The Bizarre World Events Calendar

Australia
Scotland, UK

Up Helly Aa is an annual festival that involves a procession of up to a thousand Viking-clad participants, and culminates in flaming torches being thrown into replica Viking longships.

Up Helly Aa is a tradition that originated in the 1880s. Since then the festival has been an annual occurrence in the Shetland calendar (barring several postponements due to wars and other national-interest events).

An incredibly strong experience is promised to all who attend. There is a public holiday in the region the following day for "recovery", so you can be assured also of a good night out!!



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The Parkes Elvis Festival celebrates the King of Rock 'n' Roll's birthday with performances, buskers, dinners and even wedding vow renewals. Hosts of impersonators make sure that the festival programme is jam-packed with events.

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Canada
Japan
USA

Every February the small artists' colony of Langley, Washington State, is overtaken by the investigations surrounding a diabolical pseudo-crime. Anyone can get involved in the Langley Mystery Weekend, who according to the organisers are the originators of the mystery weekend idea.

A fresh mystery tale has been scripted since its inception in 1984 with the roles of suspects that participants must interview in order to solve the mystery being played by local group members. If you fancy your chances as a sleuth you can pay your US$5 entry fee at the visitor centre and be presented with a clue-packed newspaper.

All is revealed in a "whodunnit" style finale, where the plot is explained and prizes are awarded to those who solve the mystery.

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On the third Saturday of February (possibly the coldest day of the year), thousands of men throng the streets of Okayama in Japan to take part in the Hadaka Matsuri or Naked Festival. These men are almost completely naked (and almost completely mad!), wearing only fundoshi, a narrow loincloth. Before entering the temple, they purify themselves by passing through a trough of frigid water, then pay respects to two sacred statues. Then they begin to crowd into the temple. With cries of "Washoi, washoi!" they work themselves into a frenzy. Despite the bitter cold, steam rises from their bodies and festival staff periodically drench the mob with water from hoses.

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Each year, at the peak of winter, the Montreal High Lights Festival heats up the city with fine food, fireworks and festivity. The Montreal All-Nighter, also known as Nuit Blanche is part of this exciting urban festival. Various city venues host events, including numerous restaurants where visitors can take advantage of special fixed price menus put on by guest chefs.

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England, UK

Sorry, this could fall in March, April or May!

The main event at The World Coal Carrying Championships, the men's contest, starts at The Royal Oak, Owl Lane from where competitors, each carrying 1cwt. of coal, ( 50 kg. ) have to run close on a mile, 1108.25 yards to be precise, (1012.5 metres) as quickly as possible, before being allowed to drop the " secks 'o' coil " at the foot of the Maypole, which stands on the village green. The current and WORLD RECORD is 4mins. 6secs held by one DAVID JONES of Meltham. He has achieved this time twice, in 1991 and again in 1995, just to prove that the first time wasn't a fluke. He holds six, in fact of the top ten times.

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Southern Hemisphere

The World Naked Bike Ride calls for protesters to ride through the streets in body paint and not much more, all to raise awareness for environmental issues and and let people know about the harm done by gas-burning motor vehicles.

The event takes place on the same day in 70 cities and 20 countries on two days of the year, one in March in the southern hemisphere, the other in June in the northern hemisphere. So go on, rip off yer clothes, daub yerself in paint and get blisters on your bum!!

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England, UK
Thailand

Cheese Rolling is an annual event in Gloucestershire where brave/nutty locals chase a large round cheese down a near-vertical grass slope.

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Things get very noisy at Phaya Thaen Park during the Yasothon Bun Bangfai Rocket Festival, as local villagers continue the tradition of calling the rain gods by setting off massive rockets into the sky. The ceremony that originated in the hope of improving the rice yield has evolved into a full blown festival, but as climate changes caused by phenomena like El Nino and global warming have caused this part of north-eastern Thailand to experience severe droughts over the past few years, it's perhaps more apt than ever. Whichever way it is perceived, the locals have turned the festival into a real sporting event, which also boasts beauty pageants and much traditional feasting.

The general idea is for the rocket teams to launch their missiles into the sky in an attempt to gain the greatest height. The Heath Robinson affairs that are sent skywards are of a nature that would not allow the competition to be staged in Western Europe or North America (sorry to generalise - I don't mean to leave anyone out, but I'm sure you understand?). Just remember to wear a hard hat!

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Northern Hemisphere
Austria
Estonia
Spain
USA

The Baby Jumping Festival has taken place in the Province of Burgos since 1621. Grown men dressed as devils leap over several swaddled babies at a time in order to "bless" them. This is pertifying to watch; "what if he slips, or misjudges slightly?" - the mind wanders taking with it much of the fun. Saying that, the jumping event is accompanied by a procession and leads to a thoroughly enjoyable time.

One slip, one trip...stupid really!!

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Founded in 1983 by Coney Island USA, the Mermaid Parade pays homage to Coney Island's forgotten Mardi Gras which lasted from 1903 to 1954, and draws from a host of other sources resulting in a wonderful and wacky event that is unique to Coney Island.

The Mermaid Parade celebrates the sand, the sea, the salt air and the beginning of summer, as well as the history and mythology of Coney Island, Coney Island pride, and artistic self-expression. The Parade is characterized by participants dressed in hand-made costumes as Mermaids, Neptunes, various sea creatures, the occasional wandering lighthouse, Coney Island post card or amusement ride, as well as antique cars, marching bands, drill teams, and the odd yacht pulled on flatbed.

Each year, a different celebrity King Neptune and Queen Mermaid rule over the proceedings, riding in the Parade and assisting in the opening of the Ocean for the summer swimming season by marching down the Beach from the Boardwalk, cutting through Ribbons representing the seasons, and tossing fruit into the Atlantic to appease the Sea Gods. In the past, David Byrne, Queen Latifah, Ron Kuby, Curtis Sliwa, Moby, David Johansen and Harvey Keitel have presided over the assembled masses.

The Parade is followed by the Mermaid Parade Ball, a post-parade gathering where costumed parade participants can get together with each other and parade spectators to listen to live music, purchase raffle tickets, and watch burlesque and sideshow acts performed by some of New York City's hottest burlesque stars.

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The World Naked Bike Ride calls for protesters to ride through the streets in body paint and not much more, all to raise awareness for environmental issues and and let people know about the harm done by gas-burning motor vehicles.

The event takes place on the same day in 70 cities and 20 countries on two days of the year, one in March in the southern hemisphere, the other in June in the northern hemisphere. So go on, rip off yer clothes, daub yerself in paint and get blisters on your bum!!

BIZARRE FACTOR 7

Body Gras! is the annual World Body Painting Championship hosted in Austria.

Body painting is a burgeoning art form, not unlike tattooing and other forms of body art, which is fast becoming an internationally recognised and respected form of art. It regularly appears in the media and is widely used by the advertising industry for campaigns requiring a unique hook. Music videos have long made use of this bold and daring technique.

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Well, the name says it all really doesn't it?

Princess Abby won the 2010 " target="new">World's Ugliest Dog ® Contest at the Sonoma-Marin Fair in Petaluma. Princess Abby is a Chihuahua with a hunched and peculiar walk due to that her back legs are longer than her front. She also has a missing eye, mismatched ears, and an audience-pleasing ability to dance on her two hind feet for treats.

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Estonia became new world champions at the extreme sport of mosquito swatting in June 2010, after an Estonian man, David Gavidas, swatted 38 mosquitoes during a world championship attempt in the Estonian town of Tartu.

Participants have to swat as many mosquitoes as they can while standing in a square metre of grass. Experienced competitors work up a sweat to tempt the creatures in.

The winner, who completely overshadowed the previous Finnish-held record score of just eight, said "My arms and legs hurt and itch since the competition but otherwise I'm fine."

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England, UK
Finland
South Korea
Spain
USA

Contestants from all over the world to compete in the Wife Carrying World Championships. The race is based on ancient Finnish tradition where it was not uncommon for men to steal women from neighbouring villages. One legend tells of Herkko Rosvo-Ronkainen who snatched food and ladies from villages and carried them to his home in the forest. Keeping to this tradition, the wife need not be that of the male contestant, or even married at all come to that!

Winners across the 250 metre course have been mostly Estonian with a smattering of Finnish. Perhaps there's a message there somewhere?

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The Boryeong Mud Festival is good, clean fun. An estimated 2 million people from around the world converge on this small South Korean coastal city just to play in the mud. There are mud slides, mud wrestling, mud sculpture and mud photo contests amongst other activities. Here's the reason for it al ... the other part of the festival is pitching the beauty and skincare products made from Boryoeng City's famous mud.

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We've all done it (yes, even you!); stood in the middle of a room, perhaps in front of a mirror and ripped out a riff with back bent and eyes closed.

It's not easy to get into the Air Guitar World Championship as a contestant, but it's a lot of fun to watch. The event began in 1996 as a bit of a laugh, but has grown until it now has an air of (semi) seriousness about it.

