15 Weird Festivities Around the World
People and cultures around the world have held interesting celebrations
throughout history. Some of these celebrations continue to exist today. They are
a way for cultural groups to continue celebrating their traditions. Of course,
to an outsider, some of these celebrations can seem a bit odd, but for those who
grew up around it, it's not unusual; it's a part of their cultural upbringing.
Although most weird festival celebrations are rooted in historical practices,
new ones continue to appear throughout the world. They are almost always joyous
in nature. Some religious festival especially may not seem to be in good nature,
but despite seemingly dangerous or painful traditions, the message behind them
outweighs any possible negatives. Local communities stage them as a way to
practice traditions, historic or otherwise. The greatest amount of weird
festivals seem to originate from Spain. This shows that Spanish cultural and
religious values are not only more celebrated than other parts of the world, but
also quite fascinating. Most festivals revolve around some kind of cultural,
religious, or social event. Others are created as a way to attract tourists or
promote a marketing campaign. These 15 weird festivals not only bring a community
together in observation and practice, but they also attract tourists who are
interested in witnessing these seemingly bizarre events.
15) La Tomatina
(Bunol, Spain)
The La Tomatina food throwing festival is an annual festival
in the town of Bunol, Spain. It is held every year on the last Wednesday of
August. La Tomatina is a weeklong festival that revolves around a massive
food-fight. There is also other celebrations, including parades, firework
celebrations, and dancing events. It began in the 1940s in Bunol, Spain under
unknown circumstances, according to the La Tomatina Festival website.
One Big Tomato Food Fight
By flydime
via Wikimedia Commons
The La Tomatina celebrations begin just before noon, when many trucks deliver
massive amounts of cheap tomatoes to the Plaza del Pueblo, in the center of
town. The fight does not officially begin until one person has made it to the
top of a two-story high greasy wooden pole. At the top of the pole is a ham.
Traditionally, when the ham is confiscated, water cannons fire and the fight
begins. Strategy for the fight is each man for himself. People battle each other
with tomatoes that they squish beforehand. It is also recommended that people
wear protective eye-wear, to protect themselves from flight juices and pieces of
tomatoes. The fight only lasts one hour, which is also marked by the water
cannons, but the festivities stretch out much longer. The tomatoes food fight
does not cause extensive damage to the city, but it does require an elaborate
cleaning effort. Fire hoses go about cleaning the streets after the fight, as
the food fight participants either return to their homes to clean up, or head to
the nearby river to wash up.
Every Woman and Man for Themselves in an All-out Tomato Fight
By flydime
via Wikimedia Commons
La Tomatina may just be one of many food-fight festivals, but it is
considered to be the world's biggest. It attracts thousands of people, not only
from Spain, but from all around the world. According to La Tomatina Tours, the
festival attracted approximately 50,000 participants in 2012.
14) Encierro
(Spain)
Another festival that is celebrating each summer in Spain is the
Encierro, or The Running of the Bulls. It is celebrated in the Spain's Navarra
region, originally in honor of Navarra's patron saint, San Fermin. It takes
place during the second week of July each year at the Calle Santo Domingo, the
street heading from the corral to the city's bullring. The festival began out of
necessity. Bulls needed to be corralled from outside the city's limits, into the
bullring.
Do you Have the Nerves for Encierro?
By Dirección General de Turismo
via Wikimedia Commons
Encierro begins in the morning, with bulls being unleashed to charge from the
corral to the bullring. The run is about half a mile. It lasts less than 10
minutes. To be eligible to participate, you must be over the age of 18 and sober. Participants must also adhere to the other
regulations regarding permissible behavior. Traditionally men have only run it,
although women willing to risk themselves are also permitted to participate. It
used to be a rite of passage for Spanish boys to take part in. The only
protection you have against the charging bulls is a wooden stick. No other
weapons are permitted. Participants have to be in good physical form and be able
to react quickly if necessary. Every year people are injured, if not killed, in
the festival events. Many attendee of the Encierro do not participate in the
run, opting to spectate it instead.
Will You Participate or Spectate in Encierro?
