Members are invited to contribute spiritual wisdom, teachings, channeled messages, uplifting content, healing sessions, and attunements to this network to bridge Heaven and Earth and unite Humanity as One.
The world's weirdest festivals
By Laura Tait
From jumping over babies to tossing tuna fish, there are some mightily odd festivals that happen around the world.
They may have become huge annual events, but we’re still wondering about the conversations that took place that resulted in them happening in the first place.
Here’s our pick of the best – or, rather, strangest – festivals around the world...
El Colacho
Castrillo de Murcia, Spain
10 June 2012
Men dressed as El Colacho - aka the Devil - jump over babies lying on mattresses in the street. Not just weird, but a little bit dangerous, surely? It dates back to 1620 and has something to do with cleansing babies of original sin and protecting them against illness and evil spirits. The babies in question are those born in the village over the past year.
If that isn’t quite weird enough for you then have this: the festival’s organisers, the Brotherhood of Santísimo Sacramento de Minerva, chase people around the town throughout the day. With whips…
Monkey Buffet Festival
Lopburi, Thailand
25 November 2012
Don’t worry – this doesn’t involve eating monkeys. The locals in this Thai village are so grateful for the thousands of tourists that their 200 or so primates attract each year that they thank them with a massive feast. Treats including grilled sausages, fresh fruit and vegetables and ice cream are set in front of the Pra Prang Sam Yot temple. Historically, it’s held in honour of King Rama, who rewarded his ally Hanuman (the monkey king) with the land that eventually became Lopburi.
Wife Carrying World Championships
Sonkajärvi, Finland
6-7 July 2012
An annual event where Finnish men negotiate a 250m racetrack full of obstacles whilst – and this is the important bit – carrying their wives (although they don’t actually have to be married). The exact carrying style is up to the participants: piggy back, fireman’s lift, on the shoulders – anything goes, as long as they’re first over the finish line without the wife being dropped.
Obviously the heavier the wife the more of an achievement it is, and this is reflected in the prize: the winner receives their wife's weight in beer. Contestants can relax post-race with the less strenuous Wife Carrying Karaoke contests, dancing, and traders’ markets.
Mud Festival
Boryeong, South Korea
14-22 July 2012
More than a million visitors flock to the South Korean city of Daecheon to cover themselves in mud, jump into mud baths, slide down mud slides or even indulge in a mud wrestle. The idea? To promote the Daecheon beach area mud. It’s not just any old mud though – it’s full of minerals that apparently have lots of benefits for your skin.
The idea of covering yourself in mud should be enough of a draw to get you to the festival (and that’s not sarcasm by the way), but it isn’t the only thing on offer – there’s live entertainment, contests and fireworks too.
La Tomatina
Buñol, Valencia
29 August 2012
Held on the last Wednesday of August each year, this is basically a massive food fight between tens of thousands of participants using over-ripe tomatoes, and it’s such a big deal that the party last about a week. Other ingredients of the tomato-fest are music, parades, dancing, and fireworks and on the night before the food fight itself, participants of the festival compete in a paella cooking contest.
No one really knows for sure why they do it, although one theory suggests it stems from anti-Franco protests in 1945. Not that anyone cares – it’s just a good excuse to throw tomatoes at strangers.
Noche de Rábanos (Night of the Radishes)
Oaxaca, Mexico
23 December 2012
This odd, vegetable-themed festival has been around since 1897, but the inspiration behind it dates back to the 16th century, when vegetable sellers would turn radishes into sculptures to advertise in the markets.
Sculptures of varying themes – religious, historical, humorous, cultural, traditional - are displayed on the many stands set up in the city’s main plaza, and judges choose which of these deserve to win cash prizes.
Tunarama
Port Lincoln, Australia
January
The event is held over the Australia Day long weekend on the picturesque foreshore lawns of Port Lincoln, and what better way to showcase the region’s seafood, wine, art, music, people and surroundings than by seeing how far you can sling a tuna fish? It was launched 1962 with the intention of promoting the emerging tuna fishing industry in Port Lincoln, and it worked – the area now boasts Australia's largest tuna cannery.
Aside from the Tuna Toss, entertainment is provided in the form of stalls, sideshows and rides, events, activities and competitions. The record for the longest toss is held by ex-Olympic hammer thrower Sean Carlin, for his 37.23m effort in 1998.