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This is a rather haphazard and disorganised event that takes place on the second Saturday of July each year following a challenge that was made by one K T Smith in 1979. The said gentleman was drinking in the Mugs Away Saloon (the event's annual location - actually the chain link fence opposite) when he suddenly offered to buy a drink for anyone who ran across the road and mooned the next train that passed by. Now I'm not much at maths, but I do know that:

Free drink = many bared buttocks!

Thirsty mooners gather across the road from the Mugs Away to share their wares day and night (torches and lanterns are attached to the fence when the sun goes down) for a full moon experience!

As you'll see if you do a bit of image-based research (as I was forced to do to write this module), it's a really well partonised event, in a very well to do city!!

BIZARRE FACTOR 8

On Saturday 5th July 1980 local Willaston farmer's son, Tom Shufflebotham amazed a disbelieving world by charming a total of 511 worms out of the ground in half an hour. True, there had been rather dubious unsubstantiated reports of a similar activity in Florida, USA some 10 years previous, but this was the first time a true competition with strict rules had been held. The village of Willaston, near Nantwich, Cheshire has been the venue for the annual World Championships ever since.

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The Pamplona bull run takes place at 8am every morning from 7th to 14th July. Runners must be in the running area by 7.30am. The actual run stretches from the corral at Santo Domingo where the bulls are kept, to the bullring where they will fight that same afternoon. The length of the run is 825 metres and the average time of the run from start to finish is about three minutes. The streets through the old town which make up the bull run are walled off so the bulls can't escape. Each day six fighting bulls run the route as well as two herds of bullocks.

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"The truth is out there" - yes, actually - in Roswell.

In July, 1947, a mysterious object crashed on a ranch 30 miles north of Roswell (or did it?). The Roswell Army Air Field (RAAF) issued a statement claiming to have recovered a crashed "flying disk" (or did they?). An article ran on the front page of the Roswell Daily Record and the next day, RAAF changed its statement to say that the object was a weather balloon, not a flying disk as they previously reported (yes, they actually did). This revised statement sparked immediate controversy and has continued to be a topic of debate more than 60 years later.

The City of Roswell invites UFO enthusiasts and skeptics alike to join in the celebration of one of the most debated incidents in history. The event generally features guest speakers, authors, live entertainment, a costume contest, a pet costume contest (go get 'em), a parade, family-friendly activities and more.

Plenty of lodging options are available in the city, with many hotels within a two mile radius of the event. Roswell also has public bus transportation with Pecos Trails Transit. The majority of the events are held downtown (very few exceptions), with all events within walking distance of each other.

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World Pillow Fighting Championships Competition takes place straddling a slippery wet pole suspended over a pit of mud. Contestants slither along the pole to the starting position, an achievement in itself. During combat no hands can touch the pole and no feet can be used to unseat an opponent. The only weapon is a wet feather pillow that can be swung using one or both hands.

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The Summer Redneck Games is a tongue-in-cheek event featuring individual events as far reaching as the Dumpster Dive, the Armpit Serenade, the Hubcap Hurl, Bobbing for Pig's Feet (mmm!) and the creme de la creme Mud-Pit Belly Flop.

The Dumpster Dive involves a mad dive into a rubbish-packed dumpster in order to attempt to find a holiday prize.
The Armpit Serenade winners make a sound that should most closely resemble that of a broken wind!!
The Hubcap Hurl can be likened to the ancient and noble art of throwing the discus.
Bobbing for Pig's Feet is not like bobbing for apples. The feet don't float and they take some time to defrosh...shudder!
The Mud-Pit Belly Flop is an all out dive into red mud, which is judged on form and size of splash.

Don't be shy now y'all!

BIZARRE FACTOR 8

Peru, Indiana, hosts the only Circus Heritage Parade in the United States, during July. On display are authentic circus wagons, clowns, calliopes, wild animals, floats and bands. The parade claims to be the longest running circus parade in the United States, and second largest parade in the state of Indiana.

BIZARRE FACTOR 1

Estonia
Finland
New Zealand
Singapore
Spain
Wales, UK

Go and throw a lot of tomatoes at people you know, or don't know. It's all OK, because they're chucking them at you too!

La Tomatina tomato fight in Buñol near Valencia happens every year on the last Wednesday in August though the partying starts earlier in the week. The highlight of the festival is the tomato fight which takes place between 11am and 1pm on that day.

