Top 14 Strangest Festivals Worldwide

The wife-carrying festival in Finland is an annual event aimed at bringing laughter, flexibility, and strengthening the bonds of couples. This unique festival takes place on the first Saturday of July in the city of Sonkajarvi. In this event, guys will carry their wives or girlfriends together to overcome obstacles, and the couple that reaches the finish line first wins. People often say, 'Happy wife, happy life,' and in Sonkajarvi, Finland, they take it quite literally.

In this festival, men carry their partners on their shoulders and run a 253.5m course with various obstacles like uphill sandy paths, wooden fences, and wading through a 1m deep water pool. The carried woman must be at least 17 years old, weigh a minimum of 49kg, and if the weight is not met, a backpack is added. In some local stories, the festival originates from an ancient Finnish tradition of wife-stealing. When coming of age, young men would sneak into villages to kidnap a wife, carry her on their back, forcing the girl to leave her previous fiancé and marry them.

The most crucial element is the smooth coordination between the two participants. If the wife does not hold on tightly and shakes too much, it can affect the running speed. The fastest couple to reach the finish line becomes the champions, and the prize is a commemorative cup and a number of beers equal to the weight of the woman. Additionally, the wife-carrying festival has other enticing side awards such as the funniest couple, the fittest husband carrying a wife, the most stylishly dressed couple, and more...

When you hear the name of this festival, you probably think of Japan, right? Well, if you think this festival originates from Japan, you're absolutely correct (smile). However, the meaning of this festival, the Steel Phallus Festival, is not as the name suggests. The festival is organized to raise awareness of safe sex and raise funds for HIV/AIDS research and prevention activities. Every year, on the first Sunday of April, people flock to Kawasaki, Japan to participate in the Kanamara Matsuri, also known as the Steel Phallus Festival.

The locals parade a giant phallus symbol through the streets during the festival. Attendees can buy souvenirs or enjoy special dishes shaped like the cherished steel organ. The origin of this intriguing festival comes from a legend that a sharp-toothed demon hiding in the private parts of a sex worker bit off the phallus of two young men over two consecutive nights. The girl sought a blacksmith to forge a phallus made of steel to break the demon's teeth. However, the festival also has roots in a true historical event. In the 16th century, Kawasaki was full of red-light districts. Sex workers often visited the Kamanara shrine to pray for protection against sexually transmitted diseases. Eventually, others came to the shrine to seek fertility, praying for a fulfilled family life or successful childbirth. Gradually, the phallus symbol became a representation of a prosperous and thriving life.

Visitors to this festival will have the opportunity to indulge in many dishes shaped like phalluses and women's genitals made from chocolate, bananas, turnips, and more. The souvenir stalls sell pottery, keychains, T-shirts, necklaces, or even phallus-shaped glasses, all in high demand.

This festival originated in 1620, and for 400 years, every May or June, a man dressed as a devil will jump over babies in the town of Castrillo de Murcia, near Burgos, northern Spain. Locals believe that the babies will be cleansed of all sins and protected from evil spirits and illnesses if this man jumps over them. So, all babies born in the preceding 12 months are placed on mattresses throughout the town to welcome the jump over babies festival.

The potential danger lies with the babies, ever wondered if the Spanish have any concerns? Spaniards believe that jumping over newborns in a special festival will drive evil out of the infants' bodies.

This event is considered a commemoration of triumphing over evil. Before this jump over babies festival, people believed that evil and sin were overshadowing the entire town. Only when El Colacho had jumped over all the children, the evil was eradicated, and the children would live better lives after being jumped over. In the past centuries, there hasn't been any case of children getting hurt during the festival. However, El Colacho is still listed among the most dangerous festivals worldwide. The small village of Castrillo de Murcia, with only about 500 residents, is globally known for this quirky festival.

This chillingly named festival is called Shiva Gajan, a traditional, annual celebration in northeastern India. Shiva Gajan is held each year to honor the deity Shiva and marks the end of the year in the Bengali calendar. The main ceremony of this day involves macabre rituals, horrifying enough to startle the faint-hearted, such as impaling the body on stakes, piercing the tongue with steel or hooking steel into the skin… However, the most spine-chilling part of this festival involves the dead. They beat the graves of the deceased, lifting up the skulls for the descendants to 'admire'. Subsequently, they adorn the deceased's skulls with paint, wreaths, etc., and carry the dead's skull to join the festival.

