Is St. Patrick’s Day not your thing? Then try out some of these weird holidays around the world that may suit your fancy!
Tinku “Punch Your Neighbour” Festival
Where? Bolivia (Potosi and Macha)
When? May
If you have a neighbor you really hate then this festival is for you! Every May in the Bolivian Andes Mountains thousands of people go to the city of Macha to participate in the annual Tinku Festival (Tinku being a Quechua word meaning an encounter or meeting) where people literally get into fights with their neighbours. The Tinku Festival is based on an old religious festival as a blood offering for the Goddess Pachamama to ensure a good harvest. The festival, while violent, isn’t nearly as deadly or bloody as ancient times. Now police patrol the event, keeping fights one on one and ending the fights once blood is shed.
La Tomatina
Where? Buñol, Valencia, Spain
When? The last Wednesday of August (August 27 this year!)
For those who love food fights, La Tomatina takes place during a weeklong festival in Buñol in which participants throw overripe tomatoes at each other for fun! It’s a pretty self-explanatory event, and while it is a fun and messy time there are certain rules participants must follow:
1. Tomatoes must be squashed to avoid injuries.
2. Only tomatoes are allowed to be thrown.
3. Participants must allow trucks, buses, and cars room on the road.
4. Participants are not allowed to rip off their t-shirts.
5. No tomatoes should be thrown after the second shot indicating the end of La Tomatina.
Bermuda Day
Where? The islands of Bermuda (temple of Pra Prang Sam Yot)
When? May 24
Do you have a passionate love for Bermuda shorts? If so than this holiday is for you! Bermuda Day is the first day residents of the island go into the sea, recognizing it as the official end of winter. Another holiday tradition is that Bermuda shorts are recognized as clothes of business attire on this day. Aside from wearing Bermuda shorts all day long, residents also have boat races that entire families participate in.
Monkey Buffet Festival
Where? Thailand
When? Last Sunday of November
What’s cuter than monkeys? Monkeys eating at a buffet of course! This Thai festival I thought to have origins from the Asain religious story of Rama who gave the province Lopburi to Hanuman, a monkey king. Keeping with traditions the Thai people hold the annual Monkey Buffet as tribute to Hanuman and as a tourist attractions. After all, who doesn’t want to see monkeys at a buffet?
Kanamara Matsuri (Festival of the Steel Phallus)
Where? Kanayama shrine, Kawasaki, Japan
When? First Sunday of April (April 6 this year!)
Yes, you read that right. Japan has a penis festival.
The festival is meant to promote fertility (since the penis is the ultimate symbol of fertility apparently) where participants can buy penis-shaped candy, posters, and other decorations. Its history is centered around a penis shrine that prostitutes would go and pray to for protection against sexually transmitted diseases. Nowadays Kanamara Matsuri has become a tourist attraction and money is raised for HIV research.
SLEEP SUPERSTITIONS
1. The Commanding Position principle of Feng Shui. Your bed must be as far from your door as possible. So, if you live in a small room and are unable to move into a dance studio, your “chee” will be right out of luck.
2. If you cut your toenails before bed (that includes mani/pedis), your parents will face an unfortunate death before you see them again. Perhaps the person who founded this superstition had a morbid fear of toenail clippings in the bed. It’s gross, yes, but does it warrant parental death?! We think not. Better play it safe though.
3. Think your significant other is cheating on you? Where the swans at? If you think those two sentences are distinctly separated, you’re right. But according to this superstition, they may be more intertwined than we thought. Sewing a swan’s feather into your lover’s pillow is supposed to protect against infidelity. Probably because their sleep will be enhanced by a single extra feather though.
4. Cake underneath the pillow, see the man of your dreams. Apparently you can do a lot while you sleep to control relationships, including the start of one! Sleeping with a slice of wedding cake under your pillow will introduce you to your future husband in your dreams. At least now when you see him, you’ll have the least creepy ice-breaker to get this thang going!
5. Dreaming about teeth is not an invitation for the tooth fairy.In fact, you might need your tooth fairy as a cuddle buddy, because dreaming of teeth means someone is going to die. You won’t know who, but someone will die. This superstition doesn’t take into account the laws of population growth apparently. Regardless, tell your dream to your least favourite plant and it will die instead.
SLEEP DISORDERS
With the stressful season of midterms upon us, troubles with sleep are likely to creep into your habits. Decode your symptoms to see whether you’re simply stressed, sleep deprived or have a major problem on your hands.
SLEEP FACTS
- 2: the number of hours that REM sleep occupies per night. REM usually begins about 90 minutes after falling asleep.
- 10 %: the amount of snorers affected with sleep apnoea- a disorder which stops breathing up to 300 times a night and increases the risk of heart attack or stroke.
- Daylight Savings: the extra hour of sleep received when clocks are put back has been found to coincide with a decrease in the number of road accidents.
- If you do not fall back asleep within 15-20 minutes, you should get out of bed, go to another room and engage in a relaxing activity such as listening to music or reading. Return to bed when you feel sleepy and avoid watching the clock.
- 11 days: the longest someone has gone without sleep. For obvious reason, Guinness has stopped keeping record of voluntary sleep deprivation. Randy Gardner, the record holder, reported hallucinations, short-term memory loss and an inability to focus.
- After 17–19 hours without sleep, performance test results are comparable to those completed by a well over intoxicated person.
- Apparently, the idea of counting sheep to get to sleep might go back to ancient shepherds, who had to literally count their sheep every night before turning in
In an attempt to become more “hip” and “edgy”, following a series of “critically-acclaimed fashion blogs” seems like a good idea. They keep you up to date on what’s what in the fashion world, and updated on many of its important and stylish events. For instance, New York Fashion Week. But, when it comes to the content of said critically acclaimed fashion blogs, many of the featured fashion trends can merit a reaction of terror and shock. But fear not dear reader, designers do have a story to tell. And beneath all of that crinoline, mesh, and Nicki Minaj hair dye, mainstream trends still rise up. Follow this guide to understand the styles that fashion is cryptically putting forward.
Joanna Mastroianni Spring 2014
What the average person thinks: Should I start watching “Orange is the New Black”?
What fashion is trying to tell you: This means orange is in. No, you do not need to find yourself a prison suit or become a SOCS rep; small details will do just fine. A cardigan, a belt, maybe even a statement necklace - minimal amounts of citrus are all you need. And start watching the series if you feel like it, but regardless, orange really is the new black.
Alexander Wang Spring 2014
What the average person thinks: Toilet paper!
What fashion is trying to tell you: Sculptural pieces will be popular, and white is not only meant for pre-labour day. Designers have a weird way of getting their messages across, and sometimes toiletries seem like the best way to create a visual.
Victoria Beckham Spring 2014
What the average person thinks: Victoria Beckham is still doing productive things with her life?
What fashion is trying to tell you: Maxis and midis will be long gone after this winter, so bust out the mini skirts and dresses of your skimpy past for the upcoming season.
The Blonds Spring 2014
What the average person thinks: What the actual fuck?
What fashion is trying to tell you: The 90’s are back in! Tweety bird bodysuits will not necessarily be the norm, but look to the trends of our great past for your future inspiration. Gwen Stefani, Aqua, Beyoncé pre-Jay-Z are all icons you can pull clothing creations from.
Betsey Johnson Spring 2014
What the average person thinks: Is Betsey Johnson on hard-core drugs?
What fashion is trying to tell you: Yes, she is on hard-core drugs. I wish I could explain this to you, but words are currently failing me. And let’s be real here, only cotton candy can pull of that texture.
