The people of the world seriously do not need a reason to celebrate but again since we belong to the superior class of animals, may be which is the very reason why we have sought out a way to celebrate. The way is termed as Festivals. You do not need a reason to dance when you are being the part of a festival. The world sees its own share of festivals in the form of birthdays, anniversaries and some events that are really special to the whole community like some function of some special day. But the most interesting fact is that in order to celebrate in addition people have actually devised new festivals that occur may be for no reason but are reasons enough for people to celebrate. Here is a list of the top 10 most unusual festivals of the world.
1. La Tomatina Festival
This is a festival that has brought some special fame for the Spanish. The La Tomatina festival occurs on the last Wednesday of the month of August where in the city of Bunol, Valencia people throw tomatoes at each other. In an approximate calculation it has been seen that the festival more than 500000 people participate in the event. The festival is the honor of Saint Louis Bertrand and Virgin Mary. More than 80% of the people participating in the festival are expected of the people from foreign lands. The dress code is white for women and no shirt for men.
2. Cheese Rolling Festival
More than just being a festival, the event of Cheese Rolling is also a weird kind of a sport where in both men and women run down separately down a steep hill following a roll of cheese. The event is just for the adults and to speak of the wrong part of the event, it causes a lot of injuries. The event allows the locals to participate and it occurs in Gloucestershire, Great Britain. Children and teens take no part in the event.
3. Bonfires of Saint John
The bonfires of Saint John are one of the most popular festivals celebrated in the country of Spain from the dates of 19th June to 24th June. During the span of the festivals the local people sit around the bonfires sipping hot chocolate and the children play around. The festival is filled with different kinds of fireworks as well. During these bonfires, 86 girls are selected as queens to preside over the bonfires. All in all it is one of the weird festivals that the country of Spain harbors.
4. Goat Tossing Festival
This is another weird festival that belongs to Spain. This festival is named the goat tossing festival because of the fact that it includes the tossing of a goat from 50 feet high belfry of a church only with a chance of the goat being caught by the villagers on the trampoline that they hold below. The festival is followed on the fourth Sunday of the month of January. The festival takes place in the Spanish town of Manganeses de la Polvorosa in the honor of St Vincent de Paul, their patron saint. The festival has had its own share of protests from various agencies fighting for animal rights. But the game is still on.
5. Hadaka Matsuri
This is a weird Japanese festival in which all the adults go back to the form in which they lived the first few days of their lives. All the participants either go completely naked or wear some kind of loin clothes that barely hides anything. The festival occurs at various times of the year and in various locations and even separately for women, men and children. This festival has got a very deep religious link which is not talked about much in the recent times.
6. Festival of El Colacho
Here comes another feather to the crown that is virtually of Spain when it comes to holding weird festivals. According to this festival, all you need to do is lie down the babies born in the last 1 year on the mattresses and then weirdly dressed men jump over them to cleanse them of their sins. There is practically no basis of the festival but is still followed rigorously in the village of Castrillo de Murcia, Spain.
7. Fiesta De Santa Marta de Ribarteme
It is also a Spanish even that is also weird in all respects. The festival of El Colacho involves all the people who have survived death turn up in a church while carrying coffins or being carried in them. What follows then is a mass celebration in the church of Saint Marta de Ribarteme. The festival is also followed by some awesome fireworks and lights.
8. Goose Clubbing Festival
Probably this is kind of a baseball practice for the Germans where they club a goose until it dies with the heads torn apart. The festival has been protested by many leaders and animal rights agencies from all over the world. But this has not stopped the festival of some sorts. Now they use dead goose for the same event. The ultimate aim is tearing up the head of the goose.
9. Kanamara Matsuri
WE know that the Kamasutra teaches us about the sacred things of the genitals but in Kawasaki, Japan, people actually follow and worship a huge penis made up of steel. People give gifts and sweets in the shape of the genitals. People participate in this festival because they feel that this will protect them from all the sexually transmitted diseases. Literally all the prostitutes of Japan take part in this weird worshipping festival.
10. Thaipusam
This is the only weird festivals in name against India which has over 33 lakh Gods and Goddesses. The festival is celebrated among the Tamils were in they celebrate the birth of Murugan, the Son of Shiva and Parvati. The participants go bald and then do weird stuffs like hooking up sharp things and then pulling heavy objects with the hooks. The general belief is that the more you receive pain, the more blessings are what you will get.
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