From the Baby Jumping Festival in Spain to the Cheese Rolling event in the UK, various countries worldwide have diverse ways of celebrating their culture and traditions. These ten weird traditions and festivals from different countries signify the richness of cultures and diversity of the world. Celebrations like La Tomatina in Spain or the Monkey Buffet Festival in Thailand may seem unconventional to outsiders but hold significant importance to locals. Similarly, festivals like the Day of the Dead in Mexico and Thaipusam in Malaysia are colorfully celebrated every year to honor their deceased loved ones and show devotion to their faith, respectively.
10 Weird Traditions and Festivals Observed in Different Countries
Many countries around the world have their unique ways of celebrating their culture and traditions. While some of these traditions may seem unusual to outsiders, they hold a significant meaning to the locals. Here are ten of the weirdest traditions and festivals observed in different countries worldwide.
1. La Tomatina, Spain
La Tomatina is a festival held every year in the town of Buñol, Spain. People flock to this town, armed with ripe tomatoes, and engage in a tomato fight that lasts for an hour. The festival occurs every year during the last Wednesday of August, and it usually attracts up to 50,000 people from all over the world.
2. Day of the Dead, Mexico
The Day of the Dead is an annual festival that takes place in Mexico every November. During this festival, people honor their deceased loved ones by building altars, lighting candles, and preparing their favorite foods. It is a colorful event marked by skull makeup and costumes, parades, and intricate paper-mache decorations.
3. Baby Jumping, Spain
The El Colacho festival, also known as the Baby Jumping Festival, is a centuries-old tradition held in the village of Castrillo de Murcia in Spain. During this event, men dressed in devil costumes jump over rows of babies lying on the streets. The festival is believed to cleanse the babies of sin and bring good luck and health to their families.
4. Kanamara Matsuri, Japan
Kanamara Matsuri, also known as the Festival of the Steel Phallus, is held in Kawasaki, Japan. The event celebrates fertility and is centered around a shrine that features a massive steel phallus. During the festival, visitors purchase traditional candy and souvenirs shaped like penises, and giant phalli are paraded through the streets.
5. Cheese Rolling, UK
The Cooper’s Hill Cheese Roll is an annual event held in Gloucester, England. During this event, participants race down a steep hill, chasing after a 9-pound wheel of cheese. The first person to cross the finish line wins the cheese.
6. Monkey Buffet Festival, Thailand
The Monkey Buffet Festival is held annually in Lopburi, Thailand, to honor the monkeys that inhabit the town. During the festival, locals serve over five tons of fruits, vegetables, and sweets to the monkeys, who roam around freely.
7. Boryeong Mud Festival, South Korea
The Boryeong Mud Festival is held every July in South Korea, where tourists and locals gather to enjoy a week-long celebration involving mud wrestling, mud sliding, and other muddy activities.
8. Underwater Music Festival, USA
The Underwater Music Festival is held every July in Florida Keys, USA, where divers and snorkelers listen to music played by an underwater orchestra. The event is meant to promote environmental conservation and is attended by over 600 participants every year.
9. Thaipusam, Malaysia
Thaipusam is an annual Hindu festival held in Malaysia, where devotees pierce their bodies with hooks, skewers, and other sharp objects. The festival is a form of penance, and the act of piercing oneself is believed to show devotion and faith.
10. La Diablada, Bolivia
La Diablada is a festival held annually in Oruro, Bolivia, where participants dress up in devil costumes and dance through the streets. The event has been recognized by UNESCO as a masterpiece of the oral and intangible heritage of humanity.
In conclusion, these ten weird traditions and festivals from different countries demonstrate the rich cultures and diversity of the world. From tomato fights to underwater music festivals, these events showcase how different cultural traditions can be both unique and exciting.