The Most Exciting Festivals on Earth
By: Imi Chen 艾米
Tags: Mardi Gras, Festivals, La Tomatina Festival, Running Of The Bulls, Songkran Festival

If you attend one of these festivals, we promise it’ll be an experience you’ll never forget

Trying to find the right time and place for your next vacation? Narrowing down your choice can be difficult. How about picking a festival and planning your trip around it? Festivals allow you to experience a city’s culture in unique and unforgettable ways.

Many festivals originated as people found creative ways of celebrating their culture. Their creativity has earned some of there unusual festivals worldwide attention. So what are the most unusual and exciting festivals in the world? Studio Classroom highlights five festivals that are a guaranteed good time.

La Tomatina

In 1945, a tomato fight broke out among young people attending a parade in Bunol, Spain. Today, this town hosts the world’s largest tomato fight — La Tomatina. This festival occurs on the last Wednesday of August. It uses about 40,000 kg of tomatoes, the surplus from the year’s harvest.

At tomato trucks enter the town square, people onboard the trucks start throwing tomatoes at the crowd. Soon, anyone who runs, ducks or has a heartbeat becomes a target. Don’t worry; these ripe fruits must first be crushed. They won’t hurt anyone.

Mardi Gras

Mardi Gras is a two-week-long celebration that ends on the Tuesday before Lent. Although widely celebrated. the biggest Mardi Gras festivities occur in New Orleans.

To celebrate, New Orleans style, everyone dresses in outlandish costumes. Jester hats and royal costumes abound. Various organizations host parades and balls. During the parades, people on floats throw necklaces and colorful coins into the crowd. At night, many dress up in fancy costumes and attend balls. If you go, bring a colorful and crazy outfit to wear.

Songkran Festival

The Thais celebrate their lunar New Year, known as Songkran, in mid-April. Historically, water was sprinkled everywhere to pay respect to family elders and give blessings for the New Year. Nowadays, however, the city of Chiang Mai celebrate Songkran with the world’s largest water fight.

People arm themselves with water guns, buckets, hoses, bowls or anything else that holds water. Also, beware of pickup trucks carrying barrels of water. Their passengers are ready to wish everyone they pass a happy, and wet, New Year.

Running of the Bulls

The weeklong festival of San Fermin is renowned for its exciting bull runs. Each morning, six bulls are released from their pens. They charge through the streets of Pamplona, Spain, until they reach the bullring

Along this 800m stretch, many people run ahead of the bulls, helping lead them to the bullring. But with the bulls charging at 60 km per hour, the runners don’t stand a chance of staying ahead. Some of them get hurt. Most people, however, choose to watch the action from a safe spot.

Up-Helly-Aa

Witnesses to this Viking fire festival clain it lights up the skies of Lerwick, Scotland. On the last Tuesday of January, a full-size replica of a Viking ship is paraded through the town. About 900 men join the parade, carrying torches and wearing traditional Viking costumes. As the men march along the street, they sing Viking songs to celebrate their heritage.

The spectacle ends when 800 flaming torches are tossed onto the ship. Within minutes, the wooden ship that took four months to build and paint is completely engulfed in flames.

surplus 剩餘(物) : The department store had a big sale to get rid of its surplus of shoes.

outlandish 古怪的 : You tell such outlandish stories. Nobody will ever believe them.

abound 充滿 : This project abounds with difficult problems. I’m not sure if I can solve all of them.

sprinkle 撒 : Andy likes to sprinkle peanuts on top of his ice cream.

charge 向..衝去 : The angry customer charged into the store and began yelling at the store clerk.

stand a chance 有可能 : Greg was a lazy man. He didn’t stand a chance at getting a promotion at work.

engulf 吞噬;捲入 : The rising ocean tide engulfed the sand castles along the beach.

jester 弄臣 : The king had many jesters to keep him entertained in his palace.

bullring 鬥牛場 : The man stood in the bullring. He was preparing to fight a bull.