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Mobile (or cell) Phone Throwing is a popular sport in Finland (don't ask why - they just like bizarre things such as this in that country). Contestants are judged by distance and sometimes technique, and dependant on the particular contest rules, the cell phone must either be tossed backwards over the shoulder or freestyle (contestants choice), with the distance being calculated as an average across three attempts. Sometimes "creativity" points are awarded for "unusuality".

Get along, get involved; the World Championship Mobile Phone Throwing competition is open to anyone, as long as you register first.

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The smallest town in Great Britain hosts the International Extreme Bog Snorkelling Championships each year, with the prestigious award of World Bogsnorkler being perhaps overshadowed by entry into the Guinness Book of Records. Each year sees more contestant entries, a number which now totals over 200 each year.

BIZARRE FACTOR 9

Generally regarded as the Chinese version of Halowe'en, the Taoist Hungry Ghost Festival is said to appease the ghosts who roam the earth for a month every year. These ghosts are easily pleased with traditional Chinese operas and extravagant feasts, all held outdoors in public view.
The festival has become a fully fledged celebration of traditional Chinese culture, with performances of Chinese entertainments everywhere, mixed with the ever-present scent of incense burning at numerous small altars. Families burn paper crafts in the shape of modern items (cars, money, DVDs) so that their ancestors may use these modern devices.

Mostly celebrated in southern China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, but especially in Singapore and Malaysia.

Have a look at drs2biz's Squidoo lens for more in-depth info.

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The Zoobomb Summer Olympics (aka BiffDay) is due to take place in August, but the event occurs every Sunday evening, and it seems that anyone who's mad enough to participate may do so.

The idea is to fly down a hill as fast as possible on as unusual a bicycle as possible. Current trends tend towards kids's bicycles, but anything goes really! And if you don't have your own bike, there's alwats the "Zoobomb pile", a sculptured tower of bicycles that are locked up at the Zoobomb meeting point. The event has become so well known in the area that the pile is now a local landmark.



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Once a year, New Zealand plays host as topless porn stars, transvestites and other exhibitionists cruise through Auckland in the annual Boobs on Bikes Parade. An estimated 80,000 to 100,000 people line the streets of the country's busiest city, as traffic grounds to a halt.

Boobs on Bikes is part of New Zealand's "Erotica Expo," and 2010's parade held some intrigue as feminists, bureaucrats and commuters (who just wanted to travel to work in peace) tried to block the event.

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Every summer inhabitants of the Estonian island of Hiiumaa throw open their doors and their gardens to set themselves up as one-day coffee shops. The event takes place in the capital of Hiiumaa, Kärdla, known for its coffee drinkers since the 19th century. While other islanders were still drinking sour milk and birch juice, the residents of Kärdla were already roasting a brown coffee-type beverage.

This happens in August each year when householders bake cakes and serve coffee and tea to visitors to the island. I wonder if my friend at Home Bake Kitchen knows about this? It could do wonders for her One Day Baking sales!!

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Wellington's World of Wearable Arts is a combination of both art and fashion, and comes loaded with international acclaim due to its originality. The event began in New Zealand's South Island in 1987, and has since crossed to the North Island where it is now held annually in Wellington.

Everyone and anyone is invited to offer up their most bizarre creations for inclusion in the show, and it's quite often the non-arty and non-fashiony types that are shortlisted. So why don't you have a go?

BIZARRE FACTOR 5

Canada
England, UK
Indonesia
USA

The Karapan Sapi bull racing is a very popular sport in Indonesia. They are held at least twice a month during September and October in the towns of Bangkalan, Sampang and Pameksan, with the finals are held in Pameksan after the harvest.

When I mentioned this festival to my frfiends, rather surprisingly more than one of them wondered just where Indonesia was. Ever the salesman, I pointed them towards my two art sites, Gallerisation and Clockwork Gallery where I have world underground maps for sale. Have a look, you might make my day, er, I mean like them!

BIZARRE FACTOR 5

Body Gras! is the annual Canadian Body Painting Championship. It claims to be all about embellishing the beauty and mystery of the human form in a provocative, competitive and titillating environment using paints, props, music, and magination.

At it's most complex, body painting is an exciting, three-dimensional, living, breathing form of art - crafted in this day and age with FDA approved body paint and a limitless imagination. At it's best, the specter that is Body Gras! is becoming neveu entertainment to an incredibly diverse audience.

Body painting is a burgeoning art form, not unlike tattooing and other forms of body art, which is fast becoming an internationally recognised and respected form of art. It regularly appears in the media and is widely used by the advertising industry for campaigns requiring a unique hook. Music videos have long made use of this bold and daring technique.

BIZARRE FACTOR 5

The annual Crab Fair has been a feature in Egremont since medieval times, the most notable element of which is the World Gurning Championships.

