Literally meaning “the time before Lent,” Uzagavenes is one of the most popular festivals in all of Lithuania. As the name suggests, it takes place a certain amount of time before Lent. Specifically, the seventh week before. But what exactly do Lithuanians do to celebrate this important time of the year?
Well, for a start, locals will perform a mock battle, between the Lasininis and the Kanapinis. These two sides are supposed to represent the war between Winter and Spring, respectively, with the latter obviously winning. Many people will dress up in audacious costumes, ranging from the Grim Reaper and the devil to goats, witches, and other wacky characters.
Underwater Music Festival – Florida
There is no denying that Florida has developed a reputation over the years for being the epicenter of weird and wacky festivals. But this one might be the one that people are most aware of. In the waters next to the Florida Keys, snorkelers and scuba divers alike come together for the Underwater Music Festival.
It is here where they can listen to incredible soundscapes while submerged underwater. Swimmers are playing instruments specifically designed for these conditions and singing underneath the surface, among the fish! If you want to feel like you are in a strange rendition of "The Little Mermaid," then make sure to come to the next one!
Night of the Radishes – Mexico
We like radishes as much as the next person. They are a great addition to many salads and we are sure that you can make some pretty tasty dishes with them. But in Oaxaca, Mexico, this root vegetable is treated with a level of gravitas that we didn't even know was possible.
Every December 23rd, just two days before Christmas Day, many locals celebrate the festival known as Noche de Rábanos, known in English as Night of the Radishes. But what exactly does the fiesta entail? Basically, the people involved will take the biggest radishes they can find, and carve into them the following: figures and scenes of popular Mexican people and historical events.
World Toe Wrestling Championships – UK
Now we've heard of thumb wrestling, but toe wrestling? We didn't know that was even a thing! Back in the 70s, a group of drinking buddies in the Ye Olde Royal Oak Inn in Staffordshire, England, conjured up this wacky sport, much to the entertainment of their fellow pub-goers. The games soon evolved into an annual World Toe Wrestling Championship.
And it's actually taken very seriously by competitors and viewers alike. Some noteworthy champions include Lisa "Twinkletoes" Shenton and the legend Alan "Nasty" Nash. One thing is for sure though, the contestants really need to exercise those toes the entire year round in preparation for the main event.
Cheese Rolling Festival – UK
We have a feeling you might have seen this one before. In the small British town of Gloucester, there is a steep hill called Cooper's Hill, in which a large group of crazy participants chase after a wheel of cheese. As it rolls down the hill, bodies start flying all over the place and chaos ensues.
Naturally, a lot of people get injured, but always with a smile on their faces after feeling proud of their heroic, hill-rolling efforts. The festival takes place once a year and there are usually a few rounds, including one just for women. You won't believe it, but people come from all over the globe to try and win that cheese!
Up Helly Aa – Scotland
So there are the Scottish Highlands, and then there are the Shetland Islands. This small archipelago is located right at the northernmost part of Scotland and is quite the achievement if one finds their way up there. Thankfully, there are things to do in this part of the UK.
Most notably, there is the Up Helly Aa festival. In short, it is a huge celebration of Shetland's rich Viking heritage. So it makes sense that attendees will dress up in traditional armor and helmets as they walk through the streets of Lerwick, the islands' capital. The event culminates in an epic burning of a Viking longship.
International Hair Freezing Festival – Canada
First and foremost, we would recommend growing your head or facial hair out before even reading about this festival. Why do we say that? Because you're going to need some locks to make the trip worth it. In Whitehorse, in Canada's Yukon Territory, there is a pretty strange festival in which visitors will take a dip into the Takhini Hot Pools.
This is where the International Hair Freezing Festival takes place. How does it work though? Quite simple actually. Once you're in the pool, you mold your hair into whatever weird shape you want it to be. Then, the shape will solidify as a result of the freezing air.
Battle of the Oranges – Ivrea, Italy
Many of you out there will be familiar with the festival known as La Tomatina, the huge fight in Spain where thousands pelt tomatoes at each other. The images are crazy. Well, there appears to be a similar kind of festival that takes place every year in the small town of Ivrea, Italy.