By Rastrojo
via Wikimedia Commons
13) Air Guitar World Championship
(Oulu, Finland)
Since 1996, the city of Oulu, Finland has
hosted the Air Guitar World Championships. It began as a small event, but
inevitably attracted media attention and grew to become an international event.
Rockers, audiences, and media flock to Oulu every year in August. The Air Guitar
World Championship coincides with the Oulu Music Video Festival. It was
originally a side event of the music festival. According to the Air Guitar World
Championships' website, the main purpose of the festival is to promote world
peace. This ideology excludes any participants who are involved in any sort of
mischief or bad behavior. Its purpose it to promote unity.
Practice Your Air Guitar for a Venue Beyond Your Own Living Room
By Antti Kultanen
via Wikimedia Commons
The Air Guitar World Championship contestants have to go through a variety of
events and training. Each year a compulsory song is chosen for each contestant
to rock-out to. In its inaugural year, it was the Deep Purple's "Smoke on the
Water." Over the years, compulsory songs by bands like Weezer, Jimi Hendrix, and
Nirvana have been performed. Beginning in 1999, contestants were able to also
choose a self-chosen song.
Seriously Intense Air Guitar at the Air Guitar World Championship
By Antigraser
via Wikimedia Commons
The popularity of the festival has caused the organization to branch out to
introducing distinctive "Schools of Airdeology". According to the Air Guitar
World Championships website, these schools are: Artistic Airdeology, Pure Air
Rock 'N' Roll, Air Extravaganza, and Futur D'Air. It is a good-natured festival
that brings air-guitar rockers, music lovers, and spectators from around to
world together.
12) Holi: Festival of Colors
(India, Nepal, and Guyana)
Holi is the Festival of Colors. It is an annual Hindu spring festival,
celebrated in India, Nepal, and Guyana. Before the festival begins, vendors
start selling colors of all hues in the form of powders in the markets.
Participants prepare by collecting colors to use during the festival. It is a
spring celebration so people tend to buy bright colors. Although the colors
chosen have some symbolic significance, most children go wild with their colors,
with no regard to symbolism. The festivities represent bringing joy and color to
your life and your home. Some participants make the colors traditionally, from colorful
flowers. On the day of festivities, people head out into the streets and to each
other's homes to color each other with the spirit of Holi. This is done while
also singing and dancing.
Holi Hindu Festival of Colors Celebrating Spring - Ritualistic Day for
Forgiveness
By FaceMePLS
via Wikimedia Commons
The legend of the festival's beginnings is with the Indian god Lord Krishna.
He was jealous of his soul mate's fair complexion. To appease her son's
jealousy, Lord Krishna's mother painted the face of his soul mate to the color
he wanted. From there, the festival began. Each color signifies a different
meaning: red for purity, green for vitality, blue for calmness, and yellow for
pious feelings. People are expected to let loose, and embrace the freedom and
joy of the occasion. The festival is supposed to be purely in good nature, with
no intentions to offend anyone.
Now a Worldwide Holiday, Holi is Even Celebrated in Germany
By Tim
via Wikimedia Commons
11) Phallus Festival
(Japan and Greece)
Two countries in the world celebrate annual Phallus
festivals: Japan and Greece. In Japanese culture, this festival is called Kanamara Matsuri, or "Festival of the Steel Phallus." It is celebrated in
Kawasaki, each year during the month of April. It is centered on a local metal
penis shrine. The shrine was historically visited by prostitutes who would pray
for protection against sexually transmitted diseases. Phallic shaped parade
floats, shrines, and merchandise appear throughout the city. People can buy
products of any kind that are made to resemble penises. According to news
reports from MSN and Metro, the profits from the festival go towards HIV
research.
City Jammed Full of Phallus Shaped Props
The Greek town of Tyrnavos also celebrates an annual Phallus Festival. Each
year, on the Monday before Lent, people celebrate this pagan fertility festival.
The day of the event is also called "Clean Monday," or "Dirty Monday," depending
on whom you ask. The festival springs from ancient Dionysian times, when
lewdness was common practice.
The phallic symbol was used as a satirical symbol.
