There are a lot of weird festivals out there—but some of the best involve chucking stuff at your friends and strangers.
From the well-known to the obscure, it seems that every country has a tradition from way back involving a massive food fight.
We picked our favorites (and a few we’d never heard of) for the ultimate guide to festivals that are guaranteed to help you let off some steam.
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1. Holi Festival—India
Also known as the Festival of Colors or the Festival of Love, the ancient Hindu festival signifies the victory of good over evil. The festival, in which participants color each other with brightly dyed powder, encourages “bridging the social gaps and renewing relationships.”
Though primarily celebrated in India at the approach of the spring equinox, Holi has gained such popularity that festivities can be found all over the world.
2. La Tomatina—Bunol, Spain
Each year on the last Wednesday in August, the town of Buñol, Spain is flooded with thousands of people and tomatoes. The precise of beginnings of La Tomatina aren’t quite nailed down.
It began around 1944 and legends include youths throwing tomatoes a bad musician, a protest gone awry, and a good old food fight among friends. Tomatoes must be squashed prior to being thrown and fire trucks are brought in afterwards to wash the streets. La Tomatina festivals can also be found in Sutamarchán, Colombia and Reno, Nevada.
3. The Battle of the Oranges—Ivrea, Italy
The small town of Ivrea, Italy, collects over a million pounds of oranges every year for the Battaglia delle Arance. Translation: Battle of the Oranges, a festival that’s really a highly structured war.
To participate, you have to be part of a team (there are nine for a total of 4,000 competitors), but there’s no cost to watch. Judges determine the winning team. The battle takes place annually, on the Sunday and Monday up until and including Mardi Gras Tuesday.
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