March sweeps in with the roar of a lion, echoed by the Irish (and wanna-be Irish) celebrating their St. Patrick's Day, splashing green and beer in equal quantity in their wake. But have you ever wondered what festivals you could be missing by staying home and watching the river turn green one more time? The world is a wide, glorious place to be explored and enjoyed.

Here are just a handful of alternative ways to celebrate and endure the month that straddles winter and spring with often frustrating indecision.

1. Noche de Brujas

Take a deep breath of thick tropical mist and begin to feel the hair on the back of your neck going on alert. They say you can sense the supercharged magic on the breeze before you even arrive at the Noche de Brujas or “Night of the Witches” festival in Mexico. This could be your adventure into the supernatural world when discovering the so-called “Capital of Witchcraft” of Catemaco, Mexico, a village nestled into the Sierra de los Tuxtlas mountain range of Olmec country — home to one of the oldest remaining cultures and myths in the Americas.

Every first week of March, Catemaco opens its doors and becomes a mecca for those curious or serious about the magical arts. Each night, on a hill close to town known as Cerro Mono Blanco, a vibrant array of storytellers, shamans, prophets, healers and magicians will offer everything from healing for personal ailments and future consultations to protective amulets and ingredients for potions as well as provide a stage for performances and ceremonies. Pricewise, 100 pesos should provide you with a “limpia” (spiritual cleansing) or perhaps a well-defined tarot reading. To take part in a fully fledged black magic ceremony will cost a good bit more as well as any spells or shamanic rights you would like to undertake.

Witchcraft practitioners have come to Catemaco for centuries to mingle and converse, creating a bizarre mixture of ancient indigenous practices including but not limited to Spanish medieval and West African voodoo practices. The festival itself has only been around since 1970 when a local shaman had the idea to create revenue through an annual witch-doctor convention of sorts, and thus, Noche de Brujas was born. These days it has become more touristic than appreciated by a certain group of serious dark arts practitioners in the area. Fear not, though; Noche de Brujas has become a well-integrated celebration of the occult as well as general merrymaking, and those who have been lucky enough to experience say it is an adventure not to be missed if you have a tendency toward the magical.

For more information: click here or here.

2. Taiwanese Lantern Festival

Hop on a flight over the Pacific and find yourself immersed in a different sort of magic at the Lantern Festival celebrations of Taiwan. A tradition of releasing sky lanterns (think Tangled!) with inscribed prayers and wishes on the first full moon of the lunar new year. The precise timing varies between the end of Feb. and the beginning of March as the 2016 festival occurred on Feb. 22 — compared to last year, 2015, when the festival took place on March 5. Therefore, we can reasonably add it to this list of extraordinary March festivities.

A Taiwanese lantern festival consists of lantern making, lantern riddle contests, local traditional foods and displays of extraordinarily intricate lantern sculptures. The traditional lantern is called a “heavenly” or “sky” lantern, made from thin wire or bamboo frames covered in oiled tissue paper. A paper ball doused in kerosene inside the lantern is lit, and the hot air carries the lantern up into the sky. Originally devised by inventor Kung Ming around 200 AD, it is believed that the lanterns were first used as a means of communicating from remote areas of the mountains, especially to let other villages know they were safe. Now they provide an avenue of sending wishes for the New Year up to the heavens to be deciphered and fulfilled by the deities.

The festival itself is said to have originated with the celebrations of agricultural citizens on the lengthening of the day and return of spring. According to a different legend, some believe it stems from a Han Dynasty Buddhist emperor ordering his people to light lanterns on the 15th day after the lunar new year to show their respects to Buddha; that lighting torches and lanterns on this night make it possible to see the deities coming down to earth with blessings for the people.

There are several major festivals to choose from, the foremost of which is the Taipei Lantern Festival: glittering, huge and sponsored by the Taiwan Tourism Bureau. A large lantern sculpture installation is erected that includes different historic depictions, folklore and varying animals each year. Supplemented by live performances ranging from acrobats to mock battles and stalls selling all sorts of artwork and delicious treats, Taipei is regarded as one of the most successful tourist events in Asia.

The other top-performing Taiwanese lantern festival takes place in Taibo City, Chiayi. Considered the official national lantern festival, it is similar to the Taipei Festival in structure, but is slightly less commercialized. Local artists compete to provide the majority of the lantern sculptures, as well as the local citizens creating a motto for the largest sculpture representing their collective greatest wish for the New Year. Many cultural events take part in the festival as well, with theatrical, musical and artistic presentations dazzling the crowds regularly. A recent addition to the festivities is a ferris wheel for better viewing of the release of the lanterns.

For more information, click here.

3. Holi Festival

Last but not least on this most festive list of fun to be had in the month of March worldwide, we come to the Holi Festival, most traditionally celebrated in India during the end of Feb. or beginning of March, again depending on when the lunar new year begins.

Usually, any town in India you come to will celebrate Holi in some capacity. If you’re looking for the more hardcore level of celebration, it is recommended to go to Mathura or Vrindavan, both famous for the enthusiasm with which they take on this festival.

The Holi activities begin with a bonfire on the eve of Holi Day, demonstrating the victory of good over evil. The next day, known as Dhuluti, is when the wild fun of color spraying and general celebration happens. People take turns pouring, throwing or spraying each other with colored water, often using “pichkaris” or throwing buckets full of it.

Traditional Holi dancing and singing Bollywood numbers associated with the holiday occur all over town. In line with the incredible celebratory nature of this festival, popular drinks for the occasion are often taken in slight excess. Imagine yourself coated in the most beautiful colors, without even having to partake in a Color Run! Celebrate the coming of warmer weather and the triumph of good over evil throughout the ages with Holi. For more information on the effervescent holiday of Holi, click here.

Wherever you find yourself this brisk month of March, keep these fascinating events in the back of your mind for a future springtime adventure! Happy Spring!