People tease one another with penis-shaped models, in addition to consuming
phallic shaped breads and other foods. The festival has been celebrated for
centuries and is one of the oldest religious rites in Greece.
10) Roswell UFO Festival
(Roswell, New Mexico)
The city of Roswell, NM is known for the many UFO
sightings that have occurred in its area over the past century. In July 1947,
the "Roswell UFO incident" occurred. According to unofficial reports and
theories, a spacecraft was seen to have crashed, potentially carrying
extraterrestrial life.
International UFO Museum and Research Center - Roswell, NM
The event has been speculated since its occurrence,
causing many conspiracy theories as well as many hard-core UFO believers to be
born. Believers and alien enthusiasts gather in the area each year in July,
celebrating the Roswell UFO festival over a three-day event. The three-day event
includes guest speakers, authors, and live entertainment for attendees.
Attendees in Full Costume
People
are also encouraged to attend in costume, according to the UFO Festival website.
There is a costume contest, for humans and pets, as well as other family
friendly activities, attracting skeptics and believers alike.
9) Baby Jumping Festival
(Castrillo de Murcia, Spain)
Since the 1620s, the Spanish have celebrated El Colacho, the annual Baby Jumping Festival. It is celebrated in the Spanish town,
Castrillo de Murcia, near Burgos. Two weeks after Pentecost, Catholics
traditionally celebrate Corpus Christi. Catholics lead processions through the
streets, carrying the Blessed Sacrament. El Colacho celebrations include parents
dressing up their babies and bringing them to the town's square. Parents of the
babies place their children on mattresses, along with several other infants.
A
man that is symbolically dressed as the devil, or El Colacho, in a yellow and
red jumpsuit. He leaps dramatically over the mattress of babies. According to
tradition, this act cleanses the babies of original sin, much like the act of
baptism. This tradition is upheld by the Brotherhood of Santisimo Sacremento de
Minerva. Members of the Brotherhood also chase people of all ages throughout the
streets on this day, also as a sin-cleansing act.
During El Colacho Grown Men Dress up as the Devil and Jump
Over Babies
According to CathNews, former
Pope Benedict has asked priests to distance themselves from this potentially
dangerous activity. This is because the sacrament of baptism is the way in which
the Catholic Church recognizes the elimination of original sin from an infant,
not with a man symbolically dressed as the devil leaping over them.
8) The Redneck Games
(East Dublin, Georgia)
 The one-day Summer Red Neck Games have been celebrated
since 1996 in East Dublin, Ga. It was started by a local radio station manager
in response to comments made by the media about the style in which Atlanta would
host the Olympic Games. According to the Summer Redneck Games' website, it
started as a silly charity event. With the media attention it attracted, it soon
became an annual event. From the beginning, the festival was more popular than
anyone could have expected. Organizers expected only about 500 attendees its
first year, and got 10 times that many instead. Over the years, almost 100,000
people have attended the festivities, according to the festival's website.
Hosted events at the Summer Redneck Games were created in true satirical
fashion. Events range from the "Hubcap Hurl" to the "Redneck Horseshoes," in
which the participants throw toilet seats instead of horseshoes. Participants
also compete with each other in categories such as dumpster diving, and seed
spitting. Other notable events include a wet T-shirt contest, big-hair contest,
and the cigarette flip. Appropriately, the trophy for each event is a half
crushed, mounted beer can.
Celebrate Your Inner-Redneck
The Summer Redneck Games are good for the community because all proceeds are
donated to local charities in the Atlanta area. It has also spawned a Canadian
version of the games. The Minto Canadian Redneck Games were created in 2006.
7) Albuquerque Balloon Festival
(Albuquerque, New Mexico)
Albuquerque, New Mexico has held the
Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta every October for more than 40 years.
The fiesta attracts visitors from all around the world to engage and marvel at
the art of ballooning. It began in 1972, with only 13 balloons participating.
Today, hundreds of balloons take part in the festival. All the balloons are
launched from the Balloon Fiesta Park's 78-acre field. There are event
challenges like the long-distance race, taking some participants as far as
Canada, and a target dropping challenge. It is also a way for ballooners to
enjoy the craft with people like themselves.
