{"id":3043,"date":"2017-09-04T08:21:26","date_gmt":"2017-09-04T08:21:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tinggly.com\/journal\/?p=3043"},"modified":"2026-01-26T14:25:18","modified_gmt":"2026-01-26T14:25:18","slug":"worlds-wildest-festivals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tinggly.com\/journal\/worlds-wildest-festivals\/","title":{"rendered":"TOP 6 World\u2019s Wildest Festivals"},"content":{"rendered":"

Every year on the last Wednesday of August, some 20,000 people make their way to the town of Bu\u00f1ol, near Valencia in Spain, for what is perhaps the biggest food fight in the world – La Tomatina. After the traditional scaling of a greased pole to reach a suspended ham, many lorry loads of tomatoes are deposited on the streets, and an hour-long frenzy of tomato-flinging begins. La Tomatina is a festival never to be forgotten, and revellers usually stink of tomato juice for days afterwards – swimming goggles are highly recommended!<\/p>\n

As part of our ongoing quest to track down the world\u2019s most exciting experiences, here are six more of the wildest festivals in the world that should be on your bucket lists.<\/p>\n

1. Carnival of Ivrea, Italy<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

This centuries-old celebration is thought to commemorate the city\u2019s rebellion against a tyrant who once tried to have his way with a local miller\u2019s daughter against her will. Red-capped revolutionaries throng the streets on foot, hurling oranges at the despot\u2019s troops who charge around on chariots. Buildings are protected with nets, which is where most spectators wisely take cover for the duration, but if you have the nerve you can watch the action in the streets. Beware though, many unwary people are caught out by a badly-aimed orange which is a lot heavier than a tomato!\"Carnival

2. Songkran, Thailand<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The Songkran New Year\u2019s festival is celebrated throughout many Asian countries, but it is in Thailand where things get pretty crazy. It\u2019s a time when many Thai people return to their hometowns to reconnect with elders, make offerings at temples, and wash themselves and statues of the Buddha to represent purification. There is another side to Songkran though, which is an immense, country-wide water fight that travellers and young Thais indulge in, often with little thought to their own safety. Your correspondent has himself witnessed people on scooters shooting super-soakers at each other on the motorway, diving into rivers to fill buckets of water, and emptying their buckets over unsuspecting passers-by in the streets.\"Songkran,

3. Halloween, New Orleans<\/strong><\/h2>\n

There is nowhere better to celebrate Halloween than in New Orleans. For a week the Big Easy is transfixed with parades, parties, haunted house tours and other special events, all populated by some of the most outlandish fancy dress you\u2019ll ever see. The Krewe of Boo runs the most popular parade, a spine-tingling carnival featuring huge 3D floats, while you might attend a vampire\u2019s ball, a voodoo festival, or simply get your Halloween vibes at a spooktacular jazz night.<\/p>\n

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