1. Menton Lemon Festival (Fete du Citron), Menton, France
In 1929, Menton was deemed the continent's largest producer of lemons.
Since then, Menton has been celebrating
the citrus fruit every February with
its Lemon Festival. The festival takes on a different theme each year.
Some
of the past themes included Disney, Neverland, and India. The colourful and
lively festival includes parades,
fireworks and music, and the Casino Gardens
in the centre of town are decorated with sculptures and exhibitions
built
from lemons (and oranges).
Held
every year in July, the Running of the Bulls is the top
profile event during
the San Fermin festival. Runners don
traditional white shirts and red
neckerchiefs and run a
distanceof about 826 metres while bulls charge behind
them.
The event originated from having to transport the bulls from
the corral
to the bullring.
People
from all over the world partake in the tomato-throwing
food fight held in
August. An estimated 40 metric tons of
tomatoes are used, and the tomatoes must
be squished before being thrown as a precaution. At around 10 am, festivities
begin with the
first event of the Tomatina, where one person climbs a
greased
pole to reach a ham placed at the top, while the
crowd is showered by water
cannons.
In
commemoration of Saint Joseph, Las Fallas is a celebration
that includes 5 days
and nights of historical, religious and
comedic processions. Each neighbourhood
displays a
firecracker-filled cardboard and papier-mâché artistic
monument to
be burnt in bonfires on the final night.
Many participants dress in medieval
clothing, and, more
recently, dress as modern characters including Shrek
and
Lady Gaga.
Known
as the world's largest fair, this famous beer festival
began when the citizens
of Munich attended the wedding of
Crown Prince Ludwig to Princess Therese in
1810.
Currently about 6 million visitors from around the world head
to
Oktoberfest to enjoy the festival's beer, brewed within
Munich. In 2005,
"quiet Oktoberfest" was developed to keep
the celebration traditional
and family friendly. The tents,
therefore, play music limited to 85 decibels
until 6 pm.
A
tradition dating back to the 15th century, Calcio Storico
has been described as
a sport resembling both football and
rugby. The famous and most important match
was played
between the Bianchi and the Verdi in 1530, during the siege
of
Florence. Today, played in a temporary arena, players
dress in authentic period
costume, and run while the
opposing team tries to stop them. Head butting,
punching,
elbowing, and choking are allowed and customary.
It
is said that the first mention of the Carnival of Venice was around the city's
victory against the Patriarch of Aquileia, Ulrico in the year 1162. The
Carnival, which runs until Mardi Gras, is a festival celebrated with parades,
masquerade balls, entertainment, music, and parties. During the Carnival, the
streets of Venice are filled with people wearing elaborately designed masks. On
the last weekend, there is a contest for the best mask, chosen by a jury of
costume and fashion designers.
On
the Sunday closest to 20th July, Romanians in traditional
costumes meet at Gaina Mountain, where families once
arranged the marriages of
their children. Legend has it that
fairies brought a magic hen that laid golden
eggs to the
mountain. Each year, the fairies would give the eggs to
couples who
fell in love. The outdoor festival is opened by
the sound of women playing the
alpenhorn, renowned all
over Europe.
Built
between 3,000 BC and 1,600 BC, Stonehenge is an
ancient monument that has been
studied and debated
throughout many years, especially because of its
extraordinary alignment and orientation to the sun.
Every year on 21st June,
people from all over the world
gather at Stonehenge to watch the sunrise and
celebrate
the longest day of the year.
Sa Sartiglia is an equestrian tournament that takes place on Mardi Gras
and Carnival Sunday. Ornately dressed horsemen on steeds galloping at
breathtaking speeds aim their swords at a star-shaped ring that hangs from a
ribbon. The number of stars impaled represent how lucky the town will be in
wealth and harvest for the year.
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Sunday, June 24, 2012
10 Quirky Festivals
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