By Mav
via Wikimedia Commons
The day of festivities begins in the early morning hours. A Dawn Patron
Balloon is launched to check on the weather and wind conditions for all the
festival's balloons. Later in the day, the hot air balloons head to the sky in a
mass ascension. Festival coordinators guide the lift off of balloons in a safe
and organized manor. Spectators are able to marvel at all the colorful balloons
that take over the sky.
Attendees are able to walk through the Balloon Fiesta's
field and meet to talk with the balloon pilots. Residents of Albuquerque enjoy
the festival in the sky from the comfort of their homes, while others gather in
the launching field area where the festivities occur.
By Sba2
via Wikimedia Commons
6) Cheese Rolling Festival
(Cooper's Hill, near Gloucester, England)
Cooper's Hill, near Gloucester, England, is the
location of the annual Cheese Rolling Festival. It occurs every year during the
Spring Bank Holiday. It is organized by local enthusiasts, according to
cheese-rolling.co.uk. Participants gather atop Cooper Hill before a round of
Double Gloucester cheese is rolled down the slope. Competitors then race down
the hill after the round of cheese. The cheese has approximately a one-second
head start before the participants. In the past, it has reached speeds of up to
70 mph.
Master of Ceremonies at the Cooper's Hill Cheese Rolling
and Wake
By YoLeArno
via Wikimedia Commons
Over the years, many participants have been injured during the festivities.
In 1993, 15 participants sustained injuries, according to Gloucester City. Since
2010, several controversies surrounding the event. Organizers were changing the
management of the festival, which caused uproar from participants. As a result,
in 2011, the event took place without any management.
View of Cooper's Hill and a Live Race
By Dave Farrance
via Wikimedia Commons
The festival was traditionally only celebrated by the member of a local town,
Brockworth. Today, it attracts people from throughout England, and even the
world. Participants in the Cheese Rolling Festival are very committed to the
event, regardless of the dangers of the injuries they could potentially sustain.
5) Near Death Festival
(Spain)
Most cultures celebrate life and death, but very few
celebrate those who have managed to escape death. In Spain people celebrate the
Fiesta de Santa Marta Ribarteme. Santa Marta de Ribarteme is the saint of
resurrection. The festival occurs in As Neves, Galicia each year at the end of
July.
Near Death Festival's Procession
The festivities begin in the mid-morning, with thousands of people pouring
into the streets of the small town, according to donquijote.org. First, all the
attendees celebrate Mass. Afterward, those who have experienced near death
experiences climb into coffins, which are carried through the streets by their
families. Spectators line the streets and observe the procession of people being
carried in caskets. The procession takes people up the nearby hill to the
cemetery, which the procession circulates around.
The festival is a way for the
people who escaped death recently to show gratitude for their life to the patron
saint of resurrection.
4) Night of the Radishes
(Oaxaca, Mexico)
Just before Christmas each year, La Noche de los
Rabanos, or The Night of the Radishes, is celebrated in Oaxaca, Mexico. It
occurs annually on Dec. 23, at sundown. Participants display intricate carvings
on radishes for spectators and judges. This folk art festival is one of the most
unusual in the entire world. Radish artists have the freedom to create art of
any kind on their radishes.
By drewleavy
via Wikimedia Commons
The radishes used at the festival are different than the ones commonly eaten
in the U.S. They are Spanish radishes, which were brought to Mexico from Spain
in the 16th century. These radishes, though, aren't small. They are long,
cylindrical, and thick. They can grow to be up to 20 inches in length, allowing
the artists enough room to carve something out of them.
Artist Planning a Radish Sculpture
The Night of the Radishes has been a formal festival since 1897. However, these Spanish radishes were being carved into unique
pieces and shapes for centuries prior. According to legend, this was done to
entice people to buy the unique root vegetable. The winner of the Night of the
Radishes festival is bestowed with a monetary prize. They are also featured in
the local Oaxaca newspaper on Christmas Eve.
3) Monkey Buffet Festival
(Lopburi, Thailand)
The Monkey Buffet Festival takes place each year
on Nov. 25 in the small province of Lopburi, Thailand, north of Bangkok.