On the day of Shiva Gajan, cemeteries in northeastern India are disrupted as families compete to dig up graves and bring the skulls of the deceased to the surface. At the end of the festival, they burial the skulls respectfully, waiting to dig them up again next year. For outsiders, this might seem truly macabre and an intrusion into the peaceful space of the departed, but for Hindus, it's a way to strengthen the bond between family members and ancestors, connecting them with the divine.

This is not the only place with such eerie festivals. On November 8th, thousands of people in Bolivia also brought skulls to the cemetery in the capital La Paz to participate in a unique festival, the Natitas festival. Bolivians call it the Natitas festival or the 'Day of the Skulls'. On this day, thousands of Bolivians bring boxes of skulls of the deceased (not related to their families) to the church in the cemetery in the capital La Paz to ask the spirits of the dead for health, luck, love, and wealth...

Mới nghe tên chắc các bạn sẽ cảm thấy thắc mắc "lễ hội ăn chay thôi mà, có gì kinh dị hay kì quặc ở đây?". Thât vậy, cái tên lễ hội ăn chay quả thực khá bình thường. Nếu các bạn đang tìm kiếm một lễ hội ăn chay theo đúng nghĩa đen thì có lẽ bạn sẽ không muốn đến đảo Phuket Thái Lan. Sự thật là ngay từ những ngày đầu tiên của lễ hội này du khách đã được chứng kiến những màn hành xác rùng rợn, những người tham gia hầu hết là đàn ông đủ mọi lứa tuổi. Sau khi nhịn ăn trong vài ngày, họ thực hiện các nghi thức hành xác với mục đích cầu may mắn, sức khỏe và an lành cho bản thân và gia đình.

Sử dụng những vật sắc nhọn như: dao, kim, búa, rìu...lần lượt xuyên qua mồm miệng trên mặt hoặc cơ thể. Những tín đồ được gọi là "lính" của phật tin tưởng rằng cơ thể càng chịu nhiều đau đớn thì họ sẽ càng thành công trong cuộc sống và sự nghiệp. Theo truyền thuyết, một đoàn kịch Trung Quốc khi tới Thái Lan đã mắc phải bệnh sốt rét. Vì căn bệnh vô phương cứu chữa vào thời kỳ đó nên đoàn kịch đã quyết định ăn chay và cầu nguyện 9 vị thần. Lời khẩn cầu linh ứng, họ khỏi bệnh và quyết định tổ chức lễ hội ăn chay nhằm ghi nhớ công lao của các vị thần năm xưa. Rất nhiều phụ nữ cũng tham gia vào trò chơi hành xác này. Người sùng đạo tin rằng càng chịu đựng được đau đớn, họ càng may mắn và thành công trong tương lai.

Theo quan niệm của các tín đồ Phật giáo, ăn chay là hành động cao cả thanh cao, còn những tập tục hành xác là để làm cơ thể, tâm hồn mình trong sạch hơn. Tuy nhiên mình cũng xin lưu ý là không phải tự dưng những màn hành xác này đã tồn tại từ những năm 1800 đến bây giờ. Chắc hẳn phải có những điều thú vị gì đó ẩn sau lễ hội này. Nếu có hứng thú các bạn hãy tự mình tìm hiểu sâu thêm nhé!

Hadaka Matsuri, a unique festival in Japan, where participants wear only a traditional loincloth called Fundoshi. This festival is held at various locations throughout Japan, either in winter or summer. This distinctive ritual has a long history, dating back 500 years, originating at the Saidaiji Temple. Initially, participants gathered in front of the temple gate, competing to catch a paper talisman thrown by a priest. However, due to the paper's fragility, it was replaced with a 20 cm long wooden stick called shingi. The main festival usually starts after the festival for elementary school students. Similarly, the main event involves boys competing for an object, but instead of shingi, it's a rice cake.

At 3:30 pm, the main festival begins. Men wear only Fundoshi, a white cloth loincloth, while women wear nothing, wrapping themselves in a white cloth, performing taiko drumming and immersing themselves in water. From 7 pm to 7:30 pm, people eagerly await the fireworks display. As the fireworks fade, men rush to the sacred stream near Saidaiji Temple. They parade around the temple, shouting: “Wasshoi! Wasshoi!”. Typically, about 9,000 people participate in this festival each year. The atmosphere is lively and vibrant. When night falls, all lights in the city are turned off, except for the lights at Saidaiji Temple. Shingi is thrown, and 9,000 men dive into the chaotic struggle for this sacred stick. The scene is incredibly lively, like a rugby match where all athletes are dressed very 'cool'. Whoever holds the shingi the longest and places it in a box called masu will encounter good luck throughout the year.

