From earliest times people have celebrated the end of winter and the new life that spring brings. One of the most important Christian festivals is Easter, when Christians remember the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Easter, however, is not the only spring festival. In Sweden, people celebrate the end of winter by making huge bonfires. Fire also plays an important part in Hindu Festival of Holi. In some villages children are carried round bonfires by their mothers to protect them from danger in the coming year. Buddhists in Thailand soak each other in water when celebrating their New Year, which falls in the middle of April. In Antigua in Guatemala they carpet the streets with flowers. Chinese spring parades are equally colourful, but instead of flowers they have large dragon puppets which dance in the street. 

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