So what does it mean to be a World Gurning Champion? Well, a gurn is a contortion of the face, said to have originated when the locals bit into the crab apples that were handed out by the local landlord.

Anyone can join in. Are you particularly ugly, or can you make yourself so? If so, get yourself down there and give it your best shot.

BIZARRE FACTOR 8

OK, so it's just another car event right? Wrong(ish)! Each one of the vehicles shown at this event has been lovingly mentalised by, well nutty people I suppose!!

So if you're in the area, or feel a driving (get where I'm coming from with that one?) need to see some different four-wheeled autos, come along and marvel at the bonkers contraptions at the annual ArtCar Fest, or come along in your own.

The festival focuses on the San Jose Museum of Art, where a special ArtCar is built each year before your very eyes.

BIZARRE FACTOR 3

Germany
New Zealand

Oktoberfest. Is this a bizarre event? Millions of people downing millions of gallons of beer? The sheer volume of consumed ale in itself is rather awe inspiring, so yes, I'm offering official bizarre status to Oktoberfest.

I tried to work out the quantities that must be drunk each year, and to help me I had a pint per million people who annually attend. Apparently there were 6.4 million at last year's event. My maths improves beyond all recognicion after five pints, and I came to the conclusion that there were over a hundred litres (I can even work in continental measures when I'm in the zone) consumed last year. Wow! This figure may not be absolutely accurate though, so I'd advise you to either work it out yourself (by pretending you're a million people ratioed down) or just go and enjoy yourself.

Have a peep at BookNow's Squidoo lens for some more in-depth and soberer info.

BIZARRE FACTOR 1

The Shepherds' Shemozzle s part of the Hunterville Huntaway Festival. It's a somewhat strange affair where local shepherds are required to find their dogs. On route they must endure some unpleasantries, which usually involves getting wet and dirty, and having to eat something rather nausious, such as raw testicles, raw eggs, dry weetbix followed by a can of warm beer, sheep's eyeballs with cream, or huhu bugs (big juicy maggot-like beetle larvae!). The poor contestants have no idea what's in store for them each year - just that it won't be their gastronomic ideal.

If the Shemozzle's not up your street, there're always sheep shearing and dog barking competitions to keep you amused. Sssh! If you go, just count the fingers!!

BIZARRE FACTOR 7

Italy
Philippines

The townsfolk of Angono soak one another with water during the parading of ten-foot-high papier-mache giants when the Higantes (Giants) - Feast of San Clemente is at its height. I'm sure I don't know how the constructors of theses giant figures feel though - isn't papier-mache messed up where water's involved?

Anyway, pack your balloon ammunition and leave your water at home - that bit's supplied free!

BIZARRE FACTOR 3

We've all played Snakes and Ladders, but not like this. There's no table top and no dice. The players (six local neighbourhood teams) literally run around a life size board trying to scale the ladders (various obstacles) and avoid the snakes (Geese - yes, Geese).

There is an excuse however. This game is in fact a very old tradition dating back to the 16th century. They must have been bonkers too!!

BIZARRE FACTOR 8

China
Mexico

With a freezing season of over six months, the northeast Chinese city of Harbin is known as a "City of Ice" and one of the leading cultural ice-and-snow centres in the world. The longevity of its winter, and the high plasticity and hardness of the ice blocks that are cut from the Songhua River, ensure the perfect conditions for ice and snow sculpture.

Some of the events that occur during this festival include an ice lantern show, ice & snow sculpture displays & competitions, winter swimming, ice hockey, speed-skating and alpine & cross country skiing competitions. When it gets too cold, there are several indoor events, such as exhibitions of art calligraphy and photography, folklore shows, ethnic song and dance parties and a commodities fair and trade negotiations. There are also weddings that are condcted on the ice-covered river.

BIZARRE FACTOR 2

Why radishes? Don't ask, I don't know!

The town of Oaxaca in Mexico is packed full of radish sculpters (erm, I said don't ask!) in the days running up to Christmas during the annual Radish Festival (La Noche de Rábanos). Prizes are offered to the best sculptures, with the winning contestants boasting cash prizes. Everyone else just scoffs buñuelos (deep-fried doughnuts drenched in syrup) and then throws the plate over a shoulder. You can ask about this one however, as the number of shattered pieces are said to foretell the fortune for the coming year.

As ever with these kind of events, a firework display will follow. Nice alternative Christmas if you can manage to get there.

BIZARRE FACTOR 7 Why radishes???

Poddys: News From A Weird World