Formally known as the Carnival of Ivrea, many know it as The Battle of the Oranges. So you immediately know what is being thrown at this crazy event. Locals suggest that the fight is some kind of symbolic reenactment of the people rising up as a tyrannical ruler. At any rate, it is officially the biggest food fight in all of Italy.
Boryeong Mud Festival – South Korea
You probably won’t find a muddier festival on the face of the Earth, if we’re going to be completely honest. In the village of Boryeong, in South Korea, the locals take great pride in diving into pools of mud and enjoying all kinds of activities. These include sliding, wrestling, and even mud fireworks, whatever that means.
This crazy event started back in 1998 and has been going strong ever since. But this isn’t no ordinary mud. Apparently, it has incredible properties, nutrients, and natural minerals that are great for one’s health. So it makes sense that visitors can also enjoy themselves a mud massage for some much-needed respite.
Baby Jumping Fiesta – Spain
Generally speaking, people do everything in their power to keep babies safe and away from danger. But in Castrillo de Murcia, Spain, people like to put their babies on the line, quite literally! There is a bizarre festival that entails putting a bunch of infants in a row, and participants leaping over them without actually landing on them.
This event is known in Spain as the World El Colacho or the Baby Jumping Festival. What makes it even weirder is that the jumpers dress up as a devil wearing red and yellow. This is probably to do with the fact that the festival coincides with the Catholic feast of Corpus Christi. So religion is involved here, for sure.
Dia de los Muertos – Mexico
This is most certainly one of the most iconic festivals on the list. While Halloween is renowned around the world for dressing up as ghosts and scary characters while doing trick or treat, the Latin American community has a similarly spooky festival that happens around the same time.
But we’d go as far as to say that Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead, in English) is much more meaningful to a lot more people. Why? Because it is an opportunity to commemorate all of our loved ones who have passed away. However, the actual festivities can be quite lighthearted, with participants typically wearing skeleton costumes and enjoying parades on the streets.
La Tomatina – Spain
This is another wacky festival on this list that most readers have probably heard of or seen in the news at least once in their lives. After all, La Tomatina has been going since 1945. This fun festival takes place in the Valencian town of Bunol in Spain. As the name suggests, thousands of people take to the streets and absolutely pummel each other with tomatoes.
It is quite the sight, especially since the tomatoes used are completely blood red. We can’t imagine what the place smells like when everything is said and done and the amount of cleaning that needs to be done. And if you are somehow allergic to tomatoes, we recommend driving past Bunol if you are in this part of the world.
Buso Festival – Hungary
What on Earth are those people supposed to be dressed up as? We see sheep’s wool being used as head hair, horns, and peculiar-looking face that looks like it came straight out of a horror movie. These masks and headgear are actually synonymous with the popular Buso festival, which takes place in the marvelous Eastern European country of Hungary.
In short, the reason for these devilish costumes can be traced back to their 18th-century origins. That was when men first donned the attire in an attempt to scare away the harsh coldness of winter. Amazingly, these fluffy devils have been at war with the winter up until the present day.
Lopburi Monkey Banquet – Thailand
Sometimes, the best days are the ones where we can give to others. And we’re not just talking about humans. In Thailand, locals and tourists alike can go to the Lopburi Monkey Banquet. It takes place every November and the premise is pretty simple.
More than 4,000 kg (close to 9,000 lbs) of produce is laid out for the local macaque monkey community to feast on. It’s amazing to see. These adorable creatures literally jump down from the trees to participate in the festival. It is meant to bless the neighborhood so that there is a fruitful harvest. Bon Appetit, monkey friends!
Burning Man – Nevada
If you haven’t heard of Burning Man, then where have you been for the last few decades? Started back in the ‘80s in San Francisco, this extremely hip festival has since relocated and variations of it have been organized all around the world. But the most iconic of them all takes place in Nevada.
Artists from all over the States (and beyond) come to build and dismantle a city made out of scraps and metals. Some of the art pieces on display are absolutely stunning. At its core, Burning Man is all about bringing people from all walks of life together, promoting peace, inclusion, love, art, expression, and many other commendable values.
