Clean Monday is the first day of a traditional feast of the Orthodox Lent in Greece. Do you know: On Clean Monday, people traditionally eat flat bread made of flour, water, yeast and olive oil, known as Lagana. A traditional custom, known as the ‘Flour war’, is held every year on Clean Monday. This tradition […]
Worm Charming started out as a ritual amongst fishermen but soon evolved into a traditional sport. Do you know: The competition was formed in 1980, when Tom Shufflebotham charmed 511 worms from the ground in half an hour. A World Championship for charming worms is held traditionally in Cheshire. The sport was created as a
The World Stinging Nettle Eating Contest is a tradition carried out every year in Dorset, England. Do you know: Stinging nettle is a plant that creates a rash and bad itch when touched. What started out as a challenge between two friends in 1986, on whose nettle was the longest, gradually changed into another type
The Straw Bear is an old English tradition held annually in January. Do you know: The day when the ‘straw bear’ dances, is 7th January, which is considered the start of the agricultural year in England. The straw bear is a tradition where a man or a boy dresses up in a costume made completely
Mamemaki is a ritual performed by people in Japan. Do you know: The ritual of mamemaki is performed during the Setsubun or Bean throwing day that is held in February. The Mamemaki ritual is performed to ward off evil spirits. It involves either the head of the house or the toshiotoko (member of family born
Gaining weight before a marriage is a custom practised by people in Mauritania that dates back to pre-colonial times. Do you know: Girls as young as 5 and 7 are force-fed 2 kilos of pounded mixed millet in 2 cups of butter and 20 litres of a camel’s milk each day. There were special fat
Placing Tile Cats on the roof of a home is a long-standing customfollowed by people from the Yunnan province, in China. Do you know: Tile cat is an object that resembles a cat and hence the name. It is customary for the people of the west of Yunnan, to place a tile cat in the
The ‘Battle’ of Mellans and Avresses is a mock fight tradition (with men on stilts) in 1951 in Namur, Belgium. Do you know: This tradition is also known as la bia bouquet or the gold stilt combat. Traditionally, men divide themselves into two groups; the Mellans are the ones found on the black and yellow
Anastenaria is a fire-walking custom prevalent in various parts of Europe. Do you know:Anastenaria is headed by a group of twelve, of which majority are women. There are two huge events of Anastenaria that are dedicated to Saint Catherine and Saint Helen. The events include processions, music and dance as also animal sacrifice. For all
Battle of the Queens or Combat de reines is a cow-fighting tournament that is held in the Alps. Do you know: While the competition involves serious cow-fighting, very often the cow may not have been interested in engaging in a fight and just walks away. The battle of the queens is an annual festival where
The São João or Saint John Festival is a popular tradition held in June, in Portugal. Do you know: The festival is dedicated to saint John who is considered the patron saint of lovers. The São João festival is an extremely popular custom where various dishes in large quantities are made and sweet Port wine
Falling Asleep of the Virgin is a tradition with festivities carried out for a period of ten days in Markopoulo, Greece. Do you know: The European cat snakes that can be seen during this period are known as ‘our lady’s snakes’. The festivities that occur for ten days revolve around the village church of Panagia
The Fiesta de Santa Marta de Ribarteme, is a festival carried out in Las Nieves, Spain for the individuals who have had near death experiences. Do you know: On this day, those who cheated death are paraded in coffins. The festival dedicated to the patron saint of resurrection, Saint Marta de Ribarteme, begins with thousands
Goat Tossing Festival is a bizarre tradition held in a small village known as Manganeses de la Polvorosa. Do you know: This event, which is held in the end of January, is actually carried out to honour the local patron saint, St. Vincent de Paul. The goat tossing tradition is performed exactly as the name
In the town of Marostica in Vicenza, Italy, a game of chess is performed with actual human beings. Do you know: This tradition of a human chessboard goes back all the way to 1451. The human chess game originated with the lord of the Marostica castle. When two knights were in love with his daughter,