It’s A Weird World: 5 Surreal Festivals Around The World
From local heritage to fruits to harvests and more, festivals around the world celebrate a variety of things. Each year, these festivals attract thousands of people who want to experience a specific culture first-hand. We’ve found some festivals that are seriously redefining the word “madness”.
International Hair Freezing Competition, Canada
This competition is unique. Participants must immerse their heads in the hot springs and get their hair completely wet. The outside temperature must be below -20 degrees Celsius. The goal is for the cold air to freeze your hair and form frost and ice. Once your hair is all white and frozen, ring the bell and get out of the water. Contestants will be honored in five categories – Best Man, Best Woman, Best Group, Nongshim’s Popular Choice and Tim Horton’s Most Creative. The winner in each category will receive CAD$2,000 and two hot spring passes. The event takes place at a resort in Canada’s Takhini Hot Springs of Yukon, considered the country’s backyard.
World Body Painting Festival, Austria
The festival is a global platform for art, the largest annual event in body painting culture. It usually takes place in July and attracts participants from more than fifty different nations and 30,000 spectators. The offering consists of three main day attractions with workshops led by leading artists in brush and sponge, airbrush, special effects, beauty makeup and headdress. Side events include costume ball (body circus), international DJ performances and musical extravaganzas on stage. The body paint city, also known as Klagenfurt, welcomes young and old with various hands-on events and activities. The artists compete against each other in different categories for three days and are later awarded as recognition.
Annual Mud Festival Boryeong, South Korea
This festival is held at Daecheon Beach in Boryeong from July to August every year. People gather to play in the mud that comes from the Boryeong Wadden Sea, which is rich in minerals and has many health benefits. The festival is a national attraction in South Korea and attracts tourists every year. You can see how the entire Boryeong seafront is adorned with mud baths and mudslides where visitors can swim and play. Various music and dance competitions are also held for entertainment, which the crowds eagerly enjoy. The event also features mud skiing, mud body painting competitions, swimming areas in mud pools, and services such as spa, acupuncture, and Boryeong mud beauty treatments. At the end of two weeks, a magnificent fireworks display closes this annual celebration.
Underwater Music Festival, Florida
We’ve all heard about music festivals and attended them. But have you witnessed an underwater music festival? This Florida event is a dreamy affair that takes place annually on the Saturday after July 4th. The concert takes place on Looe Key Reef, the third largest coral reef system in the world. On boats that float above the reef, waterproof speakers are used to stream nautical-themed radio playlist music. And the event – for a good cause – promotes responsible diving and coral reef conservation. The performances are brought to life by costumed mermaids and musicians, who add brilliant dances and impromptu guitar solos to the music.
Battle of the Oranges, Italy
Italy’s biggest food attack, the Battle of the Oranges, takes place over three days in February. The participants split into nine squads, protect themselves with helmets and body armor and shoot oranges at each other. This battle results in the destruction of nearly 500,000 pounds of oranges. The heavy Italian oranges pave the entire street in mush that floats down the route. The 30-minute fight aims to knock down the opponent, killing the other team and disqualifying them. Cuts and bruises are common injuries when Italian pride performs on behalf of the winner.
