8 Inspirational and Strange Festivals of Earth

People celebrate life, season, family, holidays and momentous occassions everywhere across the planet. But the most interesting events are the truly strange festivals of Earth. Animals are venerated, old spirits revived, strange foods are cooked and bizarre traditions are highlighted.

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The World Body Painting Festival

Klagenfurt, Austria : Late Summer, usually July

Undoubtedly the most eye-catching festival on this list, the World Body Painting Festival is an enormous, annual event where the art of body painting is showcased on global platforms. The festival takes place in Klagenfurt, Austria where thousands of people attend body painting contests, workshops, private human galleries and additional side events.

The festival has three days open to the public, located in the Geotepark (Also known as Bodypaint City.) The event is considered family-friendly, so children and adults both attend.

World Kimchi Festival

Gwangju, South Korea : November

For people looking for profound culinary experiences, South Korea’s Kimchi Festival is an amazing opportunity. South Korea hosts a Kimchi Festival, where the country’s most famous food is fully showcased. The Festival takes place in the major urban city Gwangju, South Korea. Here, Koreans showcase the many different type of kimchi. Visitors can sample traditionally fermented foods or modern culinary experiments,

The festival also includes performance, regional kimchi contests, samples of different types of the food, historical lessons on the creation of kimchi in relation to Korean culture and a open market area.

Lower Keys Underwater Music Festival

Big Pine Key, Florida, United States : Annually on the Saturday following the 4th of July

This Festival was originally intended to raise awareness while protecting the America’s reef system. The program allows hundred of snorkelers and divers to swim underwater at Looe Key Reef located within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.

Visitors can listen to eerie underwater melodies being played by underwater speakers attatched to boats anchored above the reef. The music is played by local radio station, 104.1 FM allowing people to experience the surreal biome of coral reefs while also learning about responsible diving and reef exploration techniques. The unusual setting and distorted underwater sounds makes this a contender among other strange festivals of Earth.

Shinto Kanamara Matsuri  – Festival of the Steel Phallus

Kanayama Shrine, Kawasaki, Japan : Spring, usually around April

Japan, being Japan, has the world’s most popular penis festival. Visitors get to see the phallus as the central theme of the festival, with parades, decorations, candy, drinks, carved vegetables and illustrations carrying the day.

The festival was originally centered around the god Kanayama-hiko and the goddess Kanayama-hime. These divine figures, known for blacksmithing, childbirth and marital harmony also provide protection from STDs. The festival has become a major tourist attraction, with the money generated being used for HIV research.

Naadam Festival

Mongolia : July 11th to July 13th

For centuries, Mongolians across all of Mongolia have celebrated the Naadam Festival, a massive series of games and contests dedicated to the expression of manliness. The festival is centered around the “Three Games of Men” which are wrestling, horse racing and archery. Due to its cultural importance, the festival is a UNESCO heritage event.

The festival is home to an amazingly colorful showcasing of Mongolian steppe-and-plains culture. Aside from the central sporting events, the festival is also home to oral traditions, performing arts, Mongolian craftsmanship, cultural throat-singing, the Bie Biyelgee Dances, various traditional instruments and distinctive Mongolian rituals

Kukur Tihar – The Worship of the Dogs

Nepal : This festival is within Diwali, usually in Late October or Early November

Dogs are the best. And they deserve the best festival. Kukur Tihar is a Hindu Festival where people worship dogs, thought to be messengers of the Death God Yama (Yamaraj). The festival involves many dog-centric activities, including dressing dogs in tilaka and flower garlands. There are also offerings of meat, eggs and dog food.

The five-day festival is incredibly respectful to dogs, as well as sacred cows and crows. The festival involves many ceremonies and additional care for canine friends, including local strays.

The festival is rooted in an ancient Hindu story. Once upon a time, Yudhishthira of the Pandava was offered entrance to Svarga, the celestial realm of the Hindu devas. Yudhishthira famously refused to enter without his companion dog, who revealed himself to the death god Yama.

Krampusnacht 

Germany and Austria : December 5 Evening

Austria has an additional festival rooted around Yuletide, showcasing Krampus. Krampus has taken on a role as a counter-Santa-Nicolas figure, infamous for punishing misbehaving children. The actual roots of Krampus are from centuries ago. The modern Krampus is depicted as a hairy humanoid with cloven hooves, horns and a dangerous series of switches.

During the Krampusnacht festivities, and Krampus Parade, figures dressed as Krampus and his grim helpers , the evil-elves known as perchten, roam the streets. The parade is a rollicking event with people dressed in Krampus attire maximizing festivities.

However, the true centerpiece of the event includes the Krampus Run, which secures this event a place in this strange festivals of Earth list. Traditionally, drunk festival attendees would attempt to outrun Krampus and his minions in a sprint which ended in a feast. The festival still retains a lot of excellent traditional foods, including stollen Christmas spice cake, vanillekipferl nut-flour cookies and kiachln doughnuts.

Harbin’s International Ice and Snow Festival

Harbin, China : January 5th to February 5th

The world’s largest ice and snow festival is located in the frozen winter wonderland of Harbin, China. This freezing city is home to Russian architecture and cultural culinary influences. But the main appeal are the incredible ice castles and towering snow carvings alongside various lantern celebrations. The ice structures, which are large enough to walk within or upon, are made with LED lights frozen inside, causing the entire festival to glow brightly each night.

For more information on visiting Harbin’s Ice and Snow Festival in China, click here

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