8 Festivals From Around The World That Are As Messy As Holi
chaitra krishnanMA (Journalism & Mass Communication) Experience: 5 yearsChaitra has a triple main bachelor’s degree in journalism, communicative English, and economics from St. Aloysius College, Mangalore, and a master’s degree in journalism and mass communication from St... more
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Rang barse bheege chunar waali rang barse….What does this good old Bollywood song remind you of? Yes! We’re talking about one of India’s most loved festivals— Holi. The festival of colors ushers a carnivalesque vibe among the Indian crowd and well, it’s not just about the colors. Holi is a fun time to dance your troubles away with friends and family. The bhaang, the dhol, and the songs! All of them put together is nothing less than magic.
All good things aside, Holi is quite a messy celebration. We all know the struggles of trying to get the colors out of our face and scalp (sometimes ears and nostrils as well) after the celebration is over. Sometimes, it takes days for you to get every bit of the dark green powder off your skin (we feel ya!). But we still do the same thing every year because we know it from the bottom of our heart that it’s all worth it. And this is not something that’s exclusive to India! Did you know that there are celebrations similar to Holi in many places around the world? If no, scroll on! We bet you’re going to cringe for a few of these.
1. La Tomatina- Spain
If you’ve watched Zoya Akhtar’s Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara you know the La Tomina festival already. Remember the song in which Hrititik, Abhay, Farhan, and Katrina throw each other into a pool of tomato mush? Well, that’s pretty much it. In simple terms, it’s Holi with tomatoes. La Tomatina is celebrated in Bunol, which is a Valencian town, located pretty close to Spain.
2. Boryeong Mud Festival- South Korea
Boryeong, a small town located in the western coast of South Korea becomes a dirty pool for about two weeks, every year. The mud festival takes place in July and it attracts thousands of participants from all over the country (and outside). So, if you’re ever in South Korea around July, try to experience this gooey muddy fun (if you’re sure you won’t throw up).
3. Els Enfarinats- Spain
Here’s another one from Spain. Els Enfarinats takes place in the town of Ibi, Alicante. It is like a tougher version of Holi with eggs, firecrackers, and flour bombs. Instead of colors, you’ll see a lot of white and smell a lot of egg. The history behind this festival is quite interesting and if you ever visit Spain in December, do check it out.
4. Mud Festival- Switzerland
It’s exactly what it sounds like. At the Paleo Music festival every year, people enjoy mud baths and have fun by smothering their friends in the mud. That sounds fun, or does it?
5. Garma Festival- Australia
When it comes to messy celebrations, Austalia isn’t far behind. The Garma festival is celebrated by the YoIngu Aboriginal people from the northeastern part of Arnhem Land. During the celebration, people paint themselves in vibrant colors like yellow and white, and dance the whole day. That sounds like fun, doesn’t it?
6. Cascamorras- Spain
The people of Baza located in Granada, Spain paint themselves black every year for the Cascamorras. According to the legend, they do so in order to defend a statue of their beloved Virgin Mary. Cascamorra, a resident of the neighboring town, Guadix is believed to be the one who is trying to steal the statue from Baza.
7. Mud Day- Michigan
The Annual Mud Day celebration in Michigan is organized in Wayne County. This festival is meant only for kids who are 12 years of age or younger. It would be great to have kids play in some mud for a while after spending an eternity on the internet, right?
8. Haro Wine Festival- Spain
Well, Spanish people just love the idea of smearing stuff across each other’s bodies, don’t they? This one’s a tasty one though. As the name suggests, it’s all about wine but there’s also a surprise— bullfights! Haro is a town in Northern Spain and the festival takes place on June 29th every year. However, no animals are killed and the bulls are not really bulls but heifers. And yes, wine and bull fights can be a deadly combination. So, if you’re ever going to enjoy the Haro wine festival, make sure you spill more than you drink *wink*.
While these festivals are a bit messy, we already know that they are super fun, just the way Holi is. And if you can’t make it to these places, you can always celebrate these festivals in India. Unfortunately, some of us get the taste of it on our birthdays (thank you, friends). Nonetheless, always remember to take the necessary precautions before you celebrate any kind of messy festival. This is very important so that you and the people around you can have fun to their fullest without getting hurt.
Which of these messy celebrations from these foreign countries would you want to celebrate with your best buddies? Let us know in the comments section below!
