Every festival is different. They have many things in common like giving gifts or singing songs. Some places have unique festivals that cannot be found anywhere else.
Have you been to Luxembourg during the summer? You might see something surprising. During the cow painting festival, people paint fake cows. You won't find these cows grazing in the city. The replica cows are made from different kinds of materials. The fibreglass cows are left around the city for others to enjoy. There are no rules for what to paint on the cows. It is always a surprise!
Do you like cheese? Then you will love Cooper's Hill Cheese-Rolling and Wake. A wheel of cheese rolls down a hill. Many spectators gather to watch this event. People race down the steep hill and try to catch the cheese. It is hard to catch the cheese because it always rolls first. It is not easy to stay on your feet. Many people tumble down the hill. Injuries are common at this festival.
If you like the cold, then the next festival is for you. The Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival takes place every year. It is the largest snow and ice festival in the world. You can see the world's biggest ice sculptures there. There are many other attractions in the city. You could go alpine skiing and winter swimming.
The Boryeong Mud Festival takes place in South Korea. It is an annual event. The mud is taken from local mud flats and transported to a beach. There are mud pools, mud slides, and mud skiing competitions. You could try a mud bath and a mud massage too. The mud is believed to have a lot of minerals. It is used in many cosmetics products.
You might get in trouble for an unruly food fight at school. La Tomatina has been called the "World's Biggest Food Fight". The sound of a horn signals the beginning of the food fight. For one hour, people throw ripe tomatoes at each other. Over 150,000 tomatoes are used in that hour. These tomatoes must be squashed before they can be thrown at others. There are no teams. Everyone has to look out for themselves. By the end of the hour, everyone is covered in tomatoes.
Not all festivals are for humans. The Monkey Buffet Festival in Thailand honours monkeys. The macaques are treated to a fruit buffet. The people there believe that these monkeys bring them good luck. The buffet is the people's way of saying "thank you" to the monkeys. If you ever go to this festival, watch out for these notorious monkeys. They are known to take items from humans. They may steal your purse or your bag.
There are so many special festivals all over the world. Which of these festivals do you want to take part in?