New Coastie – An endless summer across cultures

Ah, summer! The season where we realise our bodies are not ready for display at the beach, go camping, and have lots of barbecues. However, taihoa koutou ka kite, soon you will see summer isn’t just about beach days and barbecues. 

Around the world, the warmest months are filled with unique traditions, peculiar festivals, and a whole lot of dancing. Let’s take a cheeky look at some of these celebrations and maybe I can entice you to have a double summer once ours ends.

In Sweden, on a day between 19 and 25 June every year, Swedes gather around the midsummer pole also called the maypole. It’s time for some serious dancing and singing! These folks twirl around the pole like they’ve had too many potatoes, pickled herring, aquavit (schnapps), and strawberries. Because nothing says celebration like drinking shots of something that smells like the ocean. It is a medieval tradition not to be missed.

In Spain, summer isn’t complete without La Tomatina – the festival where you can throw tomatoes at anyone and everyone without facing criminal charges. Held in Buñol, this food fight has people hurling squishy tomatoes at each other for an hour. There are theories about how it all started but do we really need to know? After an hour of the tomato war, you might want to take a dip in the river or get hosed down by a kind local.

Over in Japan, summer brings the Obon Festival, where spirits of ancestors return to visit their families. It is a traditional family reunion, but with paper lanterns, dancing, and less awkward small talk. Families gather to celebrate the spirits with food, visiting graves, and Bon Odori – a traditional dance. The festival is a real opportunity to understand Japanese culture. You never know, your ancestors might visit you as well.

Holi, now celebrated around the world, is the festival of colours and is the biggest party in the world. In psychedelic joyous battle people throw coloured powder at each other. Everybody is a friend, there are no foes, and the only weapon is a fistful of colour. The best place to celebrate Holi is India. Born in Pakistan, it is difficult for me to visit India (ahem, there’s a 77-year-old grudge between Pakistan and India) but if I do visit, it will be during Holi.

Who needs fireworks when you’ve got kites? Makar Sankranti is celebrated to mark the start of spring and honour the sun god Surya. During the festival, the skies of India are filled with colourful kites. There are kite battles where the goal is to cut the string of the opponent’s kite with your kite.

So, whether you’re throwing tomatoes in Spain, dancing around poles in Sweden, or engaging in a kite battle in India, every culture has found its own way to squeeze the most fun out of the summer season. 

Being in the southern hemisphere we will enjoy our summer with the quintessential beach trips, camping, barbecues, and ice cream. Then, as soon as March arrives, plan a trip to continue your summer around the world. Grab your sunglasses, pack your sunscreen (and maybe a few tomatoes), and celebrate summer in a different culture as the season hits the northern hemisphere.