Monkey Buffet or Throwing Tomatoes? 10 Unusual Festivals Celebrated Around the Globe You Won’t Believe
Welcome to the world’s wackiest calendar, where the ordinary is left at the door, and the bizarre is given a VIP pass! Imagine a year sprinkled with days where tomatoes fly, radishes become art, and cheese rolling could land you in the ER.
These aren’t your grandma’s bake sales or your typical Coachella; they’re a full-blown embrace of the weird, the wild, and the wonderfully eccentric. Buckle up, buttercup – we’re diving headfirst into the globe’s most unusual festivals. Who needs normal, anyway?
1. La Tomatina
La Tomatina is celebrated in Buñol, Spain, on the last Wednesday of August each year. This festival involves thousands of participants throwing overripe tomatoes at each other, purely for fun. It originated from a local food fight among youngsters in 1945 and has since become an internationally recognized event, drawing crowds from all over the world.
2. Monkey Buffet Festival
The Monkey Buffet Festival is held in Lopburi, Thailand, annually in late November. It features tables laden with fruits, vegetables, and sweets set out for the local monkey population. The event celebrates the monkeys’ positive impact on tourism and highlights human-animal coexistence, attracting tourists with its unique charm and unusual premise.
3. Battle of the Oranges
Taking place in Ivrea, Italy, the Battle of the Oranges is an annual event occurring in February during the Ivrea Carnival. Participants reenact a medieval battle for freedom by throwing oranges at each other. It symbolizes the town’s resistance against tyranny, evolving into one of Italy’s largest and messiest traditions.
4. Hadaka Matsuri
Hadaka Matsuri, or the Naked Festival, is celebrated in Okayama, Japan, on the third Saturday of February. Thousands of men wearing only loincloths brave the cold to participate in this 500-year-old tradition. They compete to grab a pair of lucky sacred sticks thrown by priests, believed to bring a year of happiness.
5. Night of the Radishes
The Night of the Radishes is an annual event in Oaxaca, Mexico, taking place on December 23rd. Artisans and amateurs carve elaborate scenes from radishes to compete for prizes. The tradition started in 1897 to attract customers to the Christmas market and has since become a significant draw for both locals and tourists.
6. Up Helly Aa
Up Helly Aa is a Viking fire festival celebrated in Lerwick, Shetland Islands, Scotland, on the last Tuesday of January. The event commemorates the islands’ Viking heritage, culminating in the torching of a Viking longship. It features a procession of costumed participants, led by the Guizer Jarl, and a night of revelry.
7. Kanamara Matsuri
Kanamara Matsuri, or the Festival of the Steel Phallus, takes place in Kawasaki, Japan, on the first Sunday of April. It celebrates fertility, marriage, and healthy childbirth, with origins in local legend. The festival is known for its phallus-shaped decorations, snacks, and parades, attracting a diverse crowd for both fun and spiritual blessings.
8. Cheese Rolling at Cooper’s Hill
The Cheese Rolling at Cooper’s Hill is an annual event near Gloucester, England, on the last Monday of May. Competitors chase a 9-pound wheel of Double Gloucester cheese down a steep hill, with the first person to cross the finish line winning the cheese. It’s a dangerous but thrilling race, steeped in local tradition.
9. Baby Jumping Festival (El Colacho)
El Colacho is celebrated in Castrillo de Murcia, Spain, during the Corpus Christi feast in June. It features men dressed as devils (“Colacho”) jumping over babies born in the previous twelve months. The tradition, dating back to 1620, is believed to cleanse the babies of original sin and protect them from evil spirits.
10. Burning Man
Burning Man takes place in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada, USA, during the week leading up to the American Labor Day in early September. It’s not just a festival but a community dedicated to art, self-expression, and self-reliance. Participants create a temporary city in the desert, culminating in the burning of a large wooden effigy.
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We are Mary and Eric, the founders of Be Right Back, a blog dedicated to romance around the globe and at home.
We are Mary and Eric, the founders of Be Right Back, a blog dedicated to romance around the globe and at home. With over 10 years of experience in dating and traveling to romantic places, we share our favorite date ideas and romantic destinations to help couples level up their relationships. Having lived in and traveled through the USA, we also share our favourite things to do in the States.
With 70,000 monthly readers and 16,000 followers on social media, Be Right Back is your go-to resource for romantic trip ideas and couple activities at home and abroad.