While festivals are a universal celebration of culture and tradition, some events around the world are nothing short of bizarre, quirky, or downright unusual.
These festivals may be strange and unconventional, but they offer a glimpse into the rich tapestry of human traditions and the lengths to which people will go to celebrate their culture and heritage.
Whether you're throwing tomatoes or racing with your spouse on your back, these events are a reminder that the world is a truly diverse and intriguing place.
Here are seven weird and wonderful festivals from around the globe that are bound to pique your curiosity:
La Tomatina - Bunol, Spain
Known as the world's largest food fight, La Tomatina takes place in the small Spanish town of Bunol every August.
Participants gather in the streets to pelt each other with ripe tomatoes for hours on end.
It's messy, exhilarating, and a true testament to the Spanish love for tomatoes.
Tomatina's rules:
- Do not enter bottles or hard objects because they can cause an accident
- Do not tear or throw neither your T-shirts nor others T-shirts.
- Squash the tomatoes before throwing them
- Keep a safe distance of the lorries.
Cooper's Hill Cheese-Rolling and Wake - Gloucestershire, England
Every spring, thrill-seekers from around the world converge on Cooper's Hill to chase a giant wheel of cheese down a steep hill.
The first person to cross the finish line wins the cheese. It may sound simple, but the downhill dash is not for the faint of heart.
Rules for Cooper's Hill cheese rolling
The guidelines for the Cooper's Hill cheese rolling event are simple:
A 9-pound, circular Double Gloucester cheese is released down the hill, and participants are granted a one-second head start to pursue it.
The individual who reaches the bottom first and crosses the finish line is declared the winner and claims the cheese as their prize.
Baby-Jumping Festival - Castrillo de Murcia, Spain
As part of a tradition that dates back to 1620, men dressed as devils leap over rows of babies born in the past year.
The belief is that this daring act will cleanse the infants of original sin and bring them good luck.
Rules for Baby-Jumping Festival
Participants dress up as devils and jump over babies that are placed on the streets of Castrillo de Murcia.
The rules for this unusual festival are not very formal, but participants are generally expected to follow safety precautions and not harm the babies in any way.
The primary goal is to cleanse the babies of original sin and ensure their well-being.
Wife-Carrying World Championship - Sonkajärvi, Finland
In this quirky event, male participants race while carrying their female partners, who must cling to their necks or shoulders. The prize? The wife's weight in beer.
This race adds a whole new dimension to the phrase "carrying your spouse."
Rules for Wife-Carrying World Championship
In the Wife-Carrying World Championship, male participants carry a female teammate (who can be their wife, partner, or any consenting adult) through a challenging obstacle course.
The rules typically require the carried participant to be a minimum weight, and there are specific techniques for carrying, such as the piggyback or fireman's carry.
The team that completes the course in the shortest time wins the championship.
Up Helly Aa - Lerwick, Shetland Islands, Scotland
Each January, the Shetland Islands transform into a Viking wonderland for Up Helly Aa.
Locals dress as fearsome Vikings and ignite a replica Viking longship. This fiery spectacle pays homage to the Norse heritage of the islands.
Rules for Up Helly Aa
The festival involves a procession of participants dressed as Vikings, and it culminates in the burning of a Viking longship.
The festival doesn't have strict rules but generally follows a traditional and scripted sequence of events, including the lighting of the galley and various performances.
Monkey Buffet Festival - Lopburi, Thailand
Imagine a feast laid out for hundreds of monkeys, complete with fruits, vegetables, and even soda. That's what happens at the Monkey Buffet Festival, where the town's macaque population is treated to a banquet fit for royalty.
Rules for Monkey Buffet Festival
This festival involves offering an extravagant buffet of fruits and vegetables to the local monkey population.
The festival doesn't have strict rules, but participants are encouraged to maintain safety and hygiene while providing food to the monkeys.
It's a celebration of the town's monkey inhabitants and is meant to promote harmony between humans and monkeys.
El Colacho - Castrillo de Murcia, Spain
In another Spanish tradition, men dressed as the Devil jump over babies. However, in this case, the event is accompanied by a religious context.
The act is believed to cleanse the infants of evil spirits.
Rules for El Colacho
Participants dressed as "Colacho" and jump over babies placed on mattresses in the streets.
There aren't strict rules, but participants are expected to perform these jumps safely, and the primary goal is to cleanse the babies of original sin.
