Buzz
Festivals are a universal joy. Communities unite to mark everything from the arrival of spring to the harvest season or key religious events, a tradition that has been around since humans first learned how to celebrate. While many of these occasions are deeply rooted in history and local customs, modern festivals that highlight food, music, and culture take place every week somewhere in the world.
That said, there are some truly outlandish festivals that make even the most traditional barn dances seem tame. Some are grounded in ancient rituals, others have commercial beginnings, and a few are organized for a good cause. From leaping over babies to mud wrestling and parades featuring anything and everything phallic, here are some of the most bizarre festivals worldwide.
10. Boryeong Mud Festival South Korea
In July, both tourists and locals have a blast in the town of Boryeong, South Korea. For two weeks, the Boryeong Mud Festival attracts millions of visitors from all over the world. Here, you can dive into mud by the coastline and experience the skin benefits of the mineral-rich mud.
The festival began in the late 1990s as a way to promote the region’s mud-based beauty products but has since grown into a major tourist attraction. Truckloads of mud are spread across Daecheon Beach, where festival-goers engage in mud wrestling, mud skiing, mud slides, and even body painting with specially colored mud. You can also indulge in a soothing mud massage.
9. Kanamara Matsuri Japan
It’s hard to imagine a festival centered around phallic imagery, especially in Japan, a culture known for its modesty. The Kanamara Matsuri festival celebrates all things phallic and originated at a local shrine. According to legend, a large iron phallus was created to ward off a penis-eating demon and placed outside the village. Prostitutes would visit the Kanayama Shrine to pray for protection from various occupational dangers, including STDs.
In modern times, the focus of the festival has shifted towards celebrating fertility for young married women, while also raising funds for HIV research. Each April, three large phallic shrines are paraded through the streets in an hour-long procession. At the end of the parade, festival-goers can enjoy local delicacies, along with phallic-shaped lollipops, carved fruit, or even try their hand at fruit carving to create phallic shapes.
Unsurprisingly, a variety of novelty souvenir items are available for purchase.
8. Night Of The Radishes Mexico
If you're looking to elevate your pumpkin carving skills, why not try your hand at something smaller? Carved radishes are the highlight of a Christmas festival in the Mexican city of Oaxaca.
Noche de Los Rabanos (Night of the Radishes) originated in the 19th century when market vendors created intricately carved radishes to lure Christmas churchgoers to their stalls in the village square. December 23 was officially declared the Night of the Radishes in 1897.
Both tourists and locals gather to admire radish carvings inspired by everything from traditional nativity scenes to the region's rich local culture. Initially, the radishes were sourced from local farmers. However, due to the contest's growing popularity, a dedicated radish farm has been established outside the city to supply contestants with the raw material for their sculptural creations.
Today, the best carved radish display is awarded a substantial cash prize.
7. Hair Freezing Contest Canada
Winter in the North is so harsh that you'd never think of stepping outside without covering your head to avoid your hair freezing. Yet in Canada, an entire festival revolves around crafting the most unusual frozen hair sculptures. Every February, the town of Whitehorse, Yukon, hosts the annual International Hair Freezing Competition.
With temperatures hovering around minus 20 degrees, festival-goers flock to the Takhini Hot Pools to create their icy hairstyles. Simply soak your head in the water, and when you lift it out, the cold air does the rest, forming your unique frozen creation. The winners are revealed in March.
6. Pidakala War India
In the village of Kairuppala, located in the Pradesh region of India, being struck by a flying cow pie is considered a blessing. Every April, villagers engage in this strange ritual, hurling cow dung at one another during the Ugadi festival. The messy battle is believed to bring good health, prosperity, and rain to those lucky enough to be hit by the smelly projectiles.
Thousands gather to witness a reenactment of a legendary marital dispute between the goddess Bhadrakali and Lord Veerabhadra Swarmy, which is followed by a celebration of their wedding. And if you happen to be struck by a piece of flying cow dung, don’t worry—it is said to have special healing properties.
5. Monkey Buffet Festival Thailand
While most animal sanctuaries worldwide discourage feeding the animals, Thailand hosts an entire festival dedicated to feeding monkeys. Each year, on the final Sunday of November, the people of Lopburi, one of Thailand’s oldest cities, prepare an enormous feast especially for their local monkeys.
Long-tailed macaques make their home in the ancient Khmer ruins and wander freely through the streets of Lopburi, munching on everything from leftover food to power cables. These monkeys are believed to be descendants of the Monkey King and bring good fortune, so the locals don’t see them as pests. Instead, they host a special banquet in their honor, decorating their homes with fruit sculptures to draw in good luck and prosperity from the monkeys.
The festival is held at the ruins, where large tables covered with fruit, salads, and sticky rice are set out for the monkeys to share with the festivalgoers. Just be prepared for a monkey to hop on your head and help itself to your food.
4. International Worm Charming Festival England
For most people, catching worms might not sound like an enjoyable way to spend a day, unless you’re a fisherman on the hunt for fresh bait. However, every May, hundreds of people gather in the small town of Blackawton, Devon, for the annual Worm Charming Festival.
Teams of three are assigned a small patch of land, and the challenge is to collect the most worms within 15 minutes. Participants can use any method to lure the worms to the surface, such as tapping like a bird, using a fork, or even pouring liquid. This unconventional event was inspired when a couple of pub goers, after relieving themselves in the sand, noticed worms surfacing in response.
Though the competition itself is over quickly, there are plenty of other activities throughout the day to keep festival attendees entertained.
3. Baby Jumping Spain
Some baptism traditions around the world are truly unique, but the Baby Jumping Festival in Castrillo de Murcia, Spain, may be one of the most unusual in the Western world. For centuries, the villagers have brought their babies to be blessed during the Feast of Corpus Christi every June.
During the El Salto del Colacho (Devil’s Jump), men dressed as the Devil, wearing vibrant red and yellow costumes, leap over babies laid on mattresses in the streets. With a whip in one hand and castanets in the other, the 'Devil' jumps to ward off evil spirits before the babies are showered with rose petals. Originally a local custom, the ritual has now attracted families from surrounding areas, all bringing their babies to partake in the curious tradition.
2. Water Gun Festival South Korea
When the summer heat strikes, there’s nothing better than a water fight. In Seoul’s Sinchon district, South Korea, the Water Gun Festival has elevated this childhood pastime into a major event. Initially created as a fun way for local college students to beat the heat, it has since grown into one of Seoul’s most popular summer festivals.
Festivalgoers, often dressed in costumes, engage in water gun battles set against a backdrop of music and bustling market stalls. If you happen to enter the battlefield without a water gun, don't worry—you can easily buy one on-site and dive right into the action. The festival also features a unique “water gun wedding,” offering a fun twist on the traditional Western ‘shotgun wedding.’
1. Underwater Music Festival United States
While singing in the shower is a favorite pastime, a whole music festival held underwater is something entirely unique. Off the coast of the Florida Keys, this festival, which began in the 1980s, was created to raise awareness about the conservation of the Keys' coral reefs.
Each July, divers and snorkelers flock to the waters to witness musicians dressed as sea creatures and mermaids, performing on nautical-themed instruments like the “fluke-a-lele” and “trom-bonefish.” The oceanic melodies are broadcast via underwater speakers, while those on land can still enjoy a variety of festival activities along the shore.
