10 Weird and Wonderful Festivals in England

Stereotypically, British people aren´t known for their strange festivals, but it turns out they have quite a few! 

1.    World Belly Boarding Championships, Cornwall, September

If you loved belly boarding as a kid then this is the competition for you. Armed with just a swimming cozzie (no wetsuits allowed) and a wooden plank, competitors take to the freezing British sea to show off their belly boarding skills.

Photo: gettyimages.fr

 

2.    Cheese Rolling, Cooper´s Hill, Gloucestershire, May

 

During this crazy festival, locals chase a 9-pound cheese Wheel down a steep hill, attempting to catch it. Although it may seem harmless, this event is known for the injuries that competitors have suffered during their rush to get down the hill.

Photo: loscameros.es

3.    Silver ball hurling, St Ives, Cornwall, February

 

Every year in February the people of St Ives come together to fight over a silver ball. The event starts at 10am with the mayor throwing the ball off the church steps into a crowd of eager competitors. They will then battle it out, rugby style, for a couple of hours. At precisely 12-noon, the person who is in possession of the ball will win, earning themselves 5 shillings.

Photo: stivestv.co.uk

4.    Crantock Bale Push, Newquay, September

 

The Crantock Bale Push is an event which takes place every September in Crantock. During the event, teams of 4 will compete to push a 140cm high, 420-pound hay bale around the course the quickest.

Photo: thisisnewquay.com

5.    Orange Racing, Totnes, August

In this race, competitors have to kick or throw an orange 450 meters without picking the orange up and carrying it. When they reach the finish line their orange must be at least partially intact. Competitors compete in age groups, with children running along a flat road and adults tackling a downhill course. After the race an auction is held for charity.

 

 

Photo: atlasobscura.com

 

6.    World Snail Racing Championships, July

In this hilarious event, people enter their pet snails into a 13-inch race. Last year’s winner completed the course in an incredibly fast time of 2 minutes, 47 seconds.

Photo: beta.thescore.com

 

7.    Parliamentary Pancake Flipping, London, March (Shrove Tuesday)

Unlike other countries who celebrate Shrove Tuesday with Mardi Gras style celebrations, in England they celebrate by eating and playing with pancakes. Even the leaders of the country get involved, taking part in a parliamentary pancake flipping in which the House of Lords and the House of Commons compete against one another in a race organised by the charity ´Rehab´. As they run the course, they must continuously flip their pancake.

 

Photo: londontown.com

 

8.    The Burning of the Clavie, Burghead, January

 

This festival takes place every 11th January in Burghead, Scotland to celebrate the old New Year’s Eve. The ´Clavie´ is a half-barrel mounted on a post and filled with a flammable liquid. During the festival, a procession follows the clavie which is carried through the town to the top of a hill.

Photo: denverpost.com

 

9. Wife Carrying, Dorking, March/April

 

Do you think you´ve got the strength to carry your wife (or does your partner have the strength to carry you)? In this race, husbands will carry their wife through an obstacle course to race to the finish line. Wives must weigh at least 50kg (if not they must make up for any lacking weight by carrying cans of baked beans). There is a prize for the husband carrying the heaviest wife and the overall winners will go on to compete in the world championships in Finland!

Photo: subscriber.telegraph.co.uk
 

10.    Guy Fawkes Night, all over Britain, November

Every year on the 5th November the English celebrate the time in 1605 when a chap called Guy Fawkes unsuccessfully tried to blow up parliament. During this festival, people take to the streets to join a torchlit parade, ending at a bonfire with a giant replica of Guy Fawkes. The torches are then thrown onto the bonfire and the people watch as Guy Fawkes burns. Once all this is done, fireworks are lit to symbolise the explosions that never happened.

 

Photo: masedimburgo.com

 

 

Written by: Olivia Taylor-Firth