Wife Carrying World Championships – Finland
Competitive masculinity manifests itself in many ways around the world. In the humble town of Sonkajärvi, in the cold nation of Finland, it is displayed through the art of "eukonkanto," otherwise known in English as "wife-carrying." Yes, it's exactly what you'd imagine it to be. In this part of the world, a championship was created in which men race each other while carrying their wives, or some kind of female partner on their backs.
There are numerous styles of wife carrying. These include the fireman's carry, which is done over the shoulder, the traditional piggyback (which most people would be familiar with), and the Estonian style. This version is basically where the wife is carried upside down, with her legs hanging over the neck and shoulders. Pretty wild stuff!
International Festival of Worm Charming – UK
This bizarre festival traces its origins back to Willaston, England. Back in 1980, the son of a farmer made his community's jaw drop by summoning more than 500 worms from the ground in just 30 minutes. And the act was performed as part of a competition, which he obviously won.
Since then, there has been a worm charming festival in this part of the UK every year, with self-proclaimed worm-charmers flocking from far and wide to show off their skills. They will use all kinds of weird and wonderful methods, such as playing music and creating vibrations. But only one can win!
The Great Fruitcake Toss – USA
Let's face it, fruitcakes are something of an acquired taste. And the people of Manitou Springs, Colorado, know this all too well. They weren't satisfied with simply throwing them in the trash. So they decided to come up with an entire event dedicated to simply throwing these cakes up into the sky.
The Great Fruitcake Toss is now one of the most popular festivals in this part of the States. And the ways in which people choose to launch the cakes have become more and more creative with each passing year. Some catapult them with contraptions they created simply for the event!
World Bog Snorkelling Championship – Wales
If you are ever interested in snorkeling in a bog, well, the following festival is the perfect thing for you. If you are ever in the small town of Llanwrtyd Wells (yeah, we have no idea how to pronounce that either), Wales, then you should definitely consider bringing some flippers and snorkels for this one.
The World Bog Snorkelling Championship sees many contestants swimming through pretty foggy waters as they aim to complete two 60-yard lengths. Of course, they are relying heavily on the flippers, so there's not much swimming involved. Apparently, the world records for this event clock in at 1 minute 22.56 seconds and 1 minute 18.81 from Kirsty Johnson and Neil Rutter, respectively.
The Mermaid Parade – USA
Ever wanted to feel like Ariel, swimming under the sea with all of the wonderful fishes? Well, this event doesn't exactly make that happen, but it will make you feel somewhat like a mermaid. This mermaid parade is held every year at Coney Island, of all places.
It is supposed to coincide with the beginning of the summer. It's amazing to see people from all walks of life attending in their mermaid/merman attire and the range of bright colors is absolutely staggering. There are also plenty of people who dress up as various forms of marine life. It is quite the spectacle.
Gilroy Garlic Festival – USA
Sure, garlic is a tasty component of many dishes, but we find it difficult to believe that there is an entire festival dedicated to this mysterious vegetable. In the state of California, the Gilroy Garlic Festival is exactly what you would imagine it is – a celebration of all things garlic-related.
In fact, you can taste really strange garlic-flavored items, including garlic ice cream (no thanks). Attendees will struggle to wash off the garlicky stench for a few weeks after attending, but it's probably worth going to at least once in your life. One thing is for sure – you won't find many vampires in attendance, which we guess is a good thing for everyone involved.
World Body Painting Festival – Austria
When a handful of organizers put together the very first World Bodypainting Festival back in the late '90s, they had no idea that would carry on for the next few decades up until the present day. Taking place annually in the idyllic town of Klagenfurt, Austria, this unique festival sees artists and ambitious individuals from all around the world coming to show off their beautiful masterpieces, which all have one thing in common – their bodies are the canvas.
Every single design under the sun has been put on display at the World Bodypainting Festival. And yet, visitors still find a way to surprise the locals with their incredible designs.
The Redneck Games – East Dublin, Georgia
Yes, you read that right, folks. In East Dublin, Georgia, there was an event known as the Redneck Games. We guess you can look at it as some kind of Olympics for a very specific kind of demographic. Funnily enough, the festival doesn’t exist anymore, but we still felt like it deserved a mention for the great run it had.
