Most Unusual & Fascinating Festivals Around The World

Most of us love a good festival. At the same time many of us know only about famous festivals such as Halloween, Christmas and New Year. If you’re curious like me, you’d probably want to know about lesser known festivals around the world. I guarantee you that some of these events will make you pack right now and go there to celebrate. Without further ado, allow me to introduce you to some of the most fascinating festivals in the world. It will surely make you think that there is much more to our world and culture than we know.

Amazing Festivals In The World

The Chap & Hendrick’s Olympics, London

Held in London every July, The Chap & Hendrick’s Olympics is a hilarious festival. There are unusual sports such as ‘Three Trousers Limbo‘ and  ‘Hendrick’s Martini Knockout Relay‘, where three teams compete dry martinis on a bar at the end of a running track. The Chap & Hendrick’s Olympics is a chance for the Britishers to give up their well behavior and dress inappropriately, drink and make complete monkeys out of themselves.

Holi – The Festival of Colors, India

The Festivals of Colors – Holi | (cc) Photo By FaceMePLS

Holi is a spring festival celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs and others. Holi celebrates good harvest and fertility of the land. It is celebrated by people throwing colored powder and colored water at each other. The story centers around a king who resented his son for worshiping Lord Vishnu. He had attempted to kill his son but had failed every time. Finally, the king’s sister who is said to be immune to burning, had sat with the boy in a huge fire. However, the king’s son had emerged unburned while his aunt had burnt to death. Therefore, Holi commemorates this event from mythology, and huge bonfires are burnt on the eve of Holi as its symbolic representation.

La Tomatina, Spain

Tomatina Festival, Spain | (cc) Photo By flydime

Tomatina festival is simply a tomato food fight festival held on the last Wednesday of August each year in the town of Buñol in the Valencia region of Spain. Tens and thousands of participants come from all over the world to fight in the battle where more than one hundred metric tons of ripe tomatoes are thrown in the streets, and at each other. One huge tomato sauce it ends up with for sure.

Summer Redneck Games, East Dublin, Georgia, USA

Summer Redneck Games | (c) Photo By Richard Ellis

As legend ‘says’ Mac Davis and some volunteers put together a ridiculous schedule of Redneck Games for locals to compete in. What they expected was a very small turnout, some decent weather and a few laughs. What they got was 5,000 people who in the very first year. Basically this festival is about silly games and good times for people to enjoy. The name of the festival probably gave that away as well.

Ivan Kupala Day, Russia & Ukraine

Ivan Kupala Celebrations | (c) Photo By Victor Drachev/AFP/Getty Images

This is celebrated in Russia and Ukraine on 7th July in the Gregorian or New Style calendar, which is currently 24th June in the Julian or Old Style calendar. Old style calendar is still used by many of the Orthodox Churches around the world. Ivan Kupala festival is very much celebrated by the younger people of Eastern Europe. The festival is all about fun. The spirit of festivities simply takes everyone irrespective of their culture or religion. All that is required is sing, dance, and/or tell stories. It’s basically just simple fun.

Up-Helly-Aa, Scotland

Up Helly Aa, Scotland | (c) Photo By Occidental Observer

This is a relatively modern festival in Scotland. It consists of variety of fire festivals in the middle of winter to mark the end of the yule season. You will see people (squad) who will be marching the town or village in a variety of themed costumes. At halls in villages, the squad perform acts, which may be a of a popular TV show or film, a skit on local events, or singing or dancing, usually in flamboyant costumes.

Monkey Buffet, Thailand

Monkey Buffet Festival, Thailand | (c) Photo By Youngester

Never been lucky to be a monkey when Monkey Buffet festival comes. Every year all of the provinces’ monkeys are invited to eat fruits and vegetables during the annual fest held in the honor of Rama (a hero of the Ramavana). This festival is held to promote tourism in Thailand.

Naked Men Festival, Japan

Naked Men Festival, Japan | (c) Photo By Dan Lewis

The name itself suggests that this is a bizarre festival but it does exist. Thousands of Japanese men participate wearing only a loincloth and sandals. Some say this festival is brutal as steam rises off the skin of participants when they wash in freezing cold water to ‘purify’ themselves. Japanese beer and rice wine are given freely to the participants, and the party atmosphere is completed with fireworks.

Strong Beer Festival, Bavaria

Strong Beer Festival | (c) Photo By Alyssa Medina

Strong Beer Festival is very popular in Munich and knows as ‘Starkbierzeit’, which means strong beer time. Now, who would complain about that eh? The strong beer festival season is celebrated after lent passes in March. This is the mini-version of Oktoberfest – Munich’s Big Beer Party celebrated only during Spring. If you drink beer, you got to have some food to go with it too. Well no worries there. You can munch on ‘O’ batzters, which is cheese crumbled with onion, paprika and butter, and many other delicious food to fit your taste buds. There are events such as stone-lifting competitions. Music also accompany this beer drinking festival in Germany. This is more like a night out with your friends than a festival but who would complain? The turn out to this is lots.

So there you have it, some unusual and fascinating festivals around the world. I am sure there are much more out there. So if you know of any or have been to one of these fascinating festivals, don’t forget to brag about it in the comments section below.