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Sapporo Snow Festival, Japan -

Every February, Japan's fifth largest city, Sapporo, comes alive with festival spirit. The Sapporo Snow Festival features slides, mazes, and ice sculptures as tall as 15 meters (49 ft).

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Cologne Winter Festival, Germany -

The winter festival in Cologne is a tradition that dates back to the Middle Ages. People come from far and wide to join in the festivities, which normally go on for about a week.

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Cologne Winter Festival, Germany -

Being a German celebration, the beer and glühwein is never in short supply at this festival.

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Portland Winter Light Festival, USA -

Inspired by the European tradition of light festivals, once a year the city of Portland becomes brightly lit by impressive and creative light displays.

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Harbin Ice & Snow Sculpture Festival, China -

The Harbin Ice Festival is perhaps one of the most impressive events held in China. Every January a huge winter wonderland is created by ice sculptors from across the country.

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Harbin Ice & Snow Sculpture Festival, China -

In addition to the impressive sculptures, there are many activities to enjoy, such as sledding and ice skating.

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Québec Winter Festival, Canada -

The winter festival in Québec is steeped in tradition and dates back to 1894, when it was created to take the edge off the harsh Canadian winters.

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Québec Winter Festival, Canada -

The world's biggest winter carnival boasts all the festival favorites: music, ice sculptures, and, of course, an impressive parade.

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Berlin International Film Festival, Germany -

Although not strictly winter-themed, the Berlin International Film Festival takes place every February. With around 500,000 admissions every year, it has the largest public attendance of any annual film festival.

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Ljubljana Dragon Carnival, Slovenia -

The annual winter carnival in Ljubljana is held at the turn of every spring. Festivalgoers dress up as bears, fairies, witches, and devils with a view to scaring off the bad weather.

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Ljubljana Dragon Carnival, Slovenia -

The namesake of the event, the huge green dragon, leads all the other creatures in the parade. The dates of the festival move with relation to Easter.

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Amsterdam Light Festival, The Netherlands -

Every year, Amsterdam lights up between November and January in an attempt to drive away the winter blues. In a given year, there are hundreds of light installations across land and water.

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Amsterdam Light Festival, The Netherlands -

The views are stunning and the installations are creative, with some that respond to touch and sound.

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Reykjavik Winter Lights Festival, Iceland -

There is one feature of Iceland's capital Reykjavik that makes its annual light festival particularly special: the opportunity to see the Northern Lights.

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Reykjavik Winter Lights Festival, Iceland -

Every February, visitors flock to the cold city to enjoy music, art, and culture underneath the glow of the Northern Lights.

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Shetland Viking Festival, Scotland -

This niche festival actually comprises 12 different fire festivals that are held annually between January and March. They are intended to celebrate the end of the yule season.

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Shetland Viking Festival, Scotland -

At the main festival, held on the last Tuesday of January, Viking ancestors parade through the town of Lerwick, carrying torches that they will then use to set fire to a mock Viking ship.

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Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival, South Korea -

Every year in January/February, the South Korean village of Hwacheon is beautifully decorated to host an impressive and rather extreme winter event.

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Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival, South Korea -

Many of the activities involve freezing cold water, with some visitors taking the opportunity to catch fish with their bare hands.

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Venice Carnival, Italy -

The annual two-week carnival held in Venice is another one that marks the end of winter. One of the main events is a boat parade, in which brightly colored boats sail down the Rio di Cannaregio.

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Venice Carnival, Italy -

Other attractions include a costumed procession between Garibaldi and Piazza San Marco, and an acrobatic display.

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Saranac Lake Winter Carnival, USA -

The winter carnival at Saranac Lake in New York is one of the oldest in the US. Every year there is an ice palace around which winter games are played.

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Saranac Lake Winter Carnival, USA -

To mark the end of the event there is a huge fireworks display, referred to as the "storming of the palace."

Sources: (Seeker) (All Exciting) (All The Rooms)

See also: Top tips for healthy winter skin.

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