Festivals are a mean of exhibiting culture and traditions and to bring people closer. But sometimes, these festivals can be really really weird. From baby jumping to rotten sneakers, this is our pick of the wackiest and weirdest festivals in the world.
When I was gathering this list of the weirdest festivals, El Colacho was one of those who really made my mouth stuck open in astonishment. I'm sure, it can do the same to you. El Colacho, or the Baby Jumping Festival belongs to the crazy Spanish.
El Colacho, takes place every year right from 1620. El Colacho involves men dressed as devils and jumping over babies born during the last 12 months. The babies are laid on mattresses placed on the streets. It is said that the practice cleanses the babies from sin. It is regarded as the world's most dangerous festivals and efforts are being made by the Roman Catholic Church to eradicate it.
This bizarre festival is definitely one of America's weirdest festivals. Sneakers do smell yukkkk! owing to the thousands of sweat glands that cover our feet. So, if you have a pair of old sneakers which make your nose proud, then hurry up and compete for the International Rotten Sneaker Contest. If you have the odour to make it to the top, then your sneakers will be placed in the prestigious (or rather smelly) 'House of fume'.
The Bognor Birdman is a festival held each summer where human powered flying machines compete for money. The festival takes place on a south English beach resort. The Bognor Birdman Festival was started in 1971. The aim of participants is to fly 50 yards in their human powered flying machines. The current record for the longest distance flown in 89.2 metres set way back in 1992.
The National Sleepy Head Day is celebrated in Finland on 27 July each year. On this day, the last person to wake up in the house (called as the "laziest") is woken up by water, either by throwing in the river or sea or by throwing water in the face.
The origins of the day is based on the story of Saint of Ephesus, who slept for 200 years hiding from the persecution of the Roman Emperor.
What's the first thing that strikes your mind when you here 'Japan'? For many of you'll, it will be of giant, n@ked men shedding sweat to push the other one out of the ring. If that's weird for you, then wait for a sec because there is something even stranger.
Konaki Sumo (Japanese for crying sumo) is a bizarre festival which is being held for 400 years in temples of Japan. Two sumos, each carrying a baby, face each other to see whose baby cries first. It can sound really cruel, but it's nothing but a wish for good health because the more the baby cries, the healthier it is.
If you've been through an event which almost took your life, then the Festival of Near Death Experiences is the place to be. This totally bizarre festival is hosted in the Galician town of As Neves every year. The festival is held on 29 July to celebrate live's closest shaves. People who have experienced death and survived are carried in coffins to the church, carried by their family members where they tell the world about their encounters with death.
If you've always found rats to disgusting, ugly little creatures, then this is not really a festival worth going out of your way to attend. Dubbed as the battle of the dead rats, this bizarre festival takes place in the Spanish town of El Puig. It consists of pots containing candies. The participants are then asked to smash the pots with their sticks. So, where are the rats? If a participant smashes a non-candy pot, he picks up a dead rat and throws it at each other.
No, we're not monkeying around. This strange festival is actually held in the Lopburi province of Thailand. The festivals includes a grand feast of fruits and vegetables for the 2000 macaques of the area.
The aim of the festival is nothing but to promote tourism in the area. Now that's selfish! :(
There can't be a better way to enjoy a sizzling hot day than this. The sidewalk Egg Frying Competition takes place on 4th July every year to chill in scorching summer temperatures and compete to fry their eggs on the sidewalk. Using everything from magnifying glasses and aluminium foils to more sophisticated home build machines, the participants try to cook their eggs in less than 15 minutes.
La Tomatina, Valencia
I found La Tomatina to be one of the most fun festivals in the world. La Tomatina is held in the town of Bunol, Valencia. During the annual La Tomatina Festival, people gather in the town's main square and engage in a tomato fight. The festival's origins date back to 1945 when young men started a brawl by throwing tomatoes at each other during the parade of Gigantes y Cabezudos.
To make the festival safe, there are some simple rules one of which is that you must squeeze the tomato before you throw in order to avoid injuries.
El Colacho (Baby Jumping Festival), Spain
El Colacho, takes place every year right from 1620. El Colacho involves men dressed as devils and jumping over babies born during the last 12 months. The babies are laid on mattresses placed on the streets. It is said that the practice cleanses the babies from sin. It is regarded as the world's most dangerous festivals and efforts are being made by the Roman Catholic Church to eradicate it.
International Rotten Sneaker Contest, USA
Bognor Birdman Festival, England
National Sleepy Head Day, Finland
The National Sleepy Head Day is celebrated in Finland on 27 July each year. On this day, the last person to wake up in the house (called as the "laziest") is woken up by water, either by throwing in the river or sea or by throwing water in the face.
The origins of the day is based on the story of Saint of Ephesus, who slept for 200 years hiding from the persecution of the Roman Emperor.
Konaki Sumo, Japan
Konaki Sumo (Japanese for crying sumo) is a bizarre festival which is being held for 400 years in temples of Japan. Two sumos, each carrying a baby, face each other to see whose baby cries first. It can sound really cruel, but it's nothing but a wish for good health because the more the baby cries, the healthier it is.
Festival of Near Death Experience, Spain
The Battle of Dead Rat, Spain
Monkey Buffet Festival, Thailand
The aim of the festival is nothing but to promote tourism in the area. Now that's selfish! :(
Sidewalk Egg Frying, USA
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