Grab some culture
Dodge fireballs in Scotland
While Shetland plays host to the fiery Up Helly Aa festival every January, the little fishing town of Stonehaven, near Aberdeen, lights up just as spectacularly for Hogmanay. The Fireball Ceremony sees locals swinging flaming wire cages parade the main street until the wee hours of 31 December. It likely emerged from superstition, as a way to burn away bad spirits so the fishermen would have good luck; today it's a magnificent excuse for a party.
Join the fire wars of Japan
Locals start cutting wood for the Nozawa Onsen Fire Festival as early as October, though the 300-year-old event is actually held on 15 January. The highlight is a sake-soaked battle: the town's young people (all aged 25) attack a hand-built wooden shrine defended by the town elders (all aged 42) – these ages are deemed unlucky in Japan. By the end of the night, the shrine has been burnt to cinders, the bad spirits dispelled and plenty more spirits have been drunk.
Watch sky lanterns in Taiwan
The 15th day of the first month in the lunar calendar (5 February 2023) sees the air above Taipei's Pingxi district fill with flames. During the Lantern Festival, thousands of paper lanterns are released into the night sky, while revellers also cruise the night markets and gorge on fried chicken (a local obsession!).
Meet the folk demons of Bulgaria
In Bulgaria the wearing of masks was once thought to provide protection from bad spirits and encourage a good harvest. Now, these old pagan beliefs and customs take on a more modern form in Pernik's International Festival of Masquerade Games (late January). See locals roaming the streets wearing elaborate, monster-like costumes and performing the ritual kukeri dance, in order to chase evil away.
Float an ice river in Idaho, USA
No prizes for guessing what the Idaho town of Lava Hot Springs is famous for. Much of its Fire & Ice Winterfest (4-5 February 2023) focuses on the frozen aspect of these celebrations. You can drift down the Pontneuf River in an inner tube or join the locals sprinting the main street in their bathers to leap into the city fountain. Torchlit ski displays and plenty of time in the town's thermal waters will warm you up later.
Wild winter sightings
Glimpse polar bear cubs in Canada
In late February the first newborn polar bear cubs start emerging from their burrows in Manitoba's Wapusk NP, one of the world's largest polar bear maternity denning areas. Join a safari from a lodge near Chesnaye to be one of only a handful of visitors to see the mothers urging on their newborns and tumbling about in the snow. You may also see the northern lights.
Spot one-horned rhino in Nepal
The best time to visit Chitwan NP is between November and January, when the weather is
