Not content with the messy celebration of Holi? Not to worry! Here is a list featuring some of the messiest celebrations happening around the globe.
1) Boryeong Mud Festival
Where : Boryeong, South Korea.
For two entire weeks in July every year, the streets of Boryeong are flooded with millions of tourists wrestling, rolling, and swimming in the gooey gray clay of the region said to rejuvenate skin. At this festival you can enjoy mud wrestling, mud sliding and even swimming in the mud mega tub. Visitors feeling particularly energetic can try the marine mud-training course, whilst those looking for something more chilled can relax in the mud massage zone.
2) La Tomatina
Where : Valencia, Spain.
La Tomatina is probably the most famous of messy festivals, mostly because it’s a bunch of naked people who look like they’re bleeding profusely, yet having the time of their lives. For safety reasons, the tomatoes that are used must be squished before they’re thrown, but that makes it even messier. The aftermath of the festival puts a new spin on the term ‘ painting the town red’.
(SOURCE : www.taringa.net )
3) La Batalla de Vino de Haro ( The Wine Fight of Haro )
Where : La Rioja, Spain
Every year on the 29th of June, thousands of locals and a handful of lucky tourists climb a mountain in La Rioja, Spain, and throw wine on each other. (Yes, THROW!) The days starts with a procession early in the morning, followed by a mass on a chapel in the mountain. After the mass, all hell breaks loose with everyone spraying, splashing, and showering each other with wine. The party won’t stop till 5 AM the next day and by then everyone is a drenched violet mess.
4) Feria de Cascamorras
Where : Andalucia, Spain
At this festival, hundreds of locals daub themselves in black, slimy oil and paint – often from head to toe and wait for a cheeky chap called the ‘Cascamorras’ . From the neighbouring town of Guadix, he attempts to steal the local church’s Virgin Mary statue. The offending chap is then chased, grabbed, bundled around, thrown into the air, doused in oil and paint and generally prevented by all means available from departing with the statue. Imagine all the messy fun you’ll have!
(SOURCE : .www.feriadebaza.com )
5) Songkran Festival
Where : Thailand.
Songkran is like Holi – sans the chemical colour powders – and is considered to be the biggest water-fight festival in the world! Celebrated to mark the Thai new year, the three-day festival is more than just an opportunity to douse people in water. You could engage in the many rituals practised on this day ranging from meditation at the local monasteries, the Thai-Ramn flag ceremony, traditional Raman dances, boat races, floral floats parade, and many more.
6) Wasserschacht
Where : Berlin, Germany.
Each summer on a Sunday, two battling districts in Berlin create a massive water fight that escalates to include includes eggs, flour and all kinds of fruit being tossed. This all happens on the ‘Oberbaumbrucke’ Bridge which has been feared to collapse given how many celebrants pack the structure for this wild event. There are reports that even salted herring and dirty diapers (Gross!!) are used as projectile. There are chances that you might get a face full of disgustingly smelly herring. But then again, what is life without a little risk?
7) The Clean Monday Flour War.
Where : Galaxidi, Greece.
Looks like we aren’t the only ones who love our ironies. The townsfolk of Galaxidi make the biggest mess of the year on a day called “Clean Monday”. To cap off Carnival season and celebrate the start of Lent, people cover their faces in black charcoal and throw large quantities of flour at each other. An estimated 1,500 kgs of Flour are used at the average ‘Clean Monday’. There is a lot of dancing involved and it is an occasion where the fun quotient is undoubtedly high. They say it takes days to clean up the streets after the affair.
(SOURCE : backtrackerapp.tumblr.com )
8) The Battle of the Oranges
Where : Ivrea, Italy.
How does the ancient town of Ivrea celebrate its freedom during carnival? By pummelling each other with 500,000 kilograms of oranges, of course. A little less messy than La Tomatina, the Carnival of Ivrea is the pre-Lent free-for-all in this beautiful Italian city. This event has much more history and arcane rules associated with it than its Spanish cousin and it’s a more unique visual given the costumes involved.
(SOURCE : italytraveltours.biz )
9) La Merengada
Where : Catalonia, Spain.
The Meringue War is one of the 10 biggest food fights in the world, featuring an insane battle of meringue and cream. The event takes place on the “Fat Thursday” of the Carnival week, which typically occurs in February. Another name for this event is the Batalla de Caramelos (Candy Fight) because once the meringue is gone the candy comes out to play, making small kids extremely happy! This is a family-friendly event that is just one part of the Carnival at ‘Vilanova I La Geltrú’.
10) La Raima Grape Throwing Festival
Where : Valencia, Spain.
You’ve probably noticed that the Spanish love their weird festivals. This festival happens in Valencia around the same time of year as La Tomatina but includes 50 tons of locally-grown grapes, to signal the end of the grape harvest. The grapes are first crushed underfoot in huge buckets and then the juice and resulting mushy pulp are flung at the participants. All in all, make sure you have a spare change of clothes.
( SOURCE : travel.allwomenstalk.com )