Ever thought making a baby cry, wrestling with your toe or even chasing after cheese would become a widely celebrated festival? Think again! Some annual events are born from traditional customs or religious rituals, whereas, others emerge from social media trends or even out of sheer boredom. Check out our top 7 for the most unusual, unique festivals from around the world that you never thought existed and make sure to add them to your itinerary if you’re in the city around that time of year.
Boryeong Mud Festival, South Korea
Get ready to splash some mud at Boryeong Mud Festival. Situated 200 kilometres from Seoul, the village of Boryeong is widely popular for its mud cosmetics. What began as marketing even in 1998 later turned into a renowned festival drawing in millions of visitors every year. While immersing yourself in mud can seem a bit odd, Boryeong’s mud stands out for its rich natural minerals and nutrients that have incredible benefits for the skin known worldwide. The annual festival held in July runs ten days straight housing a series of activities that will get you drenched in the mud such as mud pools, mudslides and mud skiing along with an array of makeover and massage facilities as well.
World El Colacho, Spain
Baby Jumping Festival falls right up your alley among the top unusual festivals around the world. The festival takes place annually to celebrate the Catholic feast of Corpus Christi. During the El Salto del Colacho (Devil’s Jump), men dressed as the Devil wear red and yellow suits holding whips and oversized castanets to jump over babies who lie on the mattresses in the street. The 1600s cultural festival is believed to ward off evil spirits, ensuring a safe passage through life. Though it was originally only a local custom, people from around the region have started bringing their babies to be blessed in this unusual ritual in recent years.
Battle of the Oranges, Ivrea
Make your way to the UNESCO-listed Italian town of Ivera to witness a citrus battlefield where participants shoot 600,000 kgs of oranges at one another celebrating Shrove Tuesday - the city’s popular historic carnival. The battle aims at recreating the 12th-century combat between the locals and the Royal Napoleonic troops. The teams of aranceri on foot hurl oranges against aranceri riding in carts. This symbolic festival held in Italy marks one of the biggest food fights in the country, making its way to the top among the list of unusual festivals held around the world.
Cheung Chau Bun Festival , Hong Kong
The Bun Festival is the biggest and busiest event in Cheung Chau. What originally started as a celebration for the end of the plague on the island has transformed into one of the popular cultural events today. The festival runs for almost a week housing a vibrant yet traditional parade along with the famous Bun Scrambling Competition - where the participants conquer a massive 60-feet bamboo tower covered with buns, trying to grab as many buns as possible. Record state that Kwok Kam Kee - the official bun supplier for the event makes more than 60,000 buns that are scaled by three trained men.
Water Gun Festival, South Korea
The Water Gun Festival in the Sinchon district of Seoul, South Korea will take your summer spirits to a whole new level. The festival that originated with the purpose to beat the heat has now transformed into one of the most popular summer festivals in the city! Participants get to engage in a series of water battle activities along with witnessing an array of special events including power-packed music performances, street dancing and lots more making it the ultimate place to visit with your family and friends to party the hot summer away.
Lopburi Monkey Banquet, Thailand
Head down to experience the money madness at Lopburi Monkey Banquet, also known as Monkey Buffet Festival. With the aim to bring good luck to the area and its people, the Lopburi Province north of Bangkok prepares a grand feat comprising 4,000 kilograms of fruits, vegetables, cakes and candies that feed close to 2,000-3,000 macaque monkeys every year. The festival first occurred in 1989, run by a local businessman who thought of this unique way to pay gratitude to monkeys and also bring in tourism - luckily for him and the monkeys, it worked!
Up-Helly Aa, Scotland
Up-Helly Aa is a fire festival typically held every year between January to March among various communities in Shetland, Scotland that marks the end of the Yule season. Shetland boasts of its Norse connection and celebrates Viking culture by parading down the cobblestones, blazing torches held up high, as they make their way through the dark streets. The Festival that began in the 1880s draws thousands of locals and tourists alike to honour the rich heritage for the world to see.
