35 Outlandish Festivals That Prove Anything Can Be Celebrated

Fiesta de Santa Marta de Ribarteme which is also known as the Near Death Festival is held annually in the town of Las Nieves, Spain. A bunch of people who are not yet dead are carried in coffins. They are inside the coffin because they had a near-death experience in the past 12 months and are now showing their gratitude.

Las Bolas de Fuego is a festival which is held every year in the town of Nejapa, El Salvador. Participants throw flaming gasoline soaked balls of cloth at each other. The festival commemorates the volcanic eruption of 1922 and has resulted in shockingly few injuries.

Every year in the month of February, the people of Ivrea in Italy celebrate Battle of Oranges. It involves some thousands of townspeople, divided into nine combat teams, who throw oranges at each other with considerable violence during the traditional carnival days of Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.

During the annual Aztec festival of Xipe Totec, human captives used to have their hearts cut out, following which they were completely skinned. Priests then wore their skins for a period of 20 days.

There is a festival in Spain called Day of the Geese in which a greased goose is hung above the water and young men jump off a boat trying to rip off the goose head barehanded. The one who outmatches other males will win a young female adoration and he could bring the headless goose back home.

During the Makahiki festival in Hawaii, the chief would go offshore in a canoe. When he came back warriors threw spears at him and he had to deflect them to prove his worthiness to rule.

The annual Hadaka Matsuri festival is celebrated in Kawasaki, Japan. Participants celebrate everything phallic and wear minimum amount of clothing; usually, just a Japanese loincloth or even completely naked. The festival culminates with a massive parade featuring multiple gargantuan dongs on shoulder shrines. Over 9,000 men participate in this festival every year in hopes of gaining luck for the entire year.

The city of Verin in Spain celebrates the annual carnival festival of Entroido. Masked men mocking ancient tax collectors hit the streets, hitting anyone that dares to stand in their way. People throw dirt at them. The town gathers in the center to throw flour and ants at each other. Also a man with a cow’s head lifts women's skirts, among other things.

Up Helly Aa is a Scottish festival where people dress up as Vikings and set fire to a longship.

There is a festival called Eeyore's Birthday Party which is celebrated in Austin, Texas. It is celebrated in honor of the character from Winnie the Pooh, who believes everyone's forgotten his birthday.