In a world brimming with diverse cultures and traditions, festivals serve as vibrant expressions of human creativity and community spirit. While many celebrations are familiar to us, some festivals push the boundaries of the ordinary, venturing into realms that might seem bizarre or even outlandish to outsiders. From food fights to wife-carrying competitions, these unique events offer a glimpse into the colorful tapestry of global customs. Join us on a journey through 20 of the strangest festivals around the world, where the unusual becomes the norm and the extraordinary is celebrated with gusto.
Top Strangest Festivals Around the World
Welcome to the weird and wonderful world of the planet’s strangest festivals! From mud-slinging in South Korea to wife-carrying in Finland, these 20 bizarre celebrations push the boundaries of normal and turn the ordinary into extraordinary. Buckle up as we embark on a whirlwind tour of human creativity, ancient traditions, and downright peculiar pastimes that’ll make you question everything you thought you knew about having a good time.
1. La Tomatina (Spain)
Picture a quaint Spanish town transformed into a sea of red, where laughter echoes through narrow streets and the air is thick with the scent of ripe tomatoes. This is no ordinary day in Buñol, Spain – it’s La Tomatina, one of the world’s most famous and bizarre food fights. For one glorious hour each year, this sleepy town becomes the epicenter of tomato-throwing madness, attracting thrill-seekers and curious onlookers from around the globe.
Origin: La Tomatina began in 1945, reportedly starting as a local dispute that ended with people throwing tomatoes from a nearby vegetable stand.
How it’s celebrated:
- The festival begins with the “palo jabón,” where participants climb a greased pole to reach a ham at the top.
- Once someone succeeds, water cannons fire, signaling the start of the tomato fight.
- Trucks dump tons of tomatoes in the streets, and for one hour, participants engage in a massive tomato battle.
- After the fight, fire trucks hose down the streets and participants.
Interesting fact: Despite using about 150,000 tomatoes, La Tomatina has little environmental impact as the acidic tomatoes actually clean the streets.
2. Cheese Rolling Festival (England)
High on the steep slopes of Cooper’s Hill in Gloucestershire, England, an ancient tradition unfolds that seems more like a scene from a comedy sketch than a serious competitive event. Yet, year after year, daring participants gather to risk life and limb in pursuit of a wheel of cheese. The Cheese Rolling Festival is a testament to human determination, or perhaps folly, as competitors throw themselves down a treacherous incline, tumbling and somersaulting in a chaotic race.
Origin: The exact origins are unclear, but the tradition dates back to at least the early 19th century.
How it’s celebrated:
- A 9-pound round of cheese is rolled from the top of the hill.
- Competitors race down the hill after it, risking injury on the steep, uneven terrain.
- The first person to cross the finish line at the bottom wins the cheese.
Interesting fact: The cheese can reach speeds up to 70 mph, making it impossible for runners to actually catch it.
3. Wife Carrying World Championships (Finland)
In the land of a thousand lakes, Finland brings us a competition that combines strength, speed, and marital (or partner) bonding in the most unexpected way. The Wife Carrying World Championships in Sonkajärvi is not your typical sporting event. Here, the ‘equipment’ is your significant other, and the goal is simple yet challenging – navigate an obstacle course while carrying your partner as fast as you can.
Origin: The event is inspired by the 19th-century legend of Herkko Rosvo-Ronkainen, a robber who allegedly tested his gang members by making them carry heavy sacks on their backs.
How it’s celebrated:
- Participants must carry their partner through a 253.5-meter obstacle course.
- The course includes water obstacles and hurdles.
- Various carrying techniques are used, with the “Estonian carry” (wife upside-down on the man’s back) being most popular.
Interesting fact: The winner receives the wife’s weight in beer as a prize.
4. Monkey Buffet Festival (Thailand)
In the ancient city of Lopburi, Thailand, a most unusual annual gathering takes place – one where the guests of honor are not human, but simian. The Monkey Buffet Festival is a spectacular event that turns the typical human-monkey dynamic on its head. Instead of monkeys performing for human amusement, it’s the humans who serve an elaborate feast for thousands of macaque monkeys.
Origin: The festival began in 1989 as a way to boost tourism in the region, which is known for its large monkey population.
How it’s celebrated:
- Over 4,000 kg of fruits, vegetables, and other monkey-friendly foods are laid out.
- The food is artfully arranged into elaborate displays and structures.
- Thousands of macaque monkeys descend upon the buffet, much to the delight of tourists and locals.
Interesting fact: The festival not only feeds the monkeys but also raises awareness about the importance of wildlife conservation.
