Festivals are a great way to celebrate and honor various aspects of different cultures. Some of these celebrations are the most unusual festivals.
The world has lots of celebrations of different things and some of those are extremely bizarre and unusual. You might find a festival that celebrates blueberries in North Carolina, or a museum that honors one of the most forgettable vice presidents in American history in Indiana.
Let’s take a journey around the globe and learn a little about some of the most unusual festivals from around the world.
Hokkai Heso Matsuri, Japan
The residents of the Furano area of Hokkaido created a unique and interesting festival that sounds a lot better in Japanese than in English. The name of this festival loosely translates to Belly Button Festival. The reason for this name is that Furano is the center of Hokkaido, much like the belly button is the center of our bodies. This festival takes place in July when dancers hit the streets with painted bodies and characters using their belly buttons as the mouth of their body-painted characters.
La Tomatina, Spain
What do you do with your overripe tomatoes? Most of us throw them out, but the residents of Bunol, Spain, have a much better idea. In one of the most unusual festivals in the world, this town gets together every August for the world’s largest food fight. Much of the food tossed at each other is overripe tomatoes. In Bunol, you don’t need a bad comedy act to have rotten tomatoes tossed at your head; all you need to do is attend La Tomatina in August.
Boryeong Mud Festival, South Korea
The summer months in this small town that’s south of Seoul are home to the Boryeong Mud Festival. If you’ve ever wanted to get dirty and spend your days playing in the mud, this is the perfect celebration for you. You can enjoy the mud pool, mud slides, mud prison, and mud skiing. There are competitions and activities with mud wrestling and mud fireworks. Everything about this festival has a mud theme, making it a fun time for you to get dirty and really enjoy what mud has to offer.
Jaffa Race, New Zealand
You might think people would race down the steepest street in the world, but this race has a bit of human safety in mind. In one of the most unusual festivals in the world, the Jaffa Race uses Baldwin Street in Dunedin, New Zealand, to race chocolates down the street. These chocolates are called Jaffa lollies and are candies donated by Cadbury’s. The money from the sale of these candies goes to several charity foundations, and the winner is called the “King of the Jaffa Race.”
Up Helly Aa, Scotland
Vikings conquered many areas of the world during their time, and one of the celebrations that celebrates the Vikings takes place in Scotland. Up Helly Aa is an annual Viking fire festival. Those in attendance dress up as Vikings and march through the streets carrying torches. The end of this festival takes place with the burning of a Viking longship; this symbolizes the end of the Yule season in Scotland. This could be a fun time for anyone looking for a great festival to enjoy in Scotland.
Naked Festival, Japan
The Naked Festival in Japan is actually called Hadaka Matsuri. This festival is celebrated in many Japanese cities, either in the summer or winter. The most popular place for this celebration is Saidai-ji Eyo Hadaka Matsuri, in Okayama, which is the birthplace of this festival more than 500 years ago. More than 9,000 men participate in one of the most unusual festivals in the world each year. The Naked Festival is celebrated in hopes of gaining luck for the entire year.
Popo Carnaval, Bonoua, Cote d’lvoire
The Ivory Coast hosts one of the largest festivals each year, called Popo Carnaval. This incredible celebration brings bright colors and amazing activities to the streets, giving attendees an amazing experience while celebrating the area with torchlight ceremonies and mask parades. You’ll see live theatre, burlesque shows, street dancing, and beauty contests. This is a wonderful celebration that’s held for two weeks every year to give participants a fun time and a great way to enjoy this amazing place that’s filled with incredible culture.
These are only a few of the most unusual festivals celebrated throughout the world. Will you choose to enjoy something a bit off the beaten path when it comes to your global festival celebration?
This post may contain affiliate links, meaning we may earn a commission if you make a purchase. There is no extra cost to you. We only promote products we believe in.
