Unusual Customs

If you are planning on jet-setting around the globe, why not schedule in a few weird and wonderful events into your itinerary and experience the world in style?

Check out these fantastic customs and festival and have a whole lot of fun every month of the year.

January – Chinese New Year/Spring Festival

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Book a life changing trip to China over the Chinese New Year and experience an event to remember. The Spring Festival begins on the 1st day of the Chinese calendar and ends on the 15th day with a spectacular Lantern Festival. Beautiful red and gold decorations decorate the street, fireworks light up the sky and the atmosphere is full of merriment.

February – St Valentine’s Day

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Feel your hearts flutter as you spend a romantic day in Terni, the Italian hometown of St Valentine himself. Celebrate the most lovey-dovey day of the year with a grand feast outside the Basilica di San Valentino and enjoy time with your loved one amid beautiful surroundings. Take part in a jewellery-making competition and even see who wins the “A Year of Loving” award.

March – Holi, The Festival of Colours

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Experience the incredible festival of Holi, a spectacular event celebrated by Hindus to welcome the start of spring. Enjoyed primarily in India, Nepal and Pakistan, people run through the streets throwing brightly coloured paint and powder at each other and everyone really lets their hair down. Bonfires are also lit to commemorate the story of Prahlada – a Hindu figure who prevailed over the demoness Holika with the power of his devotion – and many people join in the festivities.

April – Songkran

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Come along to Thailand in April and celebrate the Buddhist New Year in style. Songkran takes place over three whole days and the aim is to cleanse everyone and everything insight using buckets of water, water guns, water hoses and anything else you can get your hands on. You’ll certainly get a soaking but it will definitely be worth it. Cool huh?

May – Cheese Rolling

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If you’re brave enough head to Gloucestershire in the UK to watch a group of nutty adrenalin-seekers race down Cooper’s Hill in pursuit of an 8lb Double Gloucester. A traditional event that attracts media from across the world, cheese rolling has become a sight to behold. Considered extremely dangerous the event was actually banned, however, loyal fans made it go ahead anyway.

June – The Baby Jumping Festival

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Head on down to Spain in June and you might see the traditional Baby Jumping Festival in Castrillo de Murcia. First staged in 1620, the event celebrates Corpus Christi and sees grown men dressed as the devil jumping over babies lying in the street. While some may find this extremely disturbing, the event is actual designed to cleanse the newborns of evil doings.

July – Boryeong Mud Festival

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The Boryeong Mud Festival first took place in 1998 and now attracts more than a million visitors to the South Korean city. Designed as a clever marketing technique for Boryeong mud cosmetics which are rich in minerals, the mud festival last for around two weeks and is a great laugh.

August – La Tomatina

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Do you want to join in the biggest food fight in the world? Then come along to Valencia in Spain on the last Wednesday in August and experience the madness of La Tomatina. Taking place in the city since 1945, the event has become popular around the world with people flocking from all corners of the globe to pelt tomatoes at each other – after all, what could be better?

September – Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup

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One of the most unusual and exciting events in the world is the Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup. The ground literally trembles as the largest heard of buffalos are rounded up by cowboys on horseback and driven into corrals. With over 1,500 majestic animals running around this is a spectacular sight and designated viewing spots guarantee you to be in the thick of the action.

October – Oktoberfest

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Reportedly the biggest festival in the world attended by over 6 million people, Germany’s Oktoberfest is a real delight. With incredible beer tents and awesome fairground rides the beer festival takes place in Theresienwiese over several weeks and is great fun. Beginning with an impressive procession, Oktoberfest is nothing short of epic and is well worth a visit.

November – Monkey Buffet Festival

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600 monkeys are invited to a grand feast in Lopburi Thailand to say thank you for bringing tourists to the area. It may sound weird, but these cheeky creatures are given the chance to dine on over 2 tones of grilled sausages, fresh fruit, ice cream and other treats – so why not witness this special event for yourself?

December – Noche de Rabanos (Night of the Radishes)

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If you are in Mexico in December, why not make your way to Oaxaca to witness one of the weirdest festivals around? Radishes were brought to the Americas in the 16th century and vegetable sellers used to create sculptures to help sell their produce. Since 1897 the custom has been celebrated with an annual festival and skilled sculptors are awarded cash prizes.

So there you have it, an unusual festival or event for every month of the year.

This article was written on behalf of Hotel Club; where you can book hotels across the world all year round.

Unusual Customs is a post from: Modern Hippie Mag

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