It was originally founded by the manager of a local radio station and had a successful annual turnout for the following 16 years, up until 2012, when it finally came to an end. Some of the games included seed spitting, toilet seat throwing, mud pit belly flops, and much more. The average 500 attendees couldn’t get enough of it!
The Ukelele Festival – Hawaii
There’s nothing that weird about playing a ukulele. Sure, it’s a cute little instrument that is a much lighter rendition of an acoustic guitar. But when you dedicate an entire festival to this dainty little music creator, then people are going to take notice. And of course, if you want to go to the official Ukulele Festival, then you’re going to have to book a flight to the land of ukuleles, Hawaii.
This cute event was started by groundskeeper Roy Sakuma, who eventually attracted hundreds of students from around the Hawaiian islands to play beautiful songs together with multiple ukuleles. Beyond that, the festival is aimed at promoting Hawaiian culture, art, education, and more.
Inti Raymi – Peru
Chasing away evil spirits is a pretty common practice in many cultures around the world. Hey, have you ever seen “The Exorcist?” Some people dedicate entire festivals to this kind of practice. One of the most noteworthy examples of this phenomenon takes place in Peru, of all places.
Many locals take part in Inti Raymi, otherwise known in English as the Festival of the Sun. This ancient Incan ritual is practiced as follows: participants carry the “Son of the Sun” to the hilly forest Sacsayhuamán. It is there that they perform a variety of Incan traditions such as llama chases, praying, music, and dance, among others.
Tunarama – Australia
Up until recently, the Tunarama event in Port Lincoln, Australia, was the talk of the town for 60 years. Basically, participants would take part in an epic tug of war, a talent show, and a beauty contest. Not to mention the parade in which kids would dress up as marine lifeforms and penguins.
Sadly, after a tumultuous handful of years, the committee decided to bring the festival to an end – in its current form, at least. That isn’t to say though that a similar kind of event won’t replace it in the future – so watch this space. While this festival recently came to an indefinite pause, we thought it was worth mentioning.
Air Guitar World Championship – Finland
As you are probably well aware – it is perfectly normal to go to a festival where bands are jamming with all kinds of guitars – both acoustic and electric. But it turns out that one of those festivals actually involves using air guitars. Which is basically like saying you are going out to model clothing while wearing your birthday suit.
It’s a euphemism for simply looking like you’re playing a guitar, without actually using one. In Finland, the Air Guitar World Championship is a real thing, with competitors showing off their air guitar skills with music playing in the background. It has been going strong for nearly three decades and has been used to promote world peace!
Thaipusam – Tamil Nadu
While piercing is, in theory, a perfectly normal thing that millions of people do, there are certain places on the body where the practice simply looks kind of off. In Tamil Nadu, piercing one’s back with tens of hooks isn’t the strangest thing in the world, especially during the festival of Thaipusam.
This event sees religious devotees perform all types of abstinence and sacrifices in the name of high powers. Thaipusam has roots in the Indian myth that the Goddess of Fertility provided the God of War with a spear to defeat the forces of evil. This festival also happens in other Asian countries such as Sri Lanka, Singapore, and Malaysia. So yeah, it’s pretty popular.
Running of the Bulls – Pamplona, Spain
Who thought it was a good idea to create a festival completely dedicated to running down narrow streets with rampant bulls? Somehow this exact event takes place in Pamplona, Spain every year, and the authorities still let it happen! It is part of a wider festival called the San Fermin Festival, which runs for over a week.
And during the evenings, there are bullfights. So the bull chaos continues, just in a different context. There are plenty of injuries and many locals have protested to discontinue the tradition. Alas, it’s still happening! Unless you are a skilled matador, we would advise you to avoid this one!
Cheung Chau Bun Festival – Hong Kong
Have you ever seen a tower of bread buns? No? Neither have we – until now. Apparently, there is an entire festival dedicated to these bizarre-looking structures. In China, the Cheung Chau Bun Festival sets the stage for one of the strangest races on the planet. And no, it’s not a race to see how many buns can be eaten in an hour.
