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FEB 1-3: Blessing of the Sea Festival - San Blas, Mexico Taking place in the pretty coastal town of San Blas on the western coast of Mexico, this religious festival offers prayer and thanks to the sea. Involving regional dance performers, traditional music and horseracing competitions, this is a fun event for visitors who can really get a flavour of the country's many regional festivals and events.

FEB 2: Candlemas Day - All Mexico Celebrated with candlelit processions and dancing in many towns throughout the country, this holiday marks the end of the Christmas celebration. On this national holiday, families and friends gather together to enjoy tamales and atole (a hot, sweet drink thickened with corn flour). The musical events, parades and dances are especially memorable in the port city of Tlacotalpan, Veracruz, where a bull is rafted into town and released.

FEB 5: Día de la Constitución - All Mexico An official holiday that commemorates Mexico's Constitution.

FEB 19-22: El “Cielo” International Nature Festival - Ciudad Mante, Tamaulipas This festival welcomes hundreds of visitors to interact with nature in one Mexico's most famous biosphere reserves.

FEB 23-28: Carnival - All Mexico Celebrations begin five days before Ash Wednesday and are marked by parades, parties and dancing in the streets. Some of the most famous and festive celebrations are held in the port towns of Veracruz, Campeche (www.webcampeche.com ), Mazatlan (www.carnavalmazatlan.com.mx) and Ensenada, while carnaval in San Juan Chamula, Chiapas is one of the most important indigenous celebrations in Mexico, involving purification ceremonies and ethnic dances that depict Mayan legends.

FEB 21 - MAR 1: Carnaval Veracruz - Veracruz, Veracruz Known for its Afro-Caribbean-influenced culture, the port city of Veracruz on the Gulf of Mexico hosts the second-largest Carnaval in the country. Visitors should not miss the chance to dance at the zocalo, or main square. Salsa, cumbia, reggae and marimba are popular, as well as danzon. For more information, please visit: www.veracruz-puerto.gob.mx/turismo/.

FEB 21 - MAR 1: Carnaval Merida - Merida, Yucatan This Carnaval is about fantasy, magic and mystery. Different parades and dances take place along a route that goes from the San Juan Park (parque de San Juan) up to the Flag Monument (Monumento a la Bandera). For more information, please visit: www.merida.gob.mx/carnaval/.