Religious holidays
Top 10 Religious holidays:
- The Holy Land, Israel
- The Vatican, Rome, Italy
- India
- Lourdes, Gascony and the Pyrenees, France
- Mecca, Saudi Arabia
- Knock, Republic of Ireland
- Turkey
- Fatima, Portugal
- San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
- Hong Kong, China
The Holy Land, Israel
This is the land of the prophets who produced the three monotheistic faiths: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. To Jewish people this is the land of the Bible and past glories; to the Christians, where Jesus lived and was crucified; to the Moslems, where the prophet Mohammed ascended to heaven.
This is the Holy Land of the Red Sea, Mount of Olives, Jerusalem and hundreds of other religiously important places.
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The Vatican, Rome, Italy
This city is the seat of the Roman Catholic Church and the world's smallest fully independent nation-state. Its medieval and Renaissance walls form its boundaries except at St. Peter's Square.
The most imposing building is St. Peter's Basilica, built during the 4th century and rebuilt during the 16th century. Erected over the tomb of St Peter the Apostle, it is the second-largest religious building in Christendom.
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India
India is a hotbed of religion. There are Hindus, Moslems, Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Hari Krishnas and others. There are more than 30 Hindu festivals.
For Christians the carnival preceding the Lent period of penance is the most important event, at Goa. A parade full of colour and gusto, it is a festival of life itself. For Buddhists, the birth anniversary of the Buddha is widely celebrated, on a full moon night in April/May.
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Lourdes, Gascony and the Pyrenees, France
Pilgrimage destination Lourdes has 5 million visitors from 150 countries pass through its streets every year. The reason is the grotto in which a young peasant girl - later St Bernadette - saw visions of the Virgin Mary in 1858.
A great number of visitors are sick or handicapped. It may be through curiosity, a desire for a cure, a movement towards belief, or to be of service to sufferers, that they go to the Grotto of Massabielle.
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Mecca, Saudi Arabia
It is the holiest of Moslem cities. Mohammed, the founder of Islam, was born in Mecca, and it's towards this centre that Moslems turn five times daily in prayer. It's found in the Sirat Mountains in the west of Saudi Arabia. All devout Moslems attempt a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in their lifetime. Only Moslems are allowed to enter the city.
The city has undergone vast improvements to accommodate the increasing number of pilgrims.
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Knock, Republic of Ireland
In 1879, 15 people witnessed the Virgin Mary, St. Joseph and St. John the Evangelist appearing at Knock Parish Church. The miraculous place is now an internationally-recognised Marian Shrine.
Pope John Paul II made a personal pilgrimage in 1979 to commemorate the centenary of the apparition and Mother Teresa of Calcutta visited the shrine in 1993. One and a half million pilgrims visit it every year.
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Turkey
St. Paul was born in the Turkish town of Tarsus and made some of his more famous appearances in Ephesus and Cappadocia. He was harangued at the amphitheatre in Ephesus and many believe that the Virgin Mary spent her last years there.
Turkey is home to The Seven Churches of the Revelation in Ephesus, Izmir, Pergamon, Thyatira, Sardes, Philadelphia and Laodikya.
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Fatima, Portugal
In the year 1917 in Portugals' mountains the Virgin Mary appeared six times to three young children.
With a 213ft tower, mounted by a large bronze crown and a crystal cross, it is flanked by hospitals and retreat houses and faces a vast square in which is the little Chapel of the Apparitions. On the 50th anniversary of the first vision, May 13, 1967, an estimated one million pilgrims gathered at Fátima to hear Pope Paul VI say mass and pray for peace.
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San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
Semana Santa celebrates the last days of Christ's life, and gets underway on Palm Sunday with the blessing of the palms and a large procession commemorating Jesus' entry into Jerusalem. Holy Week is full of psalms, processions and masses. There are passion plays and a simulated crucifixion.
The greatest of the holy vigils celebrated during the liturgical year is the day between Good Friday and Easter Sunday.
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Hong Kong, China
There are many Buddhist places of worship in Hong Kong and Lord Buddha's birthday is very important to the Chinese. It is observed on the eighth day of the fourth moon. Legend has it that at the moment of Buddha's birth, nine dragons spat on the water.
The Festival of the Ten Thousand Buddhas has followers pray for the washing away of sin and the attainment of wisdom and peace.
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