Ever hooked up a bed for yourself in mid air to celebrate the crazy streak in you? Ever felt like wearing a mask and getting lost in the stream of similar looking people only to commit the craziest of crimes furtively? Don’t you sometimes feel like going back to the good old days of playing in the mud? Ever deliberately jumped over babies or better yet placed your babies on the street to be jumped over?All these questions might make me sound a little deranged and weird but these are just the beginning of a bucket full of experiences that the myriad of wacky festivals have in store for you all across the world.
Festivals are considered to be the high point of cultural panache and adventure. The best way to experience a completely new culture is to partake in its traditions and celebrations. “Being at festivals is like standing inside the mind of a culture as it dreams”, Lonely Planet. So you can literally breathe in the rich cultural heritage and have the best time of your life in the same go. Heed my advice, pack your bags and get yourself ready for one hell of a festive ride.
Keep reading to get yourself acquainted with the 10 craziest festivals of the world.
1. The International Highline Meeting Festival
Monte Piana, Italy
Now most festivals are celebrated with our feet on the ground but what sets this particular festival apart is its non-conformist nature. The festival celebrates the extreme sport of slack lining (not to be confused with tight rope walking) and the attendees (slackers) spend their time living and sleeping on ropes slung hundreds of meters up in the air, in the Italian Alps. More trivial pursuits include yoga, music jams and film screenings. It is held every year in the month of September. So be sure to hitch a ride to Monte Piana this September!
Photo Courtesy – boredpanda.com
2. Songkran Water Festival
Thailand
Songkran is the Thai way of celebrating the New Year. It is that time of the year when people shred away their inhibitions to start afresh. During this festival water is used as a symbol of rejuvenation and cleansing. Natives throw water on others to wash all the misfortunes and struggles in the previous year as well as to refresh everything for the brand new year. This festival takes place in the month of April. So head over to Thailand around the festival to beat the summer heat and get drenched in 3 exciting days of delight.
Photo Courtesy – Pendulo.org
3. Boryeong Mud Festival
South Korea
This could be referred to as the sexiest and the dirtiest festival. Mudslinging is not just a phrase anymore but an actual act of celebration. The mud that is used is actually beneficial for the skin, leaving it soft and supple after it’s washed off. This festival came into being when a South Korea cosmetics company developed a line of beauty products which featured mud from the Boryeong mud flats as the main ingredient. Since the company couldn’t be bothered to spend money on commercials, the Mud Festival was born so potential customers could feel the benefits of the special mud firsthand. This festival is sure to offer you the wild adventure you seek.
Photo Courtesy – darkroom.baltimoresun.com
4. Baby Jumping Fiesta
Spain
Spain plays host to some of the weirdest festivals but this is a notch above them all. This particular festival will make even the most apathetic minds curious. Anyone who has a newborn addition to their family can bring their baby along to this festival to be jumped over. Known as the El Colacho, this Spaniard tradition has taken place on an annual basis since way back in the 1620’s.
Photo Courtesy – boredpanda.com
5. Saidai-ji Eyo Hadaka Matsuri
Japan
Not much can prepare you for seeing 9,000 near naked men fight over a 20cm-long stick, but that’s the aim at Saidai-ji Eyo Hadaka Matsuri. A priest tosses two sacred shingi sticks into the heaving mass at midnight and whoever catches, snatches and, ultimately, stuffs the sticks into a box of heaped rice will be blessed with a year of happiness, plus some aching limbs in the morning.
Photo Courtesy – bucketlistmap.com
Photo Courtesy – breathofwisdom.com
6. Dia de los muertos (Day of the Dead)
Mexico (or Mehiko?)
This is like the Mexican way of celebrating Halloween except that this particular version of it is a bit more interesting, considering that almost the entire population takes to the street dressed up as skeletons, wearing ostentatious costumes. The tradition involves remembering and honoring the dead by building private alters called ‘Ofrendas’ and offering gifts like sugar skulls, Marigolds and the favourite food and beverage of the departed. The festival takes place on the first day of the 11th month that is on the 1st of November.
Photo Courtesy – imgbuddy.com
7. White Nights Festival
St. Petersburg, Russia
The budding and professional artists and art connoisseurs are in for a real treat when it comes to this particular festival. The White Nights Festival is an annual international arts festival during the season of the midnight sun. It consists of a series of classical ballet, opera and music events and includes performances by Russian dancers, singers, musicians and actors, as well as famous international guest stars. The beautiful Scarlet Sails celebration is the culmination of the White Nights season, the largest public event anywhere in Russia with the annual estimated attendance of about 1 million people, most of whom are students from thousands of schools and colleges, both local and international.
Photo Courtesy – eltech.ru
8. Harbin Ice and Snow Festival
China
This festival indeed offers an incredible sight to behold. The phenomenal, life like snow sculptures depicting various objects – real and abstract , all lit up with LED lights warm the hearts and senses of their audience. The art works really make you hold the artists in high regard. The amount of hard work and creativity that goes into the making of these sculptures is surely something you don’t want to miss out on.
Photo Courtesy – boston.com
9. Carnival of Venice
Venice (obvious)
This is the festival of intrigue and secrets, of clandestine meetings and rendezvous. The tradition of this carnival dates back to over 900 years. It is the one time during the year when there is no hesitation or deliberation. Everybody is free to do things they’ve desired all year without any guilt thanks to the masks. During the carnival, Venice comes alive with masked Venetians and tourists. Bands, jugglers and entertainers are everywhere and the canals are full of colourful boats while the nights are full of parties and masked balls. It is as if the fairy tale of your dreams has come alive.
Photo Courtesy – myrome.me
10. La Tomatina
Zindagi Na Mile…..no Spain. We meant Spain.
This festival might hurt the feeling of environmentalists and the various other people whom the idea of throwing crushed tomatoes on to one another doesn’t sound like a very appealing act considering the high percentage of famine, poverty and starvation all across the globe. But the fun, the dancing, the total feeling of crazy youthfulness can’t be denied. People can be seen sliding down the tomato streaked slides having the time of their lives. The unbridled use of tomatoes in this festival in a good or a bad way is what puts it in the list of the craziest festivals.
