World's 10 weirdest festivals
World's 10 weirdest festivals
Moon Ye-bin
2010-10-31
Camel Wrestling Festival, Turkey
https://teakdoor.com/images/imported/2010/10/1229.jpgCamel wrestling is an unusual sport held every year in Selcuk, Turkey. Selcuk is the central town of Izmir Province in Turkey, northeast of Ephesus. Camel wrestling is a sport in which two male camels wrestle in response to a female camel in heat being led before them. The best time to visit camel wrestling event is during December and January, because during winter the camels are in fervor. Camel Wrestling celebrates the tradition of the event rather than the seriousness of the competition.
The Baby Jumping Festival (El Colacho), Spain
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The Baby Jumping Festival is an annual festival meant to ward off devil. Jumper dresses as the Colacho, a character representing the devil. Then a man dressed as the devil leaps over infants lying on mattresses, this is believed to cleanse babies from all evil doings. The festival is held in Castillo de Murcia in Spain, which is near the province of Burgos. This event has been held since 1620 and the next event will be in June.
Burning Man Festival, USA
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The Burning Man festival is said to be unexplainable to those who haven’t seen it. Located in Black Rock Desert, Nevada, United states, the next event will be held from Aug. 29 – Sept. 5. According to the official festival site, there are no rules on how one should behave as Burning Man is an annual experiment in temporary community dedicated to radical self-expression and self-experiment. Visitors need to bring their own food, water and shelter in order to build your own world.
La Tomatina, Spain
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La Tomatina is a food fight festival held on the last Wednesday of August each year in the town of Bunol near Valencia in Spain. Named the “World’s Biggest Food Fight,” more than 100 metric tons of over-ripe tomatoes are thrown in the streets. The next festival will take place on 31 Aug. The tomato fights have been a strong tradition in Bunol since 1944 and 1945.
The Holi Festival, India
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The colorful Holi is a spring festival celebrated by Hindus throughout India. Said to be the most energetic Indian festival, people celebrate Holi by smearing each other with paint and throwing colored powder. On this day people hug and wish each other happy Holi in an atmosphere of great excitement. In 2011, this event will be held on March 20.
Water fights festival (Songkran), Thailand
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The water fights festival is held each year in Thailand. This is one of the most important celebrations for Thais, which celebrates Thailand’s New Year. On this event everyone is invited to join the celebration by throwing water balloons, buckets of water and shooting water pistols at anyone on the streets. The next festival will be held on April 14.
Roswell UFO Festival, USA
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Roswell UFO Festival is held in Roswell city, New Mexico in United States. This festival is to celebrate the long debated issue of whether the mysterious object found crashed on a ranch 50 kilometers north of Roswell during July 1947 is a flying saucer or a weather balloon. Roswell UFO festival welcomes any UFO enthusiasts or skeptics. The next festival will be held on July 1-3. Events include the costume contest, carnivals, fireworks and more.
Day of the Dead, Mexico
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Day of the Dead in Spanish is Dia de los Muertos. Day of the Dead is an event which celebrates the dead, held in Oaxaca in Mexico each year. The festival focuses on gathering family and friends to pray for close relatives who have already passed away. The celebration occurs on Nov. 2, which is a significant day as it connects with the catholic holiday of All Saints’ Day (Nov 1) and All Soul’s Day (Nov 2).
Ivrea Orange Festival, Italy
https://teakdoor.com/images/imported/2010/10/1237.jpg(Youtube)
Every year in the town of Ivrea, residents re-enact an ancient battle in medieval costume, armed only with oranges. Participants are divided in to nine different teams to battle against each other by throwing oranges. Participans are also fed with free beans to keep energy levels up. The next event will be held on March 3 –9.
Venice Carnival (Carnevale Venezia), Italy
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Carnival of Venice is an annual festival held in Venice, Italy. It started during 15th century as a time for celebration and expression throughout the classes by wearing masks that hid any hint of identity or social class. Today, approximately 30,000 visitors come to Venice each day for the carnival. The next festival will be held on Feb. 26- March 8.
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