Image by Albrecht Fietz from Pixabay
“Festivals promote diversity, they bring neighbors into dialogue, they increase creativity, they offer opportunities for civic pride, they improve our general psychological well-being. In short, they make cities better places to live.”
The exuberance of Festivals and Feasts transcends beyond religions. Have you ever wondered how enthralling it would be to live like a nomad and drive around the craziest festivals? How mesmerizing it would be to walk around the most beautiful corners of the world to be a part of Larger-than-life festivals. When it comes to the festival themes the sky is the limit in terms of most uncanny themes. The entire essence of festivals has been underrated and if planned and executed aptly festivals is competent of bringing the most notorious wars to an end no matter how old. To celebrate a festival is indeed living life to the fullest that too in an unusual manner. The Glastonbury Festival is fun, but there is no dearth of bizarre festivals that every person on this planet must experience at least once in a lifetime. Here take a sneak peek at the top 10 unusual festivals from around the world to fill your life with exotic diversity.
Busó Festival
Destination: Mohács, Hungary
Month: February
A six-day long carnival, The Busó festival is celebrated at Mohács (Southern Hungary) in February. At this festival, people wear frightening-looking costumes featuring big woolly cloaks and wooden masks. The multifaceted festival encompasses a children’s costume contest, an art display of the craftspeople and, the arrival of over 500 busós on the Danube in rowboats for a march alongside motorized fantasy vehicles or horse-drawn vehicles through the city. Intriguingly, the coffin burning part of this festival symbolizes winter on a bonfire amidst the music and feasts and marks the end of the winter.
Cheung Chau Bun Festival
Destination: Hong Kong
Month: May
The Cheung Chau Bun Festival is one of the weirdest yet iconic festivals of Hong Kong. Full of myths and traditions, this festival is set on the beautiful island of Cheung Chau wherein people gather to take a quick ride of the city in a tiny boat. The Bamboo Mountains are a prominent symbol of the festival. Covered with handmade buns, they are found near the Pak Tai Temple where most of the festivities are held.
Jumping Kids Fiesta
Destination: Spain
Month: June
Historians believe that Salto del Colacho or ‘Jump on the Colacho’ originated in the 1600s. On this festival day, a man (Colacho) dressed up as a Devil wears a colourful robe and a mask and runs through the city to terrorize locals with a whip in his hand. These localities hurl insults at Colacho in the return. However, this acts just as a warm-up activity and the main event is baby-jumping. In this event, whoever babies are born within the same year in Castrillo de Murcia town are placed on a mattress outside their houses on the floor. Thereafter, the man acting as Colacho who represents the devil jumps over the babies while the beholders cheer him on. This act is believed to cleanse the infants of their sins. Once a Colacho has jumped over them, infants are then blessed by the priest and showered in the petals of rose before being handed over back to their parents. Nevertheless, this controversial festival has been receiving a severe backlash from the topmost Catholic authorities.
Yorkshire Pudding Boat Race
Destination: Brawby, UK
Month: June
Simon Thackray of Shed in Brawby, near Malton, came up with the enthralling idea of watery madness named the Yorkshire Pudding Boat Race. He imagined sailing in a Yorkshire pudding boat in the river when he was at a local pub and a few waiters walked past with plates full of exotic Yorkshire puddings. However, amidst the starvation in many countries, this festival has been on the radar of social activists due to the unimaginable food wastages.
Festival of Mud
Destination: South Korea
Month: July
Spread throughout Daecheon Beach and downtown Boryeong, the festivities begin in the first half of the day, spectators are transported by bus to the sea, cautiously made with piles of mud transported from the place through mud pipes. The wide districts – some are free, some are paid- are full of mud pits, mud wells, mud pools, mud rubies and mud slums are amazing, all of which will make them look like mud statues from head to toe by the end of the day.
The Air Guitar World Championship
Destination: Finland
Month: August
The Air Guitar World Championship is celebrated in August in Oulu in Rotuaari Square. Designed to promote world peace, this festival witnesses Guitar players showcasing their guitar skills from all across the world. The entire sight of watching these guitarists play the guitar wearing the most creative costumes is a sight to behold.
La Pourcailhade (Pig Festival)
Destination: Trie-sur-Baïse, France
Month: August
Trie-sur-Baise, France’s largest pig farm, hosts the annual Pigcailhade Pig Festival. From 1975 this exciting festival is celebrated on 2nd Sunday in August. “La Confrérie du Cochon” organizes this festival that spans exhibitions, pig races, food competitions and many more different kinds of other competitions.
La Tomatina
Destination: Spain
Month: August
Reckoned as the craziest food war in the world, La Tomatina attracts over 40,000 tomato lovers each year to the small Mediterranean town of Buñol to indulge in tomatoes’ war.
After this, next week takes place big shows, fireworks and fireworks cooking paella.
The Feast of the Monkey Lopburi
Destination: Thailand
Month: November
The Lopburi Monkey Banquet Festival is held for monkeys. Starting at 10.00 AM, tables displaying desserts, soft drinks and drinks will be placed in the temple’s courtyard. Thousands of monkeys then flock to relish the variety of meals. Tourists are delighted to feed the monkeys while treasuring the compassionate sight while clicking photos with monkeys and indulging in playful banter with them.
Krampusnacht
Destination: Germany
Month: December
The Austrians do have a different take when celebrating Christmas in the form of “Krampusnacht”. This goat-like mythical demon was responsible for classicizing children who were notorious and hence were deemed undeserving of a Santa’s visit. This festival takes the legacy of Krampus forward wherein a demon-possessed animal of conflicting origins travels throughout Central Europe at the end of the year. Conventionally in stories, children would place their footwear outside the door on Krampusnacht. Saint Nicholas would leave them presents or candies if they have displayed good behaviour. If they have displayed bad behaviour, Krampus would leave coal or sticks.
Why festivals are celebrated?
Man is a social animal; hence, the entire notion of seeking relatability and companionship has been embedded in him. Right from honouring someone to taking forward the religious legacy, from celebrating victories to imparting a glimpse of a community’s culture, festivals come in myriad forms. Exploring a festival is indeed the best way to gain insights into the social, economic, customs, values and cultural aspects of a specific country, city or community. Festivals also do play a pivotal role in creating employment opportunities by attracting tourists thereby skyrocketing the local economy. You would be surprised to know that at Irish Fair in 2011, visitors ended up splurging an average of $38 on food and beverages and $170 on lodging alone while attending the festival.
The Bottom Line
If you no longer resonate with the monotonous travels, it is time to take a break from your hectic schedule and pack your bags to be a part of these amazingly crazy festivals filled with amusement, food, dance, music and beyond to ultimately treasure lasting memories and experience.
“Each year, every city in the world that can have a multiday festival. More people meeting each other, digging new types of music, new foods, new ideas. You want to stop having so many wars? This could be a step in the right direction.”
Have you been a part of any crazy festival yet? If yes then do share in the comment.