The contestants actually have to climb the bun towers to reach the very top. Unlike other festivals on this list that have only been around for a few decades, this festival can trace its roots back to the 18th century! In fact, it also coincides with the birthday of the Buddha. How many buns are used to build each tower? 60,000.
La Pourcailhade – France
This festival might not be for everyone. After all, there are plenty of people who are either vegetarian or abstain from eating pork. But for the pig lovers out there, this one will be right up your street.
Known as La Pourcailhade, this fun event takes place in Trie Sur Baise in France, and it is pretty much everything swine-related. The French love pork, so it makes sense that all of the activities at this festival have something to do with these little oinkers. Some examples include piglet racing, pig imitations, black pudding eating, and much more. Ah oui, oui, let’s go!
Yi Peng Lantern Festival – Thailand
It might not be the weirdest festival on this list, but it is certainly one of the most beautiful. And it’s not as if there aren’t many lantern festivals in various parts of the world. And yet, Yi Peng might be the very best of them all.
Taking place on the full moon of the 2nd month of the Thai Lanna Calendar, this enchanting festival sees people come from all over the country to offer lanterns as devotion while also listening to prayers being given out by monks. The festival symbolizes the beauty that the full moon brings. If you find yourself in this part of the world at this time of year, you can do a lot worse than join in on the lantern-lighting festivities.
Holi Color Festival – India
As religious festivals go, this is a pretty famous one. Unsurprisingly one of the holiest days of the Hindu calendar, Holi commemorates the epic story of Vishnu’s victory over evil. In terms of how people celebrate the festival today, there is hardly a place in India where you won’t find people using colored powder to paint themselves in a plethora of bright colors.
Seas of people will be covered in this ritual paint. But that’s not all, these festivities usually consist of a lot of music, dancing, and feasts. Basically, it’s like any major festival in the world – apart from the fact that you will do it while covered in paint.
Cherry Blossom Lantern Festival – Japan
We would go as far as to say that this is the most iconic festival of them all (on this list, at least). When you consider the fact that millions of people come from the four corners of the globe to see Japan's stunning cherry blossom trees, that in itself makes this festival pretty unique.
Known locally as "Hanami," this is specifically the practice of admiring the natural beauty, which is often attributed to the cherry blossoms more than anything. Located all over the country, these trees bring people together and are the perfect settings for picnics, parties, sake drinking, and much more.
Guisachan Gathering Golden Retriever Festival – Scotland
They are one of the most popular dog breeds on the planet. And yet, not that many people know that Golden Retrievers can trace their origins back to Scotland, of all places. But the Scottish people know this fact all too well. And they are very proud of it – so much so that they have an entire festival dedicated to these adorable poster boys of the canine world.
Guisachan Gathering is a beautiful dog show that celebrates all things golden and all things retrieving. As the name suggests, it takes place in a mansion in the Scottish Highlands known as Guisachan. Beyond the dog show that happens though, there is also a picnic, as well as some training sessions. Amazingly, about 200 to 300 goldens participate in the show.
The International Highline Meeting Festival – Italy
Now, this festival certainly isn’t for the faint of heart. If you are scared of heights, it’s probably not for you. Some people out there love nothing more than living on the edge, quite literally! Those who come to the Italian mountains in Monte Piana every year like to hang up a hammock on a Highline and hang out with like-minded adventure lovers.
The Highline Meeting is held once a year and has been going on for more than a decade now. Amazingly, the site in which this festival takes place is historically significant. It is exactly where 18,000 young soldiers sacrificed their lives during World War I. So it’s a very meaningful event. Not just an opportunity to hang high in the sky.
Sapporo Snow Festival – Japan
Truth be told, there are plenty of other places around the world that one would associate with snow. And yet, Japan has a well-revered festival that takes place in one of its major cities every year. The Sapporo Snow Festival is exactly what it claims to be, a festival in the city of Sapporo that celebrates all things snow.
