8 of our favourite traditions from around the world

All cultures have their own customs and traditions, often unique to them. Outsiders might find some of them quite unusual, but many of these traditions have been passed down from generation to generation and have very special meanings to those who partake in them. 

Here are some of our favourites…

1. La Tomatina

La Tomatina, held annually in Buñol in Spain, is a festival where participants pelt each other with tomatoes. It started between friends in the 1940s and is now claimed to be the biggest food fight in the world. 

2. The Festival of Scrambled Eggs

The Festival of Scrambled Eggs aka The Cimburijada is held in Zenica, Bosnia, to celebrate the start of spring. Hundreds and hundreds of eggs are cooked in giant pans near the bank of the Bosna River and are then eaten by the people attending the festival.

3. Gloucestershire’s Cheese Rolling Event

Every year, on the spring bank holiday, a round Double Gloucester cheese, weighing 9 pounds, is rolled down Cooper’s Hill in Gloucestershire. The cheese has a one second head start before the participants chase it down the 180 metre hill. The winner of the cheese is the first person to make it to the bottom of the hill and across the finish line.

5. Baby Jumping

Every year in Castrillo de Murica, Spain, a tradition called El Salto del Colacho (the devil jump) takes place. Babies, laid out on mattresses in the street, are jumped over by men dressed as devils. This is believed to absolve the babies of any sin and protect them from evil spirits.

6. The International Hair Freezing Contest

The International Hair Freezing Contest, held every February in Yukon, Canada, is a sculpted hair competition. The competitors sit in a hot spring, dunk their hair, then sculpt it while it’s wet. The cold air then causes the hair to freeze and their entry into the competition is the shape of their hair at that time. 

7. Caber Tossing

Normally practised at the Scottish Highland Games, the caber toss is a traditional Scottish event. Competitors toss a large pole, called a caber, with the objective being that it turns end over end and falls away from the thrower.

7. The Battle of the Oranges

Celebrated in Ivrea, Italy, during the Carnival of Ivrea, the Battle of the Oranges is held annually and is a historical reenactment involving organised groups throwing oranges at each other. This tradition is rooted in folklore and commemorates a rebellion against a local tyrant. 

8. Groundhog Day

Regionally celebrated on February 2nd in the USA and Canada, since 1887. On this date the people from Punxsutawny, Pennsylvania wait for the groundhog, Punxsutawney Pete, to come out of his burrow to predict the weather. If he sees his shadow, then winter will go on for another 6 weeks. If he doesn’t see his shadow, then spring will come early. 

Did we miss out your favourite?

Image Wikimedia Commons