When you think of the most astounding celebrations and festivals around the world, you might think of the running of the bulls, or La Tomatina, the largest tomato fight on earth, however, those festivals don’t even begin to scratch the surface of the wildest celebrations.
Take a look at the top nine craziest festivals from around the world.
9. Takeuchi – Japan
The Takeuchi festival occurs every year on February 15 as a way to pray for a good harvest season. The town is divided into two groups, the North and the South, and then fight by hitting each other with long bamboo poles. If the North wins, it is believed that there will be a good harvest of rice, but if the South wins, the price of rice is said to go up for that season.
8. San Juan de la Vega – Mexico
This crazy festival occurs every February in San Juan de la Vega, Mexico, as a celebration and reinactment of a 400 year old battle in honor of Juan aquino de la Vega, the towns namesake. The festivities include attaching explosives to the ends of sledgehammers and slamming them into the ground. Unsurprisingly, people are injured every single year during the festival celebrations.
7. Manasa Devi Festival – India
The Manasa Devi Festival happens every year around June to honor the Hindu goddess of snakes, Manasa Devi. The people of Jharjhand pay homage to the goddess, who is often worshipped for the prevention and cures of snakebites as well as infertility, by applying an herbal concoction all over the body, ingesting Eklavi to protect from poison, and then placing cobras on themselves to be bitten by the venomous snake.
6. Agni Keli – India
Agni Keli, also known as the Festival of Kateel Durga Parameshwari Temple occurs each year in Mangalore, India over the span of eight days in April. On the second night of the festival, hundreds of people gather at the temple of Durga to throw burning palms at each other to appease the Hindu goddess Durga.
5. Lantern Festival (Molten-Iron-Throwing) – Nuanquan, China
The Lantern Festival occurs during each full moon after the Chinese New Year, and as the legend goes, the villagers of Naunquan couldn’t afford fireworks, which were used to scare off demons during the annual Lantern Festival, so local blacksmiths melted down scrap iron and threw it against walls to produce an incredible pyrotechnic show. The local men who put on the hour long performance wear only sheepskin coats and hats to protect themselves from the molten iron. Amazingly, injuries are uncommon during the show.
4. The Monkey Buffet Festival – Thailand
The Monkey Buffet Festival was invented in 1989 by a local man as a way to attract tourism to the Lopburi province. The festival is held each year for the 3000 monkeys that live in the area. 4000 kilograms of vegetables, cakes, fruits, and candies are put on tables in a pyramid or on a mat in front of temples for the monkeys to feast on.
3. Argungu Fishing Festival- Nigeria
The Argungu Fishing Festival is a four day event in the north-western Nigerian state of Kebbi. At the sound of a gun, thousands of fisherman who have lined up with traditional nets and gourds run into the river, and have just one hour to catch the biggest fish.
2. Moose Dropping Festival- Alaska
The Moose Dropping Festival in Talkeetna, Alaska first dates back to 1972 as a way to attract tourism. The idea was based off other animal themed festivals that occur around the country, but instead of focusing on Alaska’s state animal as a whole, the festival is dedicated specifically to its poop. First they go searching in the forest and collect the droppings, and then they bake them in an oven and spray the droppings with varnish.
1. Baby Dropping Ritual- India
The 700 year old ritual occurs every year with hundreds of infants being dropped from the roof of a mosque near Sholapur, India. Hundreds of people take part in the ritual that is believed to ensure good health and prosperity for the families involved. The infants are tossed off the rooftop and caught below in a bed sheet.
Have you gone to any of these crazy celebrations? Tell us about them in the comments.
[Featured image credit: www.phuket.thai-sale.com]
9 of the Most Astounding Celebrations Around the World is a post from: LifeDaily