What festivals are taking place this month around the world? Christmas, yes. Hanukkah, yes. Just those 2, you think? Well, there are quite a few other celebrations in December that don’t have to do with the popular two above. Let’s take a look at 5 events that’ll be going on somewhere around the world this month. (Event dates have been left out due to inconsistencies by year with some of them. If interested in any of them, you can do a research to find out the exact festival dates for a particular year.)

1) Burning The Clocks -- Brighton, England
This festival marks and celebrates the turning of the year and the beginning of Winter Solstice by the burning of lanterns. People make paper and willow lanterns and throw them into a blazing bonfire as they prepare for the fireworks display. It symbolizes the ‘Burning of clocks’, which means passing of time onto yet another season in time.

2) Junkanoo Parade -- Nassau, Bahamas
Tourists and the local people come out to enjoy the parade filled with colorful costumes, music, and some all-night fun. It usually begins on Boxing day (Dec 26th) and continues on for a couple of days. It’s considered the oldest street fair that still takes place in Bahamas.

3)The King’s Birthday -- Thailand
This celebration honors the birthday of Thailand’s late king, King Bhumibol. It’s observed on December 5 as a national holiday with various festivities, flag displays and decoration of the streets with marigold. King Bhumibol reigned from 1946 until his death in 2016, making him the longest-reigning monarch in Thai history.

4) Franschhoek MCC & Champagne Festival -- Franschhoek, South Africa
In December, the finest wine offerings from Franschhoek are celebrated in style. This Champagne festival offers multiple samplings of handpicked French champagnes. It's usually a social and networking event in high demand, and hundreds of locals and tourists purchase tickets to attend.

5) Chichibu Night Festival -- Chichibu,Tokyo
This festival takes place at night and features teams of men in costumes dragging huge floats around the town's streets with kids performing skits and choreographed dances on-board the float. The streets are filled with fireworks and sounds of loud drumming and other musical instruments.