The World's Wackiest HolidaysThe World's Wackiest Holidays

Powerpoint Show by DOINA

Song: Eternal Flame Atomic Kitten

SHETLAND ISLANDS, SCOTLAND: "UP HELLY-AA" FIRE FESTIVALA tribute to the islands' Viking Past, Up Helly-Aa ("End of the Holy Days") culminates with the burning of a 32-ft. replica of a Viking

longship.

BOBR, BELARUS: IVANA KUPALA NIGHTOn the night of this pagan festival, celebrated on July 7, the Gregorian summer solstice, young women don wreathes and celebrants

jump through fire and swim naked. The rites are connected to ancient beliefs about fertility and autopurification.

NEW DELHI, INDIA: HOLI, THE FESTIVAL OF COLORSIndian girls throw gulal (colored powder) on each other during a Hindi holiday which marks the onset of spring.

BUNYOL, SPAIN: TOMATINAIn late August, thousands of people pelt each other with over 250 lbs. of tomatoes in a span of 60 minutes in an event modestly

described as the world's largest tomato fight.

NOBSA, COLOMBIA: INTERNATIONAL PONCHO DAYDesigned to promote the work of local artisans who weave traditional wool ponchos, the parade and festival are a relatively

new celebration.

NOVGOROD, RUSSIA: MASLENITSAIn Orthodox countries, the week before Lent is marked with a series of celebrations, including a free-for-all boxing match

in which there are no rules. In centuries past, the fight ended only when the participates were covered with blood and bereft of clothes

INAZAWA, JAPAN: HADAKA MATSURI, THE NAKED FESTIVALHidden somewhere in the midst of all these men in loincloths is one fully naked man.

Touching him is believed to bring good luck and happiness.

LOPBURI PROVINCE, THAILAND: THE MONKEY BUFFETEvery year, all of the province's approximately 600 monkeys are invited to eat fruits and vegetables during an annual

feast held in honor of Rama, a hero of the Ramayana, who, it is said, rewarded his friend and ally, Hanuman the Monkey King, with the fiefdom of what is now Lopburi.

BROCKWORTH, ENGLAND: CHEESE ROLLING FESTIVALIn a dangerous tradition dating back to Roman times, competitors from all over the world run up a hill and then chase a 7 kg round

cheese back down. The first who gets to it, keeps it.

SABUCEDO, SPAIN: RAPA DAS BESTASSince the Bronze Age, Galicians have been taming wild horses. On the first weekend of the month of July, hundreds of wild horses

are rounded up by expert stockbreeders, known as AGARRADORES, then trimmed and groomed.

READING, ENGLAND: FESTIVAL OF FALCONRYBird-of-prey handlers from Turkmenistan hold falcons at the first Festival of Falconry. Bird keepers from all over the world attended

the event to highlight the popularity and importance of the sport worldwide.

BEDFORD SQUARE GARDENS, ENGLAND: THE CHAP & HENDRICK'S OLYMPICSA series of tongue-in-cheek competitions for traditional gentlemen who are against the vulgarity of modern culture, this festival

includes events such as mixing dry martinis, the three-trousered limbo and a pipe relay.

DUBLIN, GEORGIA: THE SUMMER REDNECK GAMESL-bow, the official mascot of the Summer Redneck Games, poses next to the mud pit with the festival's ceremonial torch. Started in 1996 as a spoof of the summer Olympics held in Atlanta, the Games feature bobbing for pigs feet, hub cap hurling and the Redneck

mud pit belly-flop contest.

IVREA, ITALY: THE BATTLE OF ORANGESThe origins of this festival are not well understood, particularly because oranges do not grow in the Alps of Italy, where the town is located. One legend has it that the Battle commemorates a popular rebellion of the 13th century, when the local poor deemed the

largess of their feudal lord as inadequate, and threw it back in his face.

BOSTON, USA: ZOMBIE MARCHFor the third straight year, Bostonians dressed as zombies marched from Boston to Cambridge's Harvard Square in what organizers

call a non-political, no-agenda good time.

EASTERN ISLAND, CHILE: TAPATI FESTIVALA week-long festival begun in the 1970s in an effort to drum up more tourism,Tapati includes a triathlon in which native participates

run around the lake of the Rano Raraku vulcano carrying a large bunch of bananas.

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