)
)
Think you’ve seen it all when it comes to festivals? Think again. Around the globe, people gather every year to take part in celebrations that are anything but ordinary. From worshipping quirky symbols and staging outrageous competitions to covering entire towns in food fights, these events break every rule of what we usually think a festival should be.
Some are rooted in ancient traditions, others are playful modern inventions, but all of them capture the wild imagination and unique spirit of the communities that host them. Strange, funny, and sometimes downright shocking, these festivals prove that when it comes to celebrating life, human creativity truly knows no limits.
Here are the 16 strangest festivals.
1. La Tomatina - Spain
Perhaps one of the most famous "strange" festivals, La Tomatina transforms the small Spanish town of Buñol into a battlefield of overripe tomatoes. Over 20,000 participants engage in the world's largest food fight, hurling approximately 150,000 tomatoes at each other. The festival began in 1945, possibly starting from a food fight among friends during a parade. Today, it's a carefully orchestrated chaos with strict rules: tomatoes must be squashed before throwing to avoid injury, and participants must stop when the second cannon fires.
MUST READ: Top 10 countries with the largest prison populations in the world
2. Cheese Rolling Festival - England
Cheese Rolling Festival - England
At Cooper's Hill, participants chase a 9-pound wheel of Double Gloucester cheese down a steep, uneven hill with a 1:2 gradient. The first person to catch the cheese (which can reach speeds of 70 mph) wins it, but most participants end up tumbling head over heels in pursuit. The tradition dates back hundreds of years and attracts both locals and international daredevils despite the high risk of injury.
3. Wife Carrying Championship - Finland
Men race through an obstacle course while carrying a woman (not necessarily their wife) on their backs. The prize is the woman's weight in beer. The sport has specific rules about carrying techniques and penalties for dropping one's "wife". The tradition allegedly stems from the 19th century when men would steal women from neighbouring villages.
READ ALSO: 10 coldest places in the world you can visit
4. Baby Jumping Festival (El Colacho) - Spain
Men dressed as devils jump over babies born in the previous 12 months, who are laid on mattresses in the streets. This Catholic festival is believed to cleanse the babies of original sin and protect them from evil spirits. Despite its apparent danger, no injuries have been reported in the festival's 400-year history.
5. Monkey Buffet Festival - Thailand
READ MORE: 7 types of people who don’t really need to go to university
The ancient city of Lopburi hosts an elaborate feast for its resident monkey population, serving over 4,000 kilograms of fruits, vegetables, cakes, and candies arranged in towering displays. The festival honours the monkeys as descendants of Hanuman, the monkey deity, and attracts thousands of tourists who watch the primates feast in temples and on the streets.
6. Hadaka Matsuri (Naked Festival) - Japan
Thousands of nearly naked men (wearing only loincloths) compete to catch sacred wooden sticks thrown by priests. The festival involves purification rituals, including ice-cold water baths, and is believed to bring good luck to participants. The most famous version takes place at Saidaiji Temple in Okayama, where up to 9,000 men participate in the midnight scramble.
7. Boryeong Mud Festival – South Korea
READ THIS: 17 most beautiful towns and villages around the world
What started as a marketing campaign for cosmetic products made from Boryeong mud has become a massive celebration where participants cover themselves in mineral-rich mud. The festival features mud wrestling, mud slides, mud prisons, and even a mud marathon. The mud is trucked in from Boryeong flats and is said to have beneficial properties for skin health.
8. Kanamara Matsuri (Festival of the Steel Phallus) - Japan
This Shinto fertility festival celebrates the phallus as a symbol of fertility and protection against sexually transmitted diseases. The festival features giant phallus sculptures, phallus-shaped food, and a parade where participants carry enormous wooden and metal penises through the streets. Originally celebrated by prostitutes who prayed for protection from STDs, it now attracts families and tourists while raising money for HIV research.
9. Day of the Dead Pet Cemetery – Mexico
READ FURTHER: 20 animals that do not live in Africa
While Día de los Muertos is well-known, the pet cemetery celebrations add an unusual twist. Families decorate the graves of beloved pets with flowers, food, and toys, believing that the spirits of their animal companions return on this day. Some cemeteries host elaborate celebrations with mariachi bands playing for the deceased pets.
10. World Bog Snorkelling Championship - Wales (and now worldwide)
Competitors swim through a 60-yard trench cut through a peat bog, wearing snorkels and flippers but not using conventional swimming strokes. The murky, cold water provides zero visibility, and participants must navigate by feeling the trench walls. The sport has spread globally, with championships now held in Ireland, Australia, and South America.
12. Frozen Dead Guy Days - United States
CHECK THIS OUT: 12 High-Paying Jobs in Ghana You Can Do Without a University Degree
This festival celebrates Bredo Morstoel, a Norwegian man whose body has been cryogenically preserved in a Tuff Shed since 1993. The town turned the unusual situation into a three-day festival featuring coffin racing, frozen t-shirt contests, and tours of the shed where "Grandpa Bredo" is stored in dry ice.
13. Gerewol Festival - Niger/Chad
Wodaabe men compete in beauty contests, decorating themselves with elaborate makeup, jewellery, and costumes to attract wives. The festival includes dancing, where men roll their eyes and bare their teeth to show off their beauty. Women judge the competitions and can choose new husbands, even if they're already married.
14. Timkat Water Festival - Ethiopia
Ethiopian Orthodox Christians celebrate Epiphany by recreating Christ's baptism. Priests carry replica Arks of the Covenant in processions, and thousands of believers jump into bodies of water or are doused by priests. The festival combines religious devotion with exuberant water fights that can last for hours.
READ: ‘I’m not impressed with Otto Addo’s performance’ – Kofi Adams fires
15. Tunarama Festival - Australia
The highlight of this festival is tuna throwing, where participants hurl frozen yellowfin tuna as far as possible. The sport requires special technique since the fish can weigh up to 20 pounds. The festival also features tuna boat racing and celebrates the region's fishing industry in the most unusual way possible.
16. Camel Cup - Australia
This "Melbourne Cup of the Outback" features camel racing with human jockeys. The unpredictable nature of camels makes for entertaining races where riders frequently fall off, camels run in the wrong direction, or simply refuse to race at all. The festival includes camel beauty contests and celebrates the animals that were crucial to Australia's desert exploration.