5. Boryeong Mud Festival (South Korea)
On the coastal city of Boryeong, South Korea, there’s one week each year when cleanliness is definitely not next to godliness. The Boryeong Mud Festival is a celebration that encourages visitors to get down and dirty – literally. This isn’t just any mud, though. The mineral-rich mud from Boryeong’s mud flats is said to have therapeutic properties, turning this festival into a unique blend of spa day and playground antics.
Origin: Started in 1998 as a marketing event for Boryeong mud cosmetics, it has since grown into a major tourist attraction.
How it’s celebrated:
- Participants cover themselves in mineral-rich mud from Boryeong’s mud flats.
- Activities include mud slides, mud pools, mud masks, and even a mud prison.
- The festival also features concerts, fireworks, and a huge beach party.
Interesting fact: The mud is said to have therapeutic properties, being rich in minerals and germanium.
6. Kanamara Matsuri (Japan)
In the land of cherry blossoms and ancient traditions, there’s a festival that stands out for its, well, rather prominent theme. The Kanamara Matsuri, or “Festival of the Steel Phallus,” is a celebration that turns heads and raises eyebrows with its unabashed reverence for the male anatomy. Held in Kawasaki, Japan, this festival transforms the streets into a carnival of phallic symbols, from candy to carved vegetables to the centerpiece: a mikoshi (portable shrine) carrying a large steel phallus.
Origin: The festival originated from a legend about a sharp-toothed demon hiding inside a woman’s vagina. A blacksmith forged an iron phallus to break the demon’s teeth, thus protecting the woman and her husband.
How it’s celebrated:
- The main event is a parade featuring three phallic shrines, including a large pink penis statue.
- Participants enjoy phallus-shaped candies, vegetables carved into phallic shapes, and other themed souvenirs.
- The festival now raises money and awareness for HIV research.
Interesting fact: Despite its provocative nature, the festival is deeply rooted in Shinto tradition and fertility rituals.
7. El Colacho (Spain)
In the small village of Castrillo de Murcia, Spain, a centuries-old tradition takes place that seems to defy both common sense and gravity. El Colacho, also known as the “Baby Jumping Festival,” is perhaps one of the most nerve-wracking spectacles in the world of strange festivals. Picture this: tiny infants laid out on mattresses in the street, while men dressed as devils leap over them.
Origin: Dating back to 1620, this Catholic festival is meant to cleanse the babies of original sin and protect them from illness and evil spirits.
How it’s celebrated:
- Parents place their babies, born in the previous twelve months, on mattresses in the street.
- Men dressed in yellow and red suits, representing the devil (known as the Colacho), run and jump over the babies.
- As they jump, they are believed to take the sins with them, purifying the infants.
Interesting fact: The Catholic Church has distanced itself from the festival, but locals continue the tradition, seeing it as a cultural rather than a religious event.
8. Frozen Dead Guy Days (USA)
In the quirky town of Nederland, Colorado, a festival celebrates the bizarre tale of a cryogenically frozen Norwegian man. Frozen Dead Guy Days is a weekend of frosty fun that turns the macabre into merriment, proving that even death can be an occasion for laughter and community bonding.
Origin: The festival began in 2002 to celebrate the story of Bredo Morstoel, whose body has been kept frozen in a shed above the town since 1989.
How it’s celebrated:
- Events include coffin races, polar plunging, frozen T-shirt contests, and a parade of hearses.
- Attendees can enjoy live music, costume contests, and even a “Frozen Dead Guy” lookalike competition.
- Tours of the shed where Bredo is kept frozen are also available.
Interesting fact: The festival has sparked discussions about cryonics and has put the small town of Nederland on the map as a quirky tourist destination.
9. Hadaka Matsuri (Japan)
Imagine thousands of nearly naked men, clad only in loincloths, jostling and shoving in the cold night air. This is not a fever dream, but the reality of Hadaka Matsuri, or the “Naked Festival,” held annually in various locations across Japan. The most famous iteration takes place at Saidaji Temple in Okayama, where participants brave the winter chill in pursuit of divine fortune.
Origin: The festival’s roots trace back over 500 years, originally held to ward off evil spirits and pray for good harvests.
How it’s celebrated:
- Participants, called “naked men” (hadaka), wear only a fundoshi (loincloth).
- At the climax of the event, sacred sticks called shingi are thrown into the crowd.
- The men compete to catch these sticks, believing that doing so will bring a year of good luck.
Interesting fact: Despite its name, participants are not completely naked, and in recent years, women have been allowed to participate in some versions of the festival, albeit fully clothed.
10. Buso Festival (Hungary)
In the town of Mohács, Hungary, winter’s end is marked not by the gentle arrival of spring, but by a raucous parade of horned monsters. The Busójárás, or Buso Festival, is a Carnival celebration that turns the streets into a playground for folkloric creatures, smoke, noise, and revelry.
