Unusual Festivals From Around the World
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This year our calendar takes a look at the unusual festivals taking place all over the world. There are a vast range of festivals, here is some more information on the festivals we have picked out for our 2010 calendar.
The Tunarama Festival
Port Lincoln, Australia
The top bill event at this festival is the World Champion Tuna Toss Competition where contestants hammer throw a large tuna as far as they can. The world record for this event is 37.23 meters set in 1998 by ex Olympic Hammer Thrower, Sean Carlin.
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Tapati Festival
Easter Island
Haka pei is one of the main sporting events at the Tapati Festival. It involves sliding down a steep hill on the trunk of a banana tree wearing little more than a hami (loin cloth) and body paint. This suicidal competition must be seen to be believed!
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National Elephant Day
Thailand
Elephants are recognised as the national animal of Thailand. To celebrate national elephant day the elephants at the Maesa elephant camp in Chiang Mai province are treated to a feast of banana trees, sugarcane and fruit during a feeding ceremony.
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Songkran Water Festival
Thailand
People roam the streets with containers of water, water pistols or hoses and drench each other and passers by. This, however, was not always the main activity of this festival it is a time to reflect on life and spend time with family and friends.
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Cheese Rolling
Gloucestershire, UK
“One to be ready!”, “Two to be steady!”, “Three to prepare!”, “and four to be off!” shouts from the Master of Ceremonies who starts the competition. Contestants then hurl themselves down the incredibly steep Cooper’s Hill after a 7-8lb Double Gloucester Cheese.
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The Baby Jumping Colacho Festival
Castrillo de Murcia, Spain
The babies are laid on the ground in swaddling clothes and grown men, dressed as devils, jump over the infants and this is supposed to cleanse them of all evil.
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Wife Carrying World Championships
Sonkajärvi, Finland
The aim of this competition is to carry your wife over an obstacle course in the quickest time possible. The winner receives the equivalent of the wife’s weight in beer, a bag full of wife carrying products and a statue with wife carrying motif.
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Pourcailhade (The Pig Festival)
Trie Sur Baïse, France
The cry of the pig is the top event at this festival; contestants have to literally cry like a pig, the most realistic wins. This is a family festival with lots of activities like sausage eating competitions, variety shows and lots of children’s activities.
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World Gurning Championships
Cumbria, UK
The competition consists of people making grotesque faces while sticking their heads through a horse's collar. The winner is the person receiving the largest amount of applause from the audience.
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Oktoberfest
Munich, Germany
Today, the Oktoberfest is the largest festival in the world, with an international flavour characteristic of the 21st century: some 6 million visitors from all around the world converge on the Oktoberfest each year.
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Monkey Buffet Festival
Lopburi, Thailand
At this unusual festival, monkeys are invited to eat fruits and vegetables during an annual feast held in honour of Rama, a hero of the Ramayana, who, it is said, rewarded his friend, Hanuman the Monkey King, with the freedom of what is now Lopburi.
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Noche de Rábanos (Night of the Radishes)
Mexico
This tradition dates back to colonial times, when missionaries taught natives how to cultivate radishes, which reached extraordinary proportions. A great exhibition of figures made of radishes is on display, much to the delight of the crowd.
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Camel Wrestling
Turkey
Camel wrestling in an unusual sport to put it mildly, most of the time the camels will run away, butt heads a little, or maybe even nothing at all. The fun in Camel Wrestling is waiting to see what happens next.
