrations. Fireworks and celebrations abound for our Western New Year as well as the Chinese New year. But things really go crazy for Songkran, the Thai New Year.   It is tradition to throw or spray water, drenching anyone you see, friend or stranger. The water is seen as a symbol of cleaning away the pain and sorrow of the year past. Sometimes the water is mixed with good luck herbs or talc, caking everyone in milky goo.   Songkran is a time to pay respect to elders and family, and also cleaning the household for the year to come. Buddha statues are also gathered, paraded, and sprayed with water for good luck too.

ISRAEL

While the Hebrew calendar differs greatly from the Western Calendar, most Israelis are happy to have one more excuse to party.   New Years Day in Israel is known as Sylvester, after a Pope who ruled around 325 AD.   Canonized by the Church as a Saint to be honoured on December 31st, Sylvester was behind various anti-Semitic legislation and restrictions. In fact, during medieval times, January 1st was typically accompanied by attacks on synagogues, Jews, and book burnings. On January 1st 1577, Pope Gregory required all Roman Jews to convert to Catholicism under pain of death.   With this in mind, many Israelis and Jews celebrate New Years Eve as a poignant reminder of their survival through the ages.  The Jewish New Year typically takes place in September or October.

SINGAPORE

Should you be in Singapore for December 31st, head to Marina Bay for huge celebrations (last year there were over 250,000 people), or walk amongst the crowds on the Esplanade or at Merlion Park.   Fireworks and parades abound.   If you happen to stick around until the beginning of February, you can enjoy the two-week festival of Chin Jie, or Chinese New Year.   This is a time of colourful markets, lavish family dinners, dragon dances, fireworks, and of course, shopping for gifts.  Singapore’s Chinatown holds large parades and street parties, but since Singapore has such a large Chinese population, celebrations are held just about everywhere. Various ornaments and flowers are use to denote different types of luck, which is why you’ll see pictures of koi fish (for success) and find plum blossoms (for luck) and chrysanthemums (for longevity) on sale at local markets. Dance, musical shows and floats take place throughout the period.

ICELAND

Icelanders call News Year Eve “Gamlarskrold”, marked by parties, feasts, and large bonfires – a tradition that dates back to the Middle Ages.   It is custom to welcome strangers into homes and celebrations, which makes it especially fun to be a tourist at this time of year.   Fireworks are everywhere, and particularly encouraged.   Large groups gather in communal feasts to celebrate with steaming drinks and song.   Reykjavik, the capital city, hums with celebrations throughout the night, holding one of the biggest fireworks displays anywhere on the planet.     If you’re hoping to party until sunrise, you’re in for a long night. This far north, the sun only comes up around mid-day, but during the darkness you might be lucky enough to welcome in the New Year under the Northern Lights.

ETHIOPIA

Ethiopia operates according to a different calendar, and a different clock. Unlike our Gregorian (or Western Calendar), they use the Orthodox Julian Calendar. Days are divided into two 12-hour blocks that begin at 6am Western time.   Entutatash, the Ethiopian New Year, takes place annually on our September 11th.  The Julian calendar is also several years ahead of ours, which is why the Millennium was celebrated in Ethiopia in 2007.     A tradition on Entutatash calls for bundles of dry leaves, sticks and wood to be collected as torches, and given to family and friends.   This served the same purpose as greeting cards, which younger people prefer to use these days.   Families enjoy meals of traditional stew served with injera (bread), tejj (honey wine) and tella (beer). Bunna (coffee) is served in a wonderful ceremony that slow roasts the beans, served in small cups to friends and family.

U.S.A

Watching the time ball drop in Times Square is perhaps the most well-known image Americans associate with New Years Eve.   The ritual has been copied in other famous New Years destinations, like Rio’s Copacabana, and Sydney Harbour in Australia.   Yet some American towns have taken the ball drop and modified it with local peculiarities.   In Orlando, they drop an orange. In Elmore, Ohio, they drop a sausage. In Memphis they drop a guitar, in New Orleans a pot of Gumbo. In Dillsburg, Pennsylvania, why a pickle of course!

ECUADOR

Like other parts of Latin America, Ecuador celebrates the New Year by the burning of effigies. Each effigy, made with paper or straw, is decorated to represent a person, an event, or anything from the previous year that needs a fiery send-off.     Come midnight, the matches are lit and the effigies burn, symbolically releasing emotions and anger.   The tradition dates back to pagan times, having being brought to the New World by Spanish colonists.   Julius Caesar noted around 40 BC that burning effigies were used by Gaul Druids to accompany human sacrifices. Apparently, the gods liked thieves and murderers placed in the middle. In Ecuador, an effigy might resemble an unpopular politician, but he’ll still be around to cause trouble in the New Year. Ecuadoreans might also wear yellow underwear to help attract good luck, along with eating 12 grapes (one wish per grape). One more tradition I’m particularly fond of: If you walk with a suitcase around the block, the New Year might bring you to a dream journey.