Origin: The festival has its roots in a legend about the local Sokci people scaring away Ottoman invaders by dressing up in frightening masks.
How it’s celebrated:
- Men wear wooden masks and woolly cloaks, transforming into the frightening but amusing ‘Busós.
- Large groups parade through the town, making noise with wooden noisemakers and rattles.
- The festival culminates in the burning of a coffin symbolizing winter.
Interesting fact: The festival has been recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
11. Up Helly Aa Fire Festival (Scotland)
On the Shetland Islands, as winter’s grip holds firm, a fiery spectacle illuminates the night sky. Up Helly Aa is Europe’s largest fire festival, a celebration of Shetland’s Viking heritage that transforms the streets of Lerwick into a sea of torches and culminates in the dramatic burning of a replica Viking longship.
Origin: The festival evolved from the older yule tradition of tar barreling, which was banned in the 1830s. The modern Up Helly Aa began in the 1880s.
How it’s celebrated:
- The day begins with a march of the Jarl Squad, led by the Guizer Jarl, the chief guizer.
- As night falls, nearly 1,000 guizers carrying torches form a procession through the town.
- The procession ends at a replica Viking longship, which is set aflame.
- The night continues with parties and performances in halls around the town.
Interesting fact: Preparations for each year’s festival begin immediately after the current one ends, with the construction of the galley and the making of the costumes taking many months.
12. Songkran Water Festival (Thailand)
As the scorching heat of April descends upon Thailand, the entire nation erupts into the world’s biggest water fight. Songkran, the Thai New Year celebration, transforms streets into watery battlegrounds where everyone is fair game, from children to elders, locals to tourists. This joyous drenching is more than just fun – it’s a symbolic washing away of the old year’s misfortunes.
Origin: Songkran has its roots in the traditional New Year celebrations of Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries.
How it’s celebrated:
- People roam the streets with water guns, buckets, and hoses, dousing anyone in sight.
- Pickup trucks filled with revelers and water barrels cruise the streets, spraying water.
- In addition to water fights, people visit temples, pour water over Buddha statues, and pay respects to elders.
Interesting fact: While the water throwing lasts for days in some places, the official holiday is usually three days long.
13. Naki Sumo Baby Crying Festival (Japan)
In a sumo ring in Japan, two unlikely competitors face off – not seasoned wrestlers, but babies. The Naki Sumo Baby Crying Festival is a 400-year-old tradition where infants are encouraged to wail, not for distress, but for good health and fortune. It’s a spectacle that turns the usually unwelcome sound of a crying baby into a celebrated event.
Origin: The tradition began in the 17th century, based on the belief that a baby’s loud cry will ward off evil spirits and ensure good health.
How it’s celebrated:
- Sumo wrestlers hold babies up in the air, trying to make them cry.
- If the babies don’t cry naturally, priests will attempt to scare them by wearing masks or making loud noises.
- The baby who cries first or loudest is declared the winner.
Interesting fact: Parents often travel long distances to have their babies participate, believing it will bring them good luck and health.
14. Dia de los Muertos (Mexico)
In a vibrant celebration that laughs in the face of death, Mexico’s Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) turns mourning into a colorful, joyous affair. This festival is a time when the veil between the world of the living and the dead is believed to be at its thinnest, allowing departed loved ones to return and celebrate with their families.
Origin: The festival has its roots in indigenous Aztec rituals blended with Catholic traditions brought by Spanish conquistadors.
How it’s celebrated:
- Families create ofrendas (altars) with photos of deceased loved ones, their favorite foods, and marigolds.
- People visit cemeteries to clean and decorate graves, often spending the night there.
- Parades feature people dressed as skeletons and wearing elaborate skull makeup (calaveras).
Interesting fact: In 2008, UNESCO added Dia de los Muertos to its list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
15. Krampusnacht (Austria)
While much of the world associates December with jolly old Saint Nicholas, in parts of Central Europe, a much darker figure lurks in the winter shadows. Krampusnacht, or Krampus Night, celebrates the mythical horned beast known as Krampus, St. Nicholas’ demonic counterpart who punishes misbehaving children.
Origin: Krampus has his roots in pre-Christian Alpine traditions, later incorporated into Christian winter celebrations.
How it’s celebrated:
- People dress up as Krampus, wearing fur suits, horns, and frightening masks.
- Krampus runs, or parades, take place where these costumed figures roam the streets, playfully scaring onlookers.
- Some towns hold Krampus balls, where people can admire the often elaborate costumes up close.
Interesting fact: While traditionally a Central European custom, Krampusnacht celebrations have gained popularity in other parts of the world in recent years.
