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12. Wife Carrying Championship, Sonkajärvi, Finland
A man carrying his beloved woman in his arms is not just a romantic idea. The Finns treat it like an incentive for action, adding a touch of excitement, emotions and a touch of humor. They made it into a Championship in carrying wives and girlfriends through an obstacle course that takes place on July 4 every year. For every obstacle overcome, the couple gets points, and if a carried partner touches the ground there is a penalty task or docking of points.

People have dreamed of being able to fly at least once in their lifetime. For those who still cherish this thought there is a chance every July in the English town of Bognor. The idea of the event is to pick up speed running on a wide deck and take off at the end of it landing in the water. Naturally, one would need a set of wings of any kind, whatever form the imagination suggests. The task is to fly the farthest and, of course, in a most entertaining way.
10. Las Fallas Festival, Valencia, Spain
This is one of the most beautiful events with pyrotechnics. It takes place between March 14 and March 19 every year and during this time bright flashes, loud pops and lights are in abundance here. The people of Valencia prepare huge puppets out of cardboard, wood, plaster and whatever else can be used for this purpose, usually depicting some satirical scene from life and put fireworks inside it. On the last day of the festival, the fireworks are set off and the sky bursts with thousands of amazing light displays.
More than 20,000 people gather in Bridgeville, Delaware annually in November for the World Championship Pumpkin Chunking – or, Punkin Chunkin' for rhyme. There is a whole technology for doing it and pumpkins are thrown only by means of slingshots, catapults, pneumatic cannons or whatever gives a longer distance. The world record, also certified by Guinness World Records is a 5,545.43-feet throw. Also, an important condition – the pumpkin must stay whole until it lands!
It’s a relatively new festival, which emerged in 2005. For two weeks in October, Berlin turns into a fairy town, full of light installations. There are light bulbs on house facades, monuments, TV tower and cathedrals. To see it all in full there are special buses, trams, taxis and even air balloons that go around the city.
This famous festival takes place on the last Tuesday of January in the north of Shetland Islands. On this day, people dress as Vikings and take torches and loud bugles. They lead a 30-foot ship with a figure of dragon on its bow through town for further burning on the seashore. This day celebrates the arrival of Vikings in Shetlands in the ninth century, which became a meaningful event in the history of the islands.
This is a celebration for the brokenhearted, whose partner cheated on them. Instead of mourning and falling into depression, these wise men and women put on nice horns and go on a fun parade in the town’s streets. Songs, dance and satirical plays about infidelity back up the parade. Well, if a partner left for another person, the question is who’s luckier...
If you’re looking for more ways to protect your baby, here is one. Each year in June within the celebration of Corpus Christi people of the city gather all the babies born in the past year in one place and put them on pillows on the ground. A man, symbolizing an escaping devil, takes a run and jumps over them! It is believed that by this action he purifies the children, taking away all fear and illness.
Each year on July 29 a small town of Las Nieves holds an unusual and somewhat scary festival. It’s a celebration of those, who were on the brink of death, but miraculously remained alive. These people lie in a coffin, which is then brought to Santa Marta church by loving relatives. There is a service in church and then the coffins are taken to the local burial ground, where the lucky survivors offer gifts and donations to the monument of Santa Maria.
This day has been celebrated in Japan since 767 A.D. Throughout the country, men go out on streets wearing nothing more than a loincloth. The aim of this event is to attract good fortune, because the popular belief is that one can get rid of all misfortune by touching a naked person. The participants take Communion in a temple and then march through the streets of their town, where anyone willing can touch them. It takes place in February and it’s believed to be a cleansing for the soul.