When the word “colour” is uttered, we, Indians, immediately visualise a picture of people smearing others with all sorts of colours during Holi. Next festival that comes to our mind is Diwali. But have you ever wondered what are the other crazy festivals around the globe? From throwing oranges to painting the sky with bright balloons, there is something for everyone.
La Tomatina
Where: Bunol, Spain
When: Last Wednesday of AugustHol
This festival, made popular by ‘Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara’, involves throwing tonnes of tomatoes at each other. Every single person on the street is either hit by a tomato or has tomato pulp all over them. It started in 1945 when a group of rowdy young men staged a fight in Bunol’s main square. A vegetable stand was within reach, so they started grabbing produce and hurling it at one another. The same thing happened the subsequent year and has since become a tradition. Today, an estimated 50,000kg of tomatoes are dumped in the town’s Plaza del Pueblo for use in the hour-long tomato fight.
Battle of the Oranges
Where: Ivrea, Italy
When: February
People dressed in old medieval clothes fight a complete battle with oranges as weapons! The Battle of the Oranges dates back to the 19th century as playful clashes between people on the street and spectators on the balconies, but its latest incarnation only emerged in the post-Second World War period. This festival has distinct martial connotations; think of a cross between a food fight and urban warfare. People generally wear clothes that they don’t mind getting dirty. But, a red cap is a mandatory. Those not wearing one will become immediate targets for barrages of oranges.
Rio de Janeiro Carnival
Where: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
When: Before Lent
The carnival in Rio de Janeiro is a world famous festival and considered the biggest carnival in the world with two million people per day on the streets. The first festivals of Rio date back to 1723. The Rio Carnival is a rambunctious series of parades and parties held 40 days before Easter, just before Lent begins. It’s also one of the most important events in Brazilian culture. Preparations for the Rio Carnival go on for months before the event, and if you’re lucky enough to be in Rio during Carnival, you can expect spectacular parades put on by the city’s samba schools, along with street parties, live Brazilian music and plenty more.
Holi
Where: India
When: February-March
This Indian festival of colours is an annual event where households all over the country purge their homes and lives of all negative elements and revel in colour, chaos and celebrations. Dry colour, paint and coloured water is flung around in celebration and people are awash in every imaginable hue. Holi is a day when differences are disregarded, and a spirit of mischief takes over. Holi is commonly celebrated with drinking 'bhang,' a sweet cannabis based drink. Holi heralds spring, and around this time of year, flowers begin to bloom as the webs of winter are wiped away.
Boryeong Mud Festival
Where: South Korea
When: Summer
Getting dirty has never been so much fun. There are a number of ways one can participate, from wrestling to sliding to mud-slinging. The idea for the festival originated in 1998 as a promotion for the mineral-rich mud found near Boryeong. Fueled by word of mouth, good times and exceptional photographs of mud people, the festival has become an international phenomenon. Although the main attraction is, of course, the mud, Boryeong features an impressive entertainment lineup as well. Pop and hip-hop performers from around the world affirm its status as an international event, providing an eclectic soundtrack to the wet and wild madness.
Carnival of Venice
Where: Venice, Italy
When: Between Christmas and Lent
The Carnival of Venice is the oldest, most colourful and most awaited annual fest of Europe which attracts three million tourists to Venice each year. Started back in 14th century to commemorate the victory of Venice over Ulrico, the fest begins after Christmas and ends a day before Lent. Colourful and beautiful masks are the most important feature of this carnival, originally the ritual started so that there could be no differentiation between the ordinary men and the nobility. The spirits are high, the atmosphere is festive and the masks make the carnival appear royal and grand. Bands, jugglers and entertainers are everywhere and the canals are full of colorful boats. The nights are also full of parties and masked balls. It gives you a feeling as if fairy tales are coming alive!
Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta
Where: New Mexico, USA
When: Early October
The balloon fiesta is a nine-day event and has around 750 balloons. The event is the largest hot air balloon festival in the world. Once the balloons are let off, they paint the sky with their vibrant colours and hues. Started in 1972, the fiesta offers a walk through the ballooning park for visitors, about 100 food vendors spread across the area and an amazing sight when hundreds of balloons of different colors and shapes lift off together and cover the sky.
Watch the fun at the 2015 international balloon fiesta here: