From pigs placing contests to men with bears costumes, these are some of the most strange traditional festivals in France.
France houses hundreds of festivals every year, from small local celebrations to renowned international events such as the Christmas market of Strasbourg, the pleasant carnival and the Lyon Fête des Lumières. But there are other festivals that, frankly, are a bit strange.
Here are the 9 strangest festivals in France;
Fête du citron
When life gives you lemons … create a festival that involves more than 140 tons of citrus fruits and invite about 230,000 visitors annually? That is more or less what Menton, a city in the French Riviera did in 1928 when a hotelier in the region wanted to increase tourism. Known for its delicious lemons, Menton has grown the fruit since the 16th century and sent them all over the world.
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The hotel’s idea, which came true in 1934, ended up becoming a three -week World Festival, where the city and its garden show giant sculptures, some more than 10 meters high, made of lemons and oranges, in the midst of parades, concerts and concerts.
Fête de l’Ooss
Recently added to the list of ‘intangible heritage’ of UNESCO, the Bear Festival takes place in the Pyrenees, along the border with Spain. Stretching all the way back to the Middle Ages, the festival has some surprising components: it involves a man who dresses like a bear and persecutes humans.
At the end of the festival, humans catch man with the disguise of the bear, and “skin” he (the bear disguise is removed) so that he can be a person again.
Read more: what you need to know about the French Bear Festival recognized by UNESCO
It is intended to be a celebration of the end of winter, and although it was practiced in all villages in the region until the nineteenth century, it still occurs in three villages in Haut Vallespir, located in the debit of the-Oriental Pyrenees.
The Pourcailhade (Pork Festival)
Every year, the small town of Trie-Sur-Baise in the Pyrenees organizes a unique festival dedicated to pigs. Through the celebration, you will see pigs in several forms, from piglets to pork and people with pork suits. The Pourcailhade is known for a particular moment: the competition of pigs, where participants take the stage and try to give their best pig imitation.
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The festival began in 1975, in the old largest pig market house in Europe, and it generally takes place in August, he thought that the festival had a six -year pause and made its return in 2018.
There are also letharter races and contests to see who has the best pork cost, but the Cochon CRI (The pig contest) is something to contemplate, as shown below.
The underwear festival
Captain underwear would fit directly in this town in southern France, located in the Delpartement lot.
It began in 2016, this festival is destined to pay tribute to a journalist who made the small city of Montcuq Famous duration of the acrance a national televised segment in 1976. Duration The celebration, the participants can compete with each other in Sumo-Wrestling games) ……….
In 2024, Fête Du Slip took place in July. If you have a good pair or underwear to show off, you can find out about participating here.
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The sausage and pepinillos festival
Andouillette could be one of the French foods that foreigners find less attractive, but their cousin, Andouille, is perhaps a little more attractive … It was thought that it is not enough to join a contest for the fastest dining room of Andouille and Pickle.
Read more: readers reveal: the worst food in France
The people of Bèze, located in eastern France, organized for several years a festival dedicated to celebrating the sausage. A key moment was the competition to see who can swallow a kilo and 200 grams of travel as quickly as possible, all with hands tied behind him. The festival also crowned a queen of Andouille and a king of the pickles, and the process to help children with disabilities.
Unfortunately, this festival ended in 2016, but fortunately it is not the only festival focused on Andouille in France. Another, the “Fête de l’Andouille” why it takes place in northern France, implies a very important step in which the crowd tries to catch Andouille’s pieces towards them from a balcony.
Fêtes de Bayonne
Known as the wildest festival in France, the Fêtes de Bayonne are a five -day party that celebrates Basque cultural identity, and every summer takes place in Bayonne.
From 1932, the holidays can be controversial because they have traditionally involved bull fights, or runthat some French legislators have been working to prohibit.
Read more: Could bullfights finally be prohibited in France?
In addition to the bulls, the festival consists of many song, dance, sports competitions, traditional clothing and crowd surfing.
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Festival attendees use red and white attire to symbolize the Spanish province of northern Pamplona, thought that some purists use the colors of the Bayonne: white and blue.
One of the most notable parts of the festival is the Chocolate Paquito – A type of crowd surfing where a person passes to a chain of people sitting on the ground. The Bayonne Fêtes have exceeded the world