Part of our Weird Amazing guide.
Explore unusual festivals and seasonal traditions through 13 TouristSecrets guides, practical answers, comparisons, and trip-planning ideas gathered in one collection.
Related travel guides: Unusual Attractions and Roadside Stops.
Bizarre Colombian New Year Traditions You Won't Believe
In Colombia, New Year’s Eve is less about fireworks and more about a suitcase, a doll, and a pair of yellow underpants. Carrying an empty suitcase around the block is meant to guarantee a year of travel, while burning a life-sized doll called "Año Viejo" says goodbye to the past. Eating 12 grapes at midnight—one for each month—brings good luck, and wearing yellow underwear is said to attract prosperity. These customs are practiced widely, though the exact origins are often passed down through families.
Vibrant Cheese Rolling Festivals For Quirky Thrills
Cheese rolling festivals pit dozens of participants against a steep hill and a wheel of cheese, with the first to cross the finish line taking the prize. Originating in England, the most famous version takes place at Cooper’s Hill, but the event has spread globally, each location adding its own twist. The race is less about the cheese itself and more about the adrenaline and the sheer absurdity of tumbling downhill. For spectators, the real show is watching competitors lose their footing on the muddy slope.
Vibrant Mud Festivals That Get Delightfully Dirty
Mud festivals are a celebration of mess, community, and letting go. South Korea’s Boryeong Mud Festival is the best-known, drawing crowds to its mud pools and slides, but smaller local gatherings exist worldwide, each with its own games and traditions. Participants dive into mud pits, slip down muddy slopes, and cover themselves head to toe, all while music plays and vendors sell food. It’s less about hygiene and more about the joy of being a kid again, if only for a day.
The 'Defecating' Catalan Christmas Figurine
In Catalonia, Spain, the Caganer is a small figurine hidden in nativity scenes, showing a person squatting with their pants down. The tradition dates back centuries, and while it might seem crude, locals believe it brings good luck and fertility to the land. Farmers specifically credit the Caganer with ensuring a good harvest, as the figure represents the fertilization of the soil. It’s a quirky addition to an otherwise holy scene, and spotting the hidden Caganer has become a game for children and adults alike.
Finland In The Summer: Quirky, Isolated, And Pretty
Finland in the summer is a land of contrasts: the midnight sun never fully sets, and the country’s thousands of lakes reflect a sky that stays light for nearly 24 hours. This isolation is part of the charm—you’ll find quiet forests, saunas by the water, and a slower pace of life. The paradox of endless daylight makes for long evenings of fishing, berry-picking, and swimming in lakes that are still cool despite the sun. It’s not a beach holiday, but it’s a memorable one for those who like their summers strange and serene.
Yellowstone
Yellowstone National Park’s geysers and hot springs are famous, but its hidden winter steam vents are a lesser-known wonder. When snow blankets the ground, these vents release warm mist, creating an otherworldly scene of fog rising from white fields. Walking through a snowy forest only to stumble upon a warm, misty oasis is a stark contrast—cold air on your face, warm vapor on your skin. The park’s terrain transforms entirely in winter, making the steam vents a highlight for those who brave the cold.
Whale Fall Mysteries Off The Continental Shelf
When a whale dies and sinks to the ocean floor, its body becomes a whale fall—a deep-sea ecosystem that can sustain life for decades. Off the continental shelf, where the water is deep and dark, scavengers like sharks and hagfish arrive first to strip the flesh. As the body decomposes, bacteria and tiny organisms move in, and eventually, the bones become a home for specialized species. This underwater feast supports a thriving community that changes over time, from the first scavengers to the final bone-eating worms.
Tennessee's Fall Creek Falls State Park
Fall Creek Falls State Park in Tennessee is known for its waterfalls, but the real curiosity is the spider web bridges that stretch across streams and trails. These aren’t man-made—they’re the work of spiders, and they glisten in the sunlight, creating a magical sight. Walking through the park, you might spot a delicate web strung between trees, catching the light. The park offers more than just these webs, but they’re what make it truly memorable for visitors who stop to look.
GTFO: Alligators And Spring Rolls On New Orleans’ West Bank
While most tourists stick to the French Quarter, New Orleans’ West Bank offers a different side of the city. Here, you can spot alligators in the bayou and grab a plate of spring rolls from a local spot—an unlikely pairing that sums up the area’s off-beat charm. The wetlands and marshes are prime alligator habitat, and guided tours will take you close enough to see them sunning on logs. It’s a quieter, wilder alternative to the crowded streets, and the food is just as memorable as the wildlife.
How To Spookify Your House For Halloween
Halloween is the one night a year when your home can become a haunted house, and it doesn’t take much to start. String up fake cobwebs, add a few plastic spiders, and swap your porch light for a flickering orange bulb. For a bigger impact, try fog machines, motion-activated props, and a graveyard of foam tombstones on the lawn. The key is layering—start with the basics, then add the creepy crawlies and spooky sounds until your place is the talk of the block.
Christmas Past
Christmas as we know it is a patchwork of traditions, many of which predate the holiday itself. Ancient pagan rituals like Yule log burning and mistletoe kissing were folded into Christian celebrations over the centuries. The Victorians gave us the Christmas tree, the greeting card, and the idea of a jolly, gift-giving Santa Claus. Each region added its own twist—from Germany’s Krampus to Iceland’s thirteen Yule Lads—creating a holiday that’s as diverse as it is beloved.
Unique Festivals That Will Blow Your Mind
Some festivals are worth traveling for simply because they’re so strange. Spain’s La Tomatina has participants throwing tomatoes at each other in the streets, while India’s Holi Festival turns everything into a blur of colored powder. Norway’s Midnight Sun Marathon lets you race under a sun that never sets, and Taiwan’s Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival fills the night sky with floating lights. Each of these events is a chance to see a culture’s playful side, and they’re all worth adding to your travel bucket list.