Thailand residents believe monkeys bring good fortune in the form of visitors to
the region. The festival was initiated to promote tourism to Thailand. It is a
way for the locals to thank the monkeys for bringing tourism to the town,
according to the Telegraph. Locals set up tables of fruits and other foods that
the monkeys will enjoy, and allow them to run around and eat as they please.
A local hotelier thought up the concept in 1989. Now, the Thailand Tourism
Authority sponsors the festivities. Thousands of pounds of food are brought in
for the monkeys to stuff themselves with. Each year, thousands of visitors come
to witness the event. Other than the fun of watching monkeys go crazy over food,
there is no other significance to the event.
2) Boryeong Mud Festival
(Boryeong City, South Korea)
Boryeong City, South Korea, prides itself as being
the site of the best mud in the world. As a result, they produce a mud-based
cosmetics line that is said to be good for the human skin, in addition to having
higher germanium, minerals, and bentonite. As a way to promote this cosmetics
line, Boryeong launched the city's Mud Festival in 1998. It is held at Daecheon
Beach, a unique sandy beach that is only found in eastern countries, according
to the festival's website mudfestival.or.kr. People are able to swim or get
massages in the mudpack. Not only is it a fun event, but it also eliminates
impurities from the participants' skin.
The festival's events include mud wrestling, mud sliding, and mud fireworks.
Any type of mud-based event a person could think of is hosted at the Boryeong
Med Festival. Additionally, there is also a street and yacht parade through the
city. All the events are located close to a beach to make easy for participants
to wash themselves off after.
By Stinkie Pinkie
via Wikimedia Commons
This is a marketing festival staged by Boryeong Mud Cosmetic products.
However, it has managed to grow to attract over 2 million attendees annually
within its first decade of celebrations.
1) Thaipusam Festival
(Asian countries)
In Malaysia and other Asian countries, body piercing
is a cultural rite. Piercing are a part of an annual festival, celebrated by
Singapore's Hindu Tamil community each year on a full moon in mid-January.
Beginning in the day's early morning hours, participants begin the festival with
a 3 mile walk. In this procession, devotees seek blessings and offer thanks to
their gods. People in the procession carry milk pots, which symbolize virtue and
purity, and Kavadis, a symbol of devotion as well as humility.
Thaipusam is Celebrated on the Full Moon in the Tamil Month (Jan/Feb)
By Peter Gronemann
via Wikimedia Commons
The Kavadis' are
decorated with flowers, palm leaves, and feathers. The main event for spectators
of the festival is the spiritual preparation the devotees go through by enduring
physical pain. It is typical for the Tamil people to endure piercing themselves
with skewers through their tongues and other places on the body, according to
yoursingapore.com.
Thaipusam is a Hindu Festival Mostly Celebrated by the Tamil Community
(Malaysia)
By Peter Gronemann
via Wikimedia Commons
The ethos of the event is to endure as much pain as you can. The more pain a
practitioner can endure, the greater the blessings they will receive. Some go as
far as pull heavy objects, like trucks, that are connected via hooks in their
skin. To prepare for the festival, participants undergo a strict preparation
process. For a month prior, they will maintain a strict vegetarian diet and
practice abstinence.
All Three Images Taken at the Batu Caves Near Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
By Peter Gronemann
via Wikimedia Commons
According to the Hindu community, the more pure of state
your body is in, the easier you will be able to endure pain without experiencing
physical discomfort. The festival is a way for Hindu peoples to thank their Lord Murugan for helping them defeat their demons, and for granting them their
wishes.
Final Words
Every area of the world has weird festivals that celebrate the traditions of
a culture or geographic group. Modern festivals are usually hosted to uphold the
traditions of a group. Some of the more unique modern festivals are held as a
form of entertainment for a geographical region or a subcultural group.
Festivals often attract spectatorship from tourists as well as locals, so they
are also beneficial to a region's economy, as well as to their social unity.
Whatever the cultural significance of festivals, they are entertaining, and
sometimes repulsive, to spectators unfamiliar with their context. Not only are
they are a way to celebrate the culture of a group, but they also serve as a way
for outsiders to learn and witness diverse traditions of people around the
world.
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