6. Pulilan Carabao Festival (The Philippines)
A carabao is a type of swamp water buffalo common in the Philippines, and for this festival the farmers shave them, decorate them, even perfume them with flower petals, and lead them on parade. At one point in the festivities, they’re even brought to kneel before the village church.
5. Camel Beauty Contest (Saudi Arabia)
What’s beautiful in a camel? According to judges in the Arabian Penninusla, shiny hair, big feet, a good long neck, and of course a sizable hump are all factors in taking home first prize. These contests are an old tradition of the nomadic Arab Bedouin tribes.
4. Thaipusam Festival (India)
Piercings have long been popular with alternative types around the world, but the Thaipussam festival celebrated by the Tamil people of India would likely give even the most perforated among them pause. In Hindu mythology, the festival commemorates the occasion when Parvati gave Murugan a spear so he could vanquish the evil demon Soorapadman. To note the occasion, devotees pierce themselves with hooks and skewers.
