Wikipedia defines a fesitval as

"A festival is an event, usually staged by a local community, which centers on some unique aspect of that community."

For me a festival is a time to eat (loads), relax, listen to live music, join in with traditions, drink (although I don't drink alcohol) and make new friends.

I grew up on the Notting Hill Carnival - a festival and celebration of the Caribbean.

A few years ago a friend introduced me to W.O.M.A.D - World of Music, Arts & Dance started by Peter Gabriel 10 years ago.

So in this HubPage I thought I would list a few of the best festivals from around the world.

The thing to remember is if you want to visit then book quite a few months in advance - as many as six - because you don't want to end up nowhere to sleep!

WOMAD stands for World of Music, Arts and Dance which is the central aim of these fesitvals, to allow musicians from around the world to come together and share their music.

Mali, India, African, Europe, USA, everywhere in the world in one location in the UK and other parts of the world.

Held for 3 days at the end of july (usually the last weekend in July) it is a place of vibrant smells, colors and traditions, living happily together and enjoying each other. I was never a hippie but I can imagine it must be alot like living that way!

WOMAD was always held in reading but in 2007 the site changed to Charlton Park and during the very first event at this session it rained... ALOT! Mud became something to swim in and wade through and it was all really, really yuck!

But when the music starts you soon forget as you get lost in the drums of africa or the sitar of Indian.

The cost of a ticket in 2008 is £100.00 for the whole 3 days and you can camp on site. Its the only time of the year you will ever find me in a tent....!

La Tomatina is childish fun for adults! Its a food fight using... you guessed it... tomatoes and is held for one day on the last Wednesday in August.

Every year the population in the tiny town of Buñol (in the Valencia region of Spain) grows from 9,000 to over 30,000 as tourists pour in to enjoy the fun.

It has been estimated that more than one hundred metric tonnes of over-ripe tomatoes are thrown in the streets on this day and I wouldn't want the job of cleaning it all up!

With every good food fight there are some rules....

1. Throwing must start and end on the sound of a rocket that's fired.
2. You must squash tomoatoes in your hand before throwing them
3. Ripe tomoatoes only no green hard ones
4. Don't rip tshirts or clothes - most people ignore that one!

It all starts at noon as the church bells ring and the distant rumble of trucks loaded full of tomatoes makes its way into a crowd of thousands.

Helpers get onto the trucks and start throwing tomoatoes into the crowd then a massive food fight begins

Now you may wonder why people travel thousands of miles to take part, but think about this for a minute.

A chance to throw food at people without getting into trouble and without having to clear the mess up afterwards... I'm in!

The festival Ati Atihan is held in the town of Kalibo in the Philippines. It is a feast in honor of the Santo Niño, and is celebrated on the second Sunday after Epiphany.

It runs from mid-January for 2 weeks and includes a mixture of events, floats, lavish costumes and loads of fun and partying!

Before you visit this festival you might want to ensure you are fit and healthy because chances are you will come back worn out but very, very happy!

The Ati-Atihan mantra is "Hala Bira, Puera, Pasma" which translates in English as "Keep on going, no tiring"

During the fesitval faces are painted with black soot and people wear bright, outlandish costumes.

Costumes, including the headdress, are made of abaca fibers, shells, feathers, bamboo, plant leaves, cogon, sugar cane flowers, beads, trinkets and an assortment of pieces of glass, metals and plastics.

A procession takes place at the end of the day and the tradition is to carry bambook torches and different images of the Santo Niño.

The festival officially ends with a masquerade ball during which contest winners are also announced.

The Festival In The Desert is held in Essakane in Mali for 3 days in early January

Thousands of Tuareg nomads camp among the desert sand dunes with probably just as many foreigners, all there to dance, eat and listen to music provided by some of the best traditional musicians of the world (IMHO)

This festival started in 2001 so a relative baby in the world of festivals known to westerners but of course this is a strong history of Tuareg nomads gathering together to play music, discuss, debate, eat and entertain each other.

There are of course so many more

• Glastonbury
• Mardi Gras
• Rio Carnical
• Trinidad Carnical
• Notting Hill Carnival
• Reggage Sumfest
• Fantasy Fest
• Love Parade
• Crop Over

Have I missed any off the list?

Gualeguichu is the place where the most important of Argentina's Carnival celebrations takes place - the "country's carnival" (El Carnaval del Pais). A carnival center (corsodromo) containing 38,000 seats was built in the city, and in this corsodromo samba bands dance during the Carnaval celebrations along its 500 meters.

Gualeguaychu is a small town of 100,000 people and is 300 km from Buenos Aires. The city is well organised to hold the carnival and provide accomodation for the tourists who come from all over Argentina besides Paraguay, Uruguay and Brazil.

Woodstock is 40 years old this year and you know they say that is when life begins!

Fellow hubber Adam B has created an amazing Hub Page on Woodstock so I will leave you to visit his hub to find out more

http://hubpages.com/hub/Woodstock-2009

Before you go there though you have to check out the video!