To get a panoramic view of the festival, tourists must buy seats at elevated positions, and the cost is not cheap. However, what they witness is well worth the money. The end of the competition usually involves throwing willow branches into the crowd. There are 100 willow branches thrown, and anyone who catches one will have good luck for the year.

This traditional festival was originally for the locals in Brockworth, but now thousands from all over come to observe and participate. First, a wheel of cheese is placed in a wooden crate atop a hill. As the competition begins, the master of ceremonies breaks open the crate, sending the cheese rolling down the hillside. Participants must figure out how to catch up and grab that piece of cheese. The winner takes the cheese home. This quirky festival has a tradition dating back nearly 200 years in England.

The Cheese Rolling Festival is one of the oldest traditions in the land of the Union Jack, celebrated to mark the arrival of spring across the country (where May is still quite chilly). On this unique day, a wheel of cheese, round as a wagon wheel and weighing up to 4kg, is released to roll down Cooper's Hill, and then participants collectively run down the hillside to try and claim the cheese.

The festival is famous for lively sounds, whistles, and even minor mishaps due to sprinting down the 200-meter slope. Many times, local police have warned the organizers about the noise caused by the participants, but in vain; the festival continues to be held regularly every year. Due to the fast-rolling nature of the cheese, many participants have to run, roll, or even crawl quickly to keep up, and some even tumble down the hillside in hopes of catching up with the cheese. The first to grab the rolling cheese receives a symbolic prize.

Takanakuy, a combination of local words where “Takay” means fight and “nakuy” means each other. The festival takes place in the town of Santo Tomas, Chumbivilcas province, every December 25th. It's a unique celebration in Peru to bid farewell to the hardships of the old year and welcome the new year. Throughout the festival, there are singing, dancing, and feasting day and night. The most dramatic part is the decisive fighting, usually occurring at the end of the festival.

This tradition has deep roots and is closely tied to family honor. It serves as a way for people to resolve personal grievances within the community through an ancient method - using violence. Takanakuy is widely supported, seen as the only way to settle issues and leave troubles behind before the new year. However, what makes Takanakuy intriguing is that once the brawling concludes, both sides shake hands, embrace, and reconcile, welcoming the new year together in peace. Personal grievances aren't the sole reason people participate in the Takanakuy festival.

Some aim to demonstrate courage and fighting prowess, while others seek community respect or simply make their families proud. Many participants wear brightly colored traditional masks and don stuffed animal costumes to intimidate opponents. Some leave the arena with minor injuries, but no one holds grudges, knowing there will be a chance for a rematch the following year.

Monkey Buffet Festival is held annually at the Khmercoor Temple to express gratitude to the monkeys that have brought tourism potential to the Lopburi province. While in many places, monkeys are considered pests, in Lopburi, they are revered. They roam freely in the city. Over 2,000kg of fruits, vegetables, and sweets are arranged to treat the monkeys. This unique festival originates from the Thai perspective that monkeys are the most loyal and brave warriors in protecting the safety of the most revered Hindu god, Lord Narai. When Lord Narai is safe, he will bless the Thai people with luck and peace. Thus, during this festival, Thai people and tourists participate in various activities related to monkeys, including feeding them.

This activity attracts the most participants, as feeding monkeys is, according to many Thais, a way to bring luck to oneself. Along with fruit decorations, people also set up monkey statues at this buffet festival. At exactly 10 a.m., the monkey buffet festival begins. Initially, they bring out tables adorned with various colors and monkeys dancing. After the festival opening, fruits and various desserts and drinks are placed on tables around the temple, and the little monkeys eagerly come down to enjoy the feast.

The monkeys here are quite fearless, playing freely, especially imitating tourists or messing with their bags, and the eye-catching acrobatics they perform will undoubtedly leave unforgettable impressions on tourists. Visitors can also interact with them by offering fruits to eat, playfully teasing them with drinks, and the moments of cheeky monkeys reaching out for food are truly adorable. Tourists, capture these memorable moments with these monkeys!