16. Holi Festival (India)
In a spectacular explosion of color, the Holi festival paints towns and cities across India and beyond in a rainbow of hues. Known as the Festival of Colors, Holi is a joyous celebration of the arrival of spring, the triumph of good over evil, and a time to mend broken relationships.
Origin: Holi has its roots in various Hindu legends, particularly the story of Prahlad and Holika.
How it’s celebrated:
- People throw colored powder and water at each other, drenching everyone in vibrant hues.
- Bonfires are lit the night before Holi to commemorate the burning of Holika.
- Traditional sweets and drinks, including bhang (a cannabis-infused drink), are consumed.
Interesting fact: While Holi is primarily a Hindu festival, it has become popular worldwide and is celebrated by people of many different faiths.
17. Burning Man (USA)
In the harsh, unforgiving landscape of Nevada’s Black Rock Desert, a temporary city rises from the dust each year, creating a surreal world of art, self-expression, and communal living. Burning Man is not just a festival; it’s an experiment in community, art, radical self-reliance, and self-expression.
Origin: Burning Man began in 1986 on a San Francisco beach when Larry Harvey and Jerry James burned a wooden figure as a spontaneous act of artistic expression.
How it’s celebrated:
- Participants (called “Burners”) create a temporary city in the desert, complete with art installations, theme camps, and mutant vehicles.
- The event culminates in the burning of a large wooden effigy (“The Man”) on Saturday night.
- The festival operates on a gift economy, where money is not used for transactions between participants.
Interesting fact: Burning Man has its own set of 10 principles, including “leave no trace” – the entire city is dismantled and the desert returned to its original state at the end of the event.
18. Oktoberfest (Germany)
When autumn leaves begin to fall in Munich, the world’s largest folk festival springs to life. Oktoberfest is a 16-18 day extravaganza of beer, traditional Bavarian food, and merry-making that draws millions of visitors from around the globe. It’s a celebration where lederhosen and dirndls are the height of fashion, and the clink of massive beer steins provides the festival’s soundtrack.
Origin: Oktoberfest began in 1810 as a celebration of the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig (later King Ludwig I) to Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen.
How it’s celebrated:
- Massive beer tents are set up, each operated by one of Munich’s breweries.
- Traditional Bavarian food like pretzels, sausages, and roast chicken is served.
- Parades, carnival rides, and games add to the festive atmosphere.
Interesting fact: Despite its name, most of Oktoberfest actually takes place in September, ending on the first Sunday in October.
19. Cooper’s Hill Cheese Rolling (England)
On a steep hill in Gloucestershire, England, an unusual race takes place each spring that pits humans against a wheel of cheese in a death-defying tumble to the bottom. The Cooper’s Hill Cheese Rolling and Wake is a festival of courage, foolhardiness, and inexplicable devotion to an age-old tradition.
Origin: The exact origins are unclear, but the tradition is believed to have started in the early 19th century, possibly evolving from a requirement for maintaining grazing rights on the commons.
How it’s celebrated:
- A 9-pound round of Double Gloucester cheese is rolled from the top of the steep Cooper’s Hill.
- Competitors chase after the cheese, running, tumbling, and somersaulting down the hill.
- The first person to cross the finish line at the bottom wins the cheese.
Interesting fact: The cheese can reach speeds up to 70 mph, making it virtually impossible for runners to actually catch it. The first person to cross the finish line wins.
20. Yi Peng Lantern Festival (Thailand)
As night falls in Chiang Mai, Thailand, thousands of glowing lanterns rise into the sky, creating a breathtaking spectacle of light. The Yi Peng Lantern Festival transforms the night into a sea of floating fire, carrying with it the hopes, dreams, and wishes of those who release them.
Origin: Yi Peng is a Northern Thai festival that coincides with the ancient Loi Krathong festival, both of which have roots in Brahmin traditions.
How it’s celebrated:
- People release khom loi (sky lanterns) into the night sky.
- Temples are decorated with colorful hanging lanterns and flag decorations.
- Parades, fireworks, and the release of floating decorations (krathong) on rivers also take place.
Interesting fact: While the mass release of lanterns is a stunning sight, it has raised environmental concerns, leading to efforts to make the festival more eco-friendly in recent years.
Takeaway
In a world that often seems divided, these quirky festivals remind us of our shared humanity and the universal joy of celebration. They prove that no matter where we come from, we all have a little weirdness inside us – and sometimes, that’s worth celebrating. So next time you’re planning a trip, why not time it with one of these extraordinary events? You might just find yourself covered in tomatoes, chasing a cheese, or releasing a sky lantern, creating memories that’ll last a lifetime. After all, life’s too short for ordinary parties!