More specifically, participants will create dazzling sculptures out of ice for excited spectators to feast their eyes on. Artists have come up with all kinds of majestic creations, from carving the likes of Darth Vader and Stormtroopers to Disney characters and animals. In 2007, a whopping two million people came to Sapporo just to check out the impressive pieces of art.
Songkran Water Festival – Thailand
Who doesn’t love a good water fight every once in a while? But in the inconspicuous city of Songkran, Thailand, the locals take things to a whole new level. The municipality will close off the busiest streets in the city, just so people can walk around and throw water balloons at each other, shoot at one another with super soakers, and spray water from their mouths.
Heck, even elephants will get in on the action. It is a tradition that has been going on for a long time now. And not just in Thailand. Water festivals are also prevalent in neighboring Asian countries such as Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar, to name a few. If you like to stay dry during the hotter periods of the year, you might be better off avoiding these areas.
Rouketopolemos Rocket War – Greece
Don’t worry – it’s not as dangerous as it might sound. Whenever Easter comes around in the Greek town of Vrontados, two church congregations engage in the most innocent of “wars.” Basically, they will throw fireworks at “each other” from a distance, but in a way in which no one will get hurt.
In fact, tens of thousands of homemade rockets are shot up in the sky. The main goal is to try and hit the bell tower of the opposing church. But have no fear, neither church has been severely damaged by the harmless confrontation. Otherwise, this tradition would have stopped a long time ago.
Jaipur Elephant Festival – India
It comes as no surprise that elephants are revered very highly in India. These majestic animals are treated with the utmost respect in this part of the world. So much so, that an entire festival is dedicated to our beloved friends with the tusks and trunks in the beautiful city of Jaipur.
The festival begins with a stunning procession of elephants adorned with gold and jewels. And they are accompanied by other animals such as horses and camels. Later on, other elephant-themed events will take place. These include the likes of elephant racing, elephant polo, and even a game of tug-of-war between 19 people on each side, and two elephants!
Mai Dulce – The Festival of Traditional Desserts – Moldova
Seriously, who doesn’t love candy? Moldovans understand how much of a pull all things sweet is. So they dedicated an entire festival to the sweeter things in life. In the heart of Chisinau, the capital, you will find the very decident festival of Mai Dulce, which literally means “sweeter.”
Here, there are many exciting events such as dessert competitions, cooking workshops, and entertainment for people of all ages. You should be warned though – kids will most likely get a sugar rush from this festival and run all over the place for the next few days. So maybe think carefully about how many sweets you consume during your time at the festival.
Las Fallas Festival Sculpture Burning – Spain
There are plenty of festivals out there that involve the building and parading of impressive sculptures. But not many focus so much on the destruction of said sculptures. When it comes to Las Fallas in the Spanish city of Valencia, that is the entire point – well, half the point at least.
These Falla monuments, which are these epic assortments of characters that normally tell a story, are extremely elaborate and over-the-top, which makes their eventual demises so much more tragic. At some point, the people start to burn the structures with fire, fireworks, and firecrackers, creating quite a spectacle in the process.
Amsterdam Canal Gaypride – Netherlands
These days, there are LGBTQ+ pride parades in virtually every major western city in the world. London, Paris, New York, LA, Mexico City – you name it, they have one. But more often than not, those parades are parades in the strictest sense of the word. People express their pride through their choice of clothing, dancing, and primarily, walking down the streets.
But in Amsterdam, pride is a little different. The main reason for that is that the iconic canals of the capital of the Netherlands are used to full effect for this specific event. Participants wave their flags proudly while on top of classic vessels that float along the ‘Dams calm waters.
Els Enfarinats Festival Flour Fight – Spain
This festival has been going on for more than two centuries and it’s not too difficult to see why. In the Alicante town of Ibi, locals celebrate the Day of the Innocents in a pretty unique way. Essentially, the participants will dress up in military attire and stage a coup d’etat, albeit a mock version.
The logistics of the festival are a bit complicated if we’re going to be completely honest. But at some point, a bunch of people get covered in eggs and flour, and locals shoot fireworks into the sky. There are some traditions in which graduates will get similar treatment. But when it comes to Els Enfarinats, all bets are off and everyone is a target.