Held in small towns in Serbia, participants in the festival will enjoy dishes made from testicles of various animals, including wild ones. Chefs from all over the world will showcase their skills. The winner will be honored and receive a valuable prize. As an internationally acclaimed competition held in Ozrem, Serbia, the Animal Testicle Cooking Festival has become a hope for the local tourism industry. The testicle cooking festival takes place from August 27th to August 29th. At the festival, testicles of various animals such as pigs, cows, sharks, kangaroos... will be prepared by the skilled hands of many chefs.

Notably, dishes cooked from animal testicles are believed to stimulate human sexual desire. Therefore, many people come to the festival with the desire to taste this special dish. Although organized in Serbia, where talented chefs are rare, the Animal Testicle Cooking Festival holds significant importance. The festival not only attracts many chefs from around the world but also provides an opportunity for testicle-based dishes to become a world-famous brand.

Spaniards seem to have a fondness for bizarre festivals. Every year, on the fourth Sunday of January, the locals of the small town of Manganeses de le Polvorosa gather to participate in the Goat Throwing Festival honoring Saint Vincent de Paul, the patron saint of the town.

The festival, with its ancient origins, involves a young man searching for a goat in the village, tying the four legs of the goat together, bringing it up to the bell tower of the local church, and throwing the goat down from a height of about 20m. Villagers stand below with a stretched canvas to catch the goat. Sometimes they miss, and the goat inevitably dies. Despite strong condemnation from animal protection associations, this festival, known as the 'king's losing bet,' continues to take place every year.

Spain hosts numerous peculiar festivals, some dating back centuries, often purely for amusement without any religious significance. In this festival, residents of the town El Puig, north of Valencia, throw frozen dead rats at each other for the sake of joy. Annually, the Batalla de Ratas or 'Battle of the Rats' festival takes place on the last Sunday of January, deemed one of the quirkiest festivals in Spain. Locals and eager tourists gather in the central square to partake in the event.

Instead of fleeing when witnessing dead rats being thrown onto the streets, people hastily compete to pick them up and toss them into the crowd. If someone gets targeted by a dead rat, they pick it up and throw it back at their assailant. Locals argue that with the near-extinction of the plague nowadays, they are not overly concerned about the rats. The people of El Puig use only frozen rat corpses prepared by killing and freezing them beforehand. Anyone hit must pick it up and throw it back. Despite concerns that using dead rat carcasses might increase the risk of spreading the plague, El Puig residents assert they only use prepared rats and dismiss the worries.

Nevertheless, rat corpses only truly became a popular 'ammunition' in recent years. The festival, spanning several centuries, previously employed items like fruits, seeds, or packaged candies. The introduction of dead rats caused significant surprise and enthusiasm among participants, leading organizers to permit and even encourage the use of rats for throwing in subsequent years. Despite the local authorities banning the festival in 2012, the residents declared it as a tradition lasting centuries and resolutely refused to abandon it.

Every year in the town of Las Nieves, those who had a 'near-death experience' in the previous year gather to participate in the Mass festival in honor of Saint Marta de Ribarteme, the saint of resurrection. The most peculiar aspect is that the main participants, those who 'died' before, have to attend the festival inside coffins. Their coffins are paraded from homes to the top of a nearby hill, where a statue of Saint Marta de Ribarteme stands.

The festival begins somberly, resembling a real funeral until the fireworks start and souvenir vendors religiously flood the streets inviting customers. 'It's a symbol of victory over death,' says local priest Alfonso Besada Paraje about the deceased lying in coffins. In reality, people are engaging in an activity within the framework of the Santa Marta de Ribarteme pilgrimage. The event takes place in July every year in the small village, providing an opportunity for people to experience near-death. Through this activity, the festival aims for people to value life more and be thankful for the gift of life.

It is believed that this festival has been around for hundreds of years, but its origin remains a mystery. According to local legends, initially, the ritual involving living people inside coffins was performed by non-believers. However, from the 12th century, when the Catholic Church made efforts to eliminate non-Christian beliefs, this ritual was incorporated into the ceremonies of Catholicism. Since then, what started as a local festival has become a globally renowned event with thousands of spectators. Every year, people flock to the narrow streets of the village of Santa Marta de Ribarteme, 'people from all over the world come here to witness this festival,' adds Father Paraje.