Festivals have defined humanity throughout the ages, acting as a window into a region’s culture and social norms. They consolidate every sector of a society into a single event that offers others not only a glimpse into a region’s culture but also the opportunity to partake in it.
Some of the earliest recorded examples of festivals can be found in Ancient Mesopotamia, with the Akitu festival signaling the arrival of Summer or “Emesh” to the Sumerians around 2900 – 2334 BCE. Today, there is a festival for everything you can imagine, with their popularity peaking after the Second World War.
Here is a look into some of the most riveting, peculiar, and long-lived festivals that the earth has to offer, from the Day of the Dead in Mexico to the Pushkar Camel Fair in India; these are the world’s most unique and unusual festivals to experience.
1. Holi (India)
Holi is a sacred Indian tradition celebrated by Hindus. It involves putting complex social hierarchies aside in favor of joy and mirth. The festival is held on the full moon day of the Hindu month of Phalguna (March) and is a monochromatic affair in which festival-goers smear each other with handfuls of colored powder.
2. Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival (China)
The Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival is an annual themed winter festival held in Harbin, Heilongjiang, China. It holds the distinguished honor of being the largest ice and snow festival on earth. The festival went from humble beginnings as a small event displaying ice sculptures in 1963 to the juggernaut it is today, bringing in over $4 billion annually.
3. La Tomatina (Spain)
In the nondescript town of Bunol, Spain, in the province of Valencia, is one of the world’s most peculiar festivals. On the last Wednesday of every August, this small town of 4000 people sees 120 metric tons of tomatoes sacrificed when 20,000 people engage in the world’s biggest food fight.
4. Boryeong Mud Festival (South Korea)
Like something out of your wildest fever dream, the Boryeong Mud Festival attracts 1.8 million visitors, hoping to absorb some of the medicinal benefits of the mineral-rich mud flats in Boryeong. Launched in 1998, the mud festival is one of the biggest tourist attractions in South Korea.
5. Day of the Dead (Mexico)
A macabre festival that has risen to international fame as the backdrop of numerous scenes in Hollywood blockbusters, the Day of the Dead in Mexico celebrates life by venerating the dead. It is usually celebrated on November 1 and 2 and continues a tradition that goes back to the Aztecs in the 14th century.
6. Up Helly Aa (Scotland)
The last Tuesday of January in Lerwick, in the Shetland Islands of Scotland, is welcomed with a burst of flames. The Up Helly Aa festival is a fiery celebration of Shetland Norse heritage. Lerwick residents imitate Viking funerary rites with massive torchlight processions, the burning of a galley ship, and hundreds of people clad in Viking regalia.
7. Carnival of Venice (Italy)
The Carnival of Venice is the annual rendition of a tradition that dates back to 1162. The legend goes that an impromptu party was held in Saint Mark’s Square to celebrate a military victory over the patriarchate of Aquileia. That party would become an annual event, distinguished by colorful costumes celebrated two weeks before Lent.
8. Pushkar Camel Fair (India)
Home to the world’s largest camel markets, the Pushkar Camel Fair is an annual festival held in Pushkar, Rajasthan, that features camel races and cultural performances. The festival is believed to be over a century old, having begun as a celebration of the full moon during the Hindu lunar month of Kartik.
9. Gion Matsuri (Japan)
The Gion Matsuri festival in Kyoto, Japan, is an ancient celebration that began in 869 to appease the gods during a pandemic. It is Japan’s biggest festival, attracting visitors from all over the globe to view processions of traditional floats and cultural events, which take place between July 13 and July 17.
10. Mardi Gras (United States)
Every year, New Orleans hosts Mardi Gras, an extravaganza known for elaborate costumes, bead throwing, and extravagant parades. The festival, which derives its name from the French word for Fat Tuesday, commences on Twelfth Night (January 6) and lasts until Fat Tuesday, which is on February 13. The celebrations act as a time of indulgence and revelry before the solemn period of Lent begins.
11. Rio Carnival (Brazil)
Two million people a day flock to the streets of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, before Lent to participate in the world’s biggest carnival. The Rio Carnival began in 1723 with Portuguese immigrants in Brazil and today features samba parades, street parties, and provocative outfits.
12. Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta (United States)
What began as a small gathering of 13 balloons in 1972 quickly grew into the largest ballooning event in the world just six years later, in 1978. The balloon fiesta is a nine-day event that occurs in the first week of October and is attended by over 700 pilots flying 600 balloons, leaving the skies of Albuquerque looking like the scene of a Pixar movie.
13. Songkran Water Festival (Thailand)
The Songkran festival is Thailand’s biggest and most important cultural and religious festival. It marks the beginning of a New Year in accordance with the traditional Thai Calendar. The festival marks the passage of the sun from one astrological sphere to another and occurs between 13 and 15 April.
14. Wakakusa Yamayaki (Japan)
The Wakakusa Yamayaki is a festival held in Nara, Japan. In it, the grass on Mount Wakakusayama is set ablaze, creating a fiery inferno visible throughout the city. The festival has been an ongoing practice for the past 250 years and is held on the fourth Saturday of every January.
15. Monkey Buffet Festival (Thailand)
As the last Sunday of November draws near, a massive banquet is prepared for the ruins of the Phra Prang Sam Yot temple in Lopburi, Thailand, in honor of the country’s simian friends.
The Monkey Festival is a massive feast held to attract tourism and celebrate the long-tail macaques, the region’s native species.
16. Cheese Rolling Festival (United Kingdom)
Like something out of a Charlie Chaplin movie, participants each year chase a wheel of cheese down a hill in Gloucestershire, England. The event takes place on Whit Monday, at the end of May, and continues a pagan tradition born in Roman-era Britain but first recorded in 1837.
17. Glastonbury Festival (United Kingdom)
The Glastonbury Festival is one of the world’s largest music festivals. The first festival was hosted by Michael Eavis on Saturday, September 19, 1970, and was attended by 1,500 people. Today, Glastonbury’s popularity is unparalleled, with tickets selling out in 30 minutes and the festival housing 203,500 people.
18. Burning Man (United States)
Burning Man, which takes place between August 25 and September 2 in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert, is an annual gathering of artistic expression known for its contemporary art installations and the burning of a giant wooden effigy. The event attracts attendees in the tens of thousands.
19. Oktoberfest (Germany)
Every beer lover’s dream: Oktoberfest is an annual festival held in Munich, Germany. The festival lasts two weeks and ends on the first Sunday of October. Famous for its extensive beer halls and food stands, the celebrations see an incredible 2 million gallons of beer consumed by its 7 million attendees.
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Caitriona Maria is an education writer and founder of TPR Teaching, crafting inspiring pieces that promote the importance of developing new skills. For 7 years, she has been committed to providing students with the best learning opportunities possible, both domestically and abroad. Dedicated to unlocking students' potential, Caitriona has taught English in several countries and continues to explore new cultures through her travels.