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Ancient Rome; Originally celebrated as a day on December 17th, it later expanded to a week-long festivity, including the giving of gifts and a carnival atmosphere that overturned social norms.

Medieval Europe; Signifying the end of the Harvest season, it was celebrated with feasting, music, and dancing, often around the time of the Harvest Moon.

Ancient Greece; A three-day women-only festival in which married women would build booths and fast, seeking to promote fertility and honor Demeter and Persephone.

Ancient/Traditional Buddhist; This holiday celebrates the birth, enlightenment, and death of Buddha. It is observed by Buddhists around the world, often with lanterns, prayers, and art.

Ancient Greece; Initiates of this festival in Eleusis underwent secret rituals of purification and ceremonies in honor of Demeter and Persephone.

Ancient Rome; Celebrated at the beginning of the Roman calendar year, it involved gift-giving, feasting, and decorations of homes with greenery.

Ancient Israel; Biblically mandated, this week-long festival involves living in temporary shelters as a way to remember the period of wandering in the desert and celebrate the fall harvest.

Ancient Rome; Celebrated on February 23rd, this festival was in honor of Terminus, the god of boundaries. Neighbors would gather to celebrate the god who protected their land limits.

Ancient Rome; This festival was held annually on February 15th. It involved sacrifices and a ritual in the name of Rome's founders, Romulus and Remus, and the She-Wolf (Lupa).

Ancient Greece; An important festival in Athens, it was dedicated to the god Dionysus and is famous for its performances of plays and tragedies that have influenced Western theatre.

Ancient Rome; Held on May 9th, 11th, and 13th, this festival aimed to appease restless spirits, called lemures, with rituals and offerings at night.

Medieval Europe; Common between the 5th and 16th centuries, this festival momentarily subverted established order with a mock king and parody of church rituals.

Viking Age; A midwinter festival celebrated across Northern Europe, it involved feasting, drinking, and sacrifices to bring about the rebirth of the sun gods.

Ancient Rome; This festival celebrated Consus, the protector of grains, with horse racing, games, and the unusual permission for slaves to participate in the festivities.

Ancient China; One of the 24 solar terms, it marks the vernal equinox. People would traditionally celebrate by taking walks in the countryside and flying kites.

17th-century Spanish America; Held annually in Santa Fe, New Mexico, this festival commemorates the reconquest of Santa Fe by the Spanish in 1692.

Inca Empire; A winter solstice festival in honor of the sun god Inti, it involved sacrifices, dances, and processions, and is still celebrated in some form today.

Medieval Europe; Celebrated around the summer solstice, this festival involved bonfires, feasting, and dancing. It was believed that midsummer plants had miraculous healing powers.

Ancient Mesopotamia; This twelve-day New Year festival celebrated in ancient Babylon included parades, statues of gods, and the symbolic marriage between the king and the goddess Inanna.

Ancient Greece; Celebrated annually in Athens, with a particularly grand festival every four years, it included athletic, musical, and equestrian contests as well as a grand procession.

19th century Bavaria; The world’s largest beer festival and travelling funfair, which began with the royal wedding of King Ludwig I in 1810.

Ancient Rome; Held from April 28th to May 3rd, this festival was dedicated to Flora, the goddess of flowers, and included games, theatrical performances, and lavish banquets.

Ancient/Traditional Hindu; Also known as the 'festival of colors', it celebrates the arrival of spring and the victory of good over evil, involving the playful throwing of colored powders.

Ancient Rome; Originally only for women and held three times a year, these festivals celebrated the god Bacchus and later became infamous for their scandalous and frenzied revelries.