Kukeri Festival – Bulgaria
This one’s a bit of a cheat inclusion, as it’s not really a specific festival. Rather, it is a tradition that is applied to numerous festivals around the year. In Bulgaria, locals will dress up as these mythological beings called the Kukeri and parade down the streets in the process.
The aim of the procession is to scare evil spirits away, a tradition that can be traced back to the times of the Thracians. The most common times of the year that the Kukeri resurface are around the time of New Year as well as Lent. If you can hear bells being rung out on the streets while you’re visiting Sofia, the chances are that you are going to bump into the Kukeri at some point.
White Nights Festival/Scarlet Sails – Russia
The best way to explain this festival is with the weather. Basically, because St. Petersburg, Russia, is located relatively close to the Arctic Circle, some pretty cool phenomena happen in this part of the world at certain times of the year. For example, during the Summer, the skies never become completely dark, only reaching twilight in the process.
And there is a whole festival dedicated to the celebration of this phenomenon – the White Nights Festival. At the heart of this festival is a pretty impressive event known as the Scarlet Sails. These dazzling, red ships float along the Neva River at some point during the festival, an occasion that thousands of people flock to gaze at.
The Maiden Fair of Mount Gaina – Romania
Now before you jump to conclusions and assume this is a scene straight out of the horror movie “Midsommar,” let us calm your nerves a little. For a starter, this festival doesn’t even take place in Sweden, and secondly, it’s a completely harmless occasion, to be perfectly honest. Basically, in Romania, there are a lot of families who live in the mountains.
Specifically, in Mount Gaina, a festival called the Maidens’ Fair takes place around the time of the feast of Elijah. One of the main traditions of the festival is that each participant (all female, by the way), has to collect a dowry out of a carved chest. It’s not as gory as it sounds, trust us. Essentially, it is a massive arranged marriage, where all the young singles get married off.
Desert Festival – Jaisalmer, India
When we think of celebrations in the desert, we might automatically think of the vast Sahara or the Arabian peninsula. But no, India has deserts too, and one of its most talked-about festivals takes place in one of them. In Jaisalmer in North West India, a desert festival is organized every February, three days before the full moon.
It is a truly stunning occasion that sees local Rajashtanis sing traditional songs, wear classic garments, and tell stories that have been told for thousands of years. Tourists are just as welcome as locals to partake in the celebrations and don’t be surprised if you get offered the chance to ride a camel or an elephant during your visit.
Uzgavenes Winter Festival – Lithuania
Literally meaning “the time before Lent,” Uzagavenes is one of the most popular festivals in all of Lithuania. As the name suggests, it takes place a certain amount of time before Lent. Specifically, the seventh week before. But what exactly do Lithuanians do to celebrate this important time of the year?
Well, for a start, locals will perform a mock battle, between the Lasininis and the Kanapinis. These two sides are supposed to represent the war between Winter and Spring, respectively, with the latter obviously winning. Many people will dress up in audacious costumes, ranging from the Grim Reaper and the devil to goats, witches, and other wacky characters.
Beer Floating Kaljakellunta – Finland
Now, before you get too excited, let’s make one thing clear here. This festival doesn’t entail floating in beer. But, it’s still pretty fun by the looks of it. In Finland, during the summer, many locals will take part in the event Kaljakellunta, which is known as “beer floating” in English.
The gist of the event is as follows – people will wear hardly anything, jump into a small float, and paddle their way down the Kerava or Vantaa rivers while drinking copious amounts of beer! We normally advise against drinking while driving. But drinking while floating? As long as you are surrounded by responsible individuals who will help you in case you fall into the water, then you should be just fine.
The Medieval Festival – Romania
In a country that is so proud of its battles with the Ottomans and all things Dracula-related, it should come as no surprise that Romanians like to channel their inner-medieval nature. And it’s not as if there is just one specific medieval festival happening in Romania. There are multiple ones happening at different times of the year.
With that said, some of the most popular versions of the event include the Transylvanian Citadels Medieval Festivals, the Bistrita Celebration, and the Roman Festival Apulum. These are just a couple of them. Just make sure to do your research so that you know for sure which festival is happening around the time of your visit.