English Version | Celebrate Yourself: Roteiro

Books, movies and parties you can’t miss.

Celebrate literature

Good news, amazing houses, wonderful food, unforgettable clothing. These books are a party.

Dior by John Galliano, by Andrew Bolton, Assouline (2022), € 195.

What would be of Fashion without John Galliano? It’s impossible to know. And we’re glad. The english designer, born in Gibraltar, deserves every compliment he gets, because his genius is unmatched. To think of his years at Christian Dior is to think of over the top, excess, beauty, perfection. From 1996 to 2011, the Couture collections he created for the parisian maison are a style lesson, and they’re compiled in this book (signed by Andrew Bolton, one of the most known Fashion journalists) which is the fifth of a series of volumes dedicated to the maison’s creative directors.

Home: A Celebration: Notable Voices Reflect on the Meaning of Home, by Charlotte Moss, Rizzoli (2021), € 44.

Portugal: The Cookbook, by Leandro Carreira, Phaidon (2022), € 49,95.

Dazed: 30 Years Confused: The Covers, by Jefferson Hack, Rizzoli (2021), € 44.

Smiley: Fifty Years of Good News, by Liam Adlous, Assouline (2022), € 60.

The Circus. 1870s - 1950s, by Linda Granfield and Fred Dahlinger Jr, Taschen (2016), € 60.

It was, for a long time, the greatest show on the planet. Until about half of the 20th century, the circus was the preferred form of entertainment in the United States, where one show would have 14 thousand spectators. Adventurers who challenged death, super heroes, glamorous women and surprising “freaks” were part of the companies that travelled around the country carrying dreams and magic. This book gathers pictures of the first circus artists, original posters and lithography, transporting us, in each page, to a world that no longer exists. 

Celebrate cinema

For those who like hardcore partying and those who prefer intimate celebrations. There are movies for all tastes.

What’s the first movie that comes to mind when you think of parties or celebrations? Some think of The Hangover trilogy (2009-2013), which transformed the quartet made by Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis, Edward Helms and Justin Bartha into the poster boys of any bachelor party - especially those who go badly and are full of stories to tell - or maybe of the female version, Bridesmaids (2011), a genius and intelligent comedy about the preparations for a wedding. Played by the incredible Kristen Wiig (who was also involved in writing the screenplay) and by the not any less amazing Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne, Mellisa McCarthy, Ellie Kemper and Wendi McLendon-Covey, the project won many awards and sent all these actresses into the world of fame. But there are also those who remember totally different things. The Bucket List (2007), which gathers Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman, is far from drinks and nights out, and it is still a celebration of life. The same happens with Amélie (2011), which up to this day we still doubt whether it is really a movie, since there’s quite the chance it was actually a miracle, a modern fable of poetic realism with the charming Audrey Tautou as the main character, or with Moonrise Kingdom (2012), another gift from Wes Anderson, which follows two teenagers who fall in love and decide to run to an unknown place. Let’s not forget Up (2009), which, even though it is a cartoon, teached us the importance of celebrating important achievements. The seventh art has always been incredible at passing messages of gratitude. We each have our own tastes, but for many cinema lovers, It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) is one of the greatest movies of all time, and in 2006 it was even declared by the American Film Institute as the most inspiring american movie of all time. The story is based on the book The Greatest Gift, and it’s about George Bailey (the genius James Stewart), a man who gave up fighting and whose imminent suicide, on Christmas night, causes an intervention by his guardian angel - who shows him all the lives he touched and how everything would have been if he had never been born. Directed by Frank Capra, it made way for a whole new list of titles which are much more than they seem, and where Harold and Maude (1971) is, a pearl of dark humour about an atypical, and delicious, couple, young Harold (Bud Cort) and Maude (Maude), in her seventies. And, since we’re on this, let’s remember Intouchables (2011), the masterpiece of laughter which explains to us the true meaning of empathy: a tetraplegic millionaire (François Cluzet) hires a man (Omar Sy) to help him and, despite his lack of experience and many flaws, their professional relationship quickly turns into an enormous friendship. That is also the main story behind Nuovo Cinema Paradiso (1988), a hymn to cinema and memories, a mix of emotions that doesn’t require any further presentation. A bit less conformed, La Grande Bouffe (1973) is a fascinating parody that gathers four middle aged successful men who decide to get together in a mansion with one purpose: eat until they die. The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (1989) follows the same thought of an “indie party”: sick and tired of her marriage, the wife of a restaurant owner, who happens to be a gangster, gets a lover, with whom she has sex in the most uncomfortable places of the establishment. With consequences, of course… There is much more to watch, such as The Great Gatsby (2013), an orgy to the senses and 24 Hour Party People (2002), a love letter to the musical scene of Manchester. Mix it all with Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994), Little Miss Sunshine (2006) and Mamma Mia (2008) and the party is all set.

Celebrate tradition

Reducing the world’s most epic celebrations into a small list is a difficult task, but someone has to do it.

Holi Festival, India

Also known as the Festival of Colours, it marks the beginning of Spring, between February and March, and celebrates the triumph of good over evil. Its high point is the launch of dust coloured pigment over the participants. To Hindus, Holi means love, prosperity, fertility and growth (just as spring), which is why colours play such an important part.

Carnaval, Brazil

It’s celebrated a bit all around the world, but the most famous is the one in Rio de Janeiro. Throughout the course of days, the streets fill with revelers (not always fully clothed), and in every neighbourhood there are bands playing. However, the great parade at Sambódromo is the focus of all attention: samba schools from the city fight over the title of Carnaval champion in an unparalleled spectacle.

La Tomatina, Spain

It takes balls, that goes without saying. The Tomatina, or “tomato war”, is a celebration that consists of throwing tomatoes amongst participants - never less than 25 thousand people. It happens on the last wednesday of August in Buñol, Valencia, and it goes back to 1945. To say that it is complete madness would be absolutely redundant.

Mardi Gras, United States of America

In New Orleans, one of the States’ most fascinating cities, Fat Tuesday (in french, Mardi Gras) is celebrated with all its exuberance. Because it is the last day before the beginning of Lent, it is absolutely dedicated to excess, often gastronomical, but not just that. There are parades, masks, performances, alcohol, music and everything freedom allows.

Diwali, India

This hindu religious fest, universally known as the “festival of lights”, is celebrated between the end of October and November, to remember the destructive forces of evil. All throughout Diwali, new clothing is worn, candy is shared, families eat together and the sky is lit by fireworks. It’s the triumph of light over darkness.

Chinese New Year, China

In 2022, it was on the first of february, next year it could be at any other time. Chinese New Year has no set date because the Chinese calendar is lunisolar, which means it’s based on the movements of the sun and moon, which causes periodic adjustments. This is no obstacle for the party, which gathers dozens of traditions and goes on for several days, since it is one of the biggest in the world. Just as you may know by now, this year is the Year of the Tiger.

Yi Peng, Thailand

It’s the world’s most famous lantern festival. Yi Peng is a national celebration to Buddhists but it is even bigger in Chiang Mai, in the North of the country. It happens during the full moon of the second month in the Lanna calendar (november, in the Western calendar), when millions of lanterns are thrown into the sky, carrying bad luck with them.

Oktoberfest, Germany

If you like beer, the last weeks of October all lead to Munich. What started out as a party open to all city folks, to celebrate the wedding of Prince Ludwig I of Bavaria, in 1810, turned into one of the biggest festivals of the country. The liters of beer are impossible to count, but there is also music, food… and Guronsan, we hope.

Día de Los Muertos, Mexico

It’s one of the country’s most important celebrations, rooted in indiginal culture. It is intended to honour loved ones that have passed, through altars, offers and banquets (at home and in cemeteries) and coloured skulls. It is, since 2003, Oral and Intangible Patrimony of UNESCO, and it happens from October 31st to November 2nd.