The most absurd festivals in Europe. Unbelievable!

1. La Tomatina (Spain): Held annually in Buñol, participants throw overripe tomatoes at each other in a giant food fight that lasts for about an hour.
2. Running of the Bulls (Spain): During the San Fermín festival in Pamplona, participants run in front of a group of bulls released onto the streets, an event that has caused numerous injuries and even fatalities.
3. Cheese Rolling (England): In Gloucestershire, participants race down a steep hill after a wheel of Double Gloucester cheese, often resulting in tumbles and injuries.
4. Wife Carrying World Championship (Finland): In this quirky competition, men race while carrying their wives or female partners through an obstacle course for a chance to win their partner’s weight in beer.
5. Naked Festival (Japan): Known as Hadaka Matsuri, participants wear only a loincloth and compete to grab sacred sticks tossed by priests, with thousands of men attending to seek luck.
6. The Great British Tache (UK): A humorous contest where participants grow their mustaches over a period and then showcase their unique styles in a competition judged by public votes.
7. Air Guitar World Championships (Finland): Competitors perform air guitar routines in front of an audience, promoting the belief that anyone can rock out without a real instrument.
8. Giant Omelette Festival (France): In Bessières, chefs create a gigantic omelette made from thousands of eggs, which is then served to festival-goers, celebrating a tradition dating back to Napoleon.
9. Sziget Festival (Hungary): Known for its eclectic lineup, this week-long festival on Óbuda Island features not only music but also circus acts, theater performances, and even a tattoo parlor.
10. Up Helly Aa (Scotland): This Viking fire festival in Shetland involves a torch-lit procession and the burning of a Viking longship, celebrating the region’s Norse heritage.
11. International Beard and Moustache Championships (Germany): Held in various German cities, participants compete in categories like “largest beard” and “freestyle mustache” to showcase their facial hair creativity.
12. Oruro Carnival (Bolivia): While not in Europe, this festival influences European counterparts with its elaborate parades showcasing traditional costumes, dance, and music, celebrating indigenous culture.
13. Festival of the World’s Most Stupid Sports (Italy): Events include “bungee jumping into a lake” and “running in high heels,” inviting participants to embrace the absurd and humorous side of competition.

They make people laugh, they make some a little sense …they really exist and at least once in a lifetime should be seen!

The world with its traditions never ceases to amaze us. Sometimes we cannot even by the talent of the greatest imagination think that on the other side of the Planet or not far from us we can experience some such strange sometimes funny moments, other times a little unpleasant, some times even paradoxical. This happens! In large cities, but also in the smallest places in the world, there are customs, races, and really bizarre festivals. So many of them come to life especially in the summer, when life is most vibrant, when the desire for lightness invades us and when we always seem to be on vacation. Italy certainly gives its best at these festivals, but theEurope in general is an absolute big player. So here is a review of the most curious, bizarre, fun festivals in Europe that if you happen to be in that country, at that time you really shouldn’t miss…

Cheese Rolling Festival: running after cheese in Gloucestershire has never been so much fun

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jessie Vancouver (@jessieinvancouver)

It makes one laugh just thinking about it, and yet there is a tradition that has turned into a famous competition in the Cotswolds hills is the Cheese Rolling Festival. Competitors compete by running after a four-pound wheel of cheese! The race is usually held downhill and the race can even reach the speed of 130km/h. This competition precisely because of its dangerousness related to speed is made to fall under the category of extreme sports, which is why it is mandatory to use a helmet in order to participate. What do you win? It seems almost trivial to say… the trophy is really the wheel of cheese!

Bog Snorkelling World Championship: the slipperiest, smelliest ride is in Wales!

Thinking about it already feels like a less-than-pleasant condition on you, yet this ride is so much fun that some say it should be done at least once in a lifetime! La challenge is to wear a snorkel and dive into the dark, muddy waters of a bog and swim as fast as their legs allow, all while trying to ignore the slippery unknown creatures brushing against their bodies. This race echoes a long-standing English, British and Welsh tradition of doing things completely out of one’s mind during a bank holiday weekend.

La Tomatina: the most addictive tomato sauce is made in Spain!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by La Tomatina (@latomatinafestival)

It is also called the Battle of the Tomatoes and is inspired by a Spanish folk history fact that dates back to 1945 when a group of boys challenged each other in throwing tomatoes. This fact over the years has never lost tradition and, indeed, has become a popular moment that has involved more and more people and attracts many tourists. It takes place on the last Wednesday of August takes place in the town of Buño, during themerry pitched battle, the indomitable participants have as much fun as children throwing tomatoes at anyone who comes within range. The event lasts a full day when all participants welcome a truck that drops tomatoes that everyone tries to grab. Before the battle begins, a huge pole is planted topped with a ham, which is the award and thus also the goal to win.

Wife Carrying Championship: running with wives is done in Finland.

That carrying a woman is a gesture of gallantry, but that being able to run with her faster than others is a truly bizarre race. Yet it exists; this race takes place in Finland in July. Wife Carrying is a competition inspired by a 19th century legendary story of “Ronkainen the Thief”. It seems that Ronkainen and his thieves were accused of stealing food and women from the villagersi in the area where he lived then carried these women on their backs as they ran away. In 1992 it became a folkloric competition that consists today of carrying his wife. In order to win one must run with her in one’s arms for more than 250 meters, making their way over obstacle course, dodging water traps.