35 Outlandish Festivals That Prove Anything Can Be Celebrated

The town of Lopburi in Thailand celebrates a festival called the Monkey Buffet festival. People set out a large assortment (buffet) of food for the local monkeys.

The town Guanajuato in Mexico conducts a bizarre festival called the exploding hammer festival, where people strap primers and explosives to the end of sledgehammers and smash them into the ground, sometimes rupturing their eardrums and sending hammers flying through the air.

Tinku is a Bolivian festival which began as a form of ritualistic combat. During this festival, men and women from different communities will meet and begin the festivities by dancing. The women will then form circles and begin chanting while the men proceed to fight each other; rarely the women will join in the fighting as well.

China has a dog eating festival named Lychee and Dog Meat Festival where 10,000 - 15,000 dogs are eaten over a 10 day period. The festival has been criticized by animal welfare and animal rights supporters.

There is an annual festival for goths at Disneyland called Bats Day at the Fun Park. There are other scheduled events and gatherings on this day, including a large group picture in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle, group pictures at the Haunted Mansion, and a photo scavenger hunt.

The Gilroy Garlic Festival in California is the largest and arguably the smelliest food festival in the world. You can sample diverse creations such as garlic flavored ice cream and garlic French fries. Attractions include three stages full of musical entertainment, a garlic cook-off, celebrity cooking demonstrations, a garlic braiding workshop, a children's area, arts and crafts, and many interactive displays.

Holi is an Indian festival in which people dance, play live music, throw colored powders at each other, have a bonfire, consume cannabis (which is often distributed by the government for the occasion).

There is an annual cheese-rolling festival named Cooper's Hill Cheese-Rolling and Wake near Gloucester, England, in which people chase an approximately 9lb wheel of cheese down a steep hill. The cheese can reach speeds of 70mph, and many people are injured every year.

Busó Festival dates back to the 18th century which involves men dressing up as horned devils, or “Busós”, attempting to chase away the winter. It’s a terrifying sight, but all for a good cause: summer. It is celebrated in the southern Hungarian town of Mohács.

December 23 is "Night of the Radishes" in Oaxaca, Mexico. During this festival artisans across the city carve oversized radishes to depict scenes (traditionally nativity scenes) for visiting crowds.