Six Sensationally Strange Celebrations From Around the World
Travelers are inherently fascinated with the unusual. We willfully seek it out by opening ourselves to foreign cultures and customs, getting lost in exotic places, and chasing adventure wherever it runs. We ultimately learn that the superficially unfamiliar is actually familiar, that common values such as family and celebration are shared across all cultures in some form. With this in mind, let’s take a look at some wonderfully weird festivities held across the globe:
Holi Festival of Colors - India
Image courtesy of M. Raghu (http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrprao/1499871399/)
The Holi Festival of Colors is a traditional Hindu holiday celebrated in several countries. Rooted in Hindu mythology, Holi is an exuberant celebration of the triumph of good over evil. The festivities take place over two days, generally in February or March based on the Hindu calendar. The first night kicks off with a towering bonfire of logs and dried brush, symbolizing the burning of the demoness Holika. On the second day, known as Dhuleti, the color free-for-all begins! People of all ages congregate in the streets in a playful melee of sprayed multicolored dyes, Bollywood singalongs, gift exchanges, and family get-togethers to celebrate the coming Spring and victory over evil.
Boryeong Mud Festival - South Korea
Image courtesy of hojusaram (http://www.flickr.com/photos/hojusaram/901208760/)
Get your “dirty” on at the 12th annual Mud Festival in Boryeong South Korea. For a full wild week in July, the hygienically- carefree can enjoy mud skiing, mud arts & crafts, and mud soccer on the fashionably mucky Dacheon beach. While the event is only 12 years old, it has attracted upwards of 1.5 million tourists in the last few years. Mud from Dacheon beach is exceptionally rich in minerals and has been used in several cosmetic products. A raucous jubilee that’s great for your skin too? Count me in!
Songkran Festival - Thailand
Image courtesy of recovering continues in garycycles2 (http://www.flickr.com/photos/recoverling/2438267175/)
Skip the shower post-Mudfest because you’re bound to clean off during Songkran Festival. Over the years, this traditional Thai New Year celebration has transformed from ceremonial sprinklings into the world’s largest water fight. Anyone brave enough to venture intro the streets during this H2O holiday is a fair target for garden hose drenchings and water balloon barrages. Definitely bring a towel.
Festival of the Pig - France
Image courtesy of www.tongs.org.uk (http://www.tongs.org.uk/)
Every year, France honors one of Earth’s most noble and misunderstood creatures during La Pourcailhade, the Festival of the Pig. The festival takes place mid August in the small town of Trie Sur Baise, which was once France’s largest pig market. Festivities include piglet games for children and general pigging out in a rather ironic feast, but the main attraction here is the annual Pig Squealing Competition. Skilled contestants hog the limelight while imitating the squeals of birth, death and other major events in a pig’s life. A hilarious and poignant celebration sure to cure that late summer “boar-dom”.
Night of the Radishes - Mexico
While the name might sound like a vegetarian horror movie, this intriguing festival is actually a Mexican pre-Christmas celebration. Every December 23rd, thousands gather on the main plaza of Oaxaca, Mexico to witness the creations of master veggie-artisans who carve elaborate figurines of saints and nativity scenes, entirely out of radishes! Prizes are awarded to the best sculptures, Mexican baked sweets are consumed, and the whole night is capped off by a dazzling fireworks display.
Hokitika Wildfoods Festival - New Zealand
The weak-stomached need not apply at this next festival, held every March in Hokitika, New Zealand. At the Wildfoods Festival, chefs and mad scientists alike challenge the definition of “food” as they unveil creative new cuisines such as wasp larvae icecream and cucumber fish. What’s more remarkable is that hungry tourists all over the globe flock to Wildfoods fest and actual pay for these eccentric edibles, over 22,500 people in 2003 alone! This freaky feast also poses an interesting question to all the vino experts: What kind of wine goes with smoked eel and worm truffles?
Further Reading
If you happen to be interested in more information on these amazing celebrations, please check out following links:
Tags: asia, bizarre, celebrations, europe, festivals, odd, travel
June 23rd, 2009 at 4:06 am
[...] a year ago we wrote about strange celebrations from around the world. Now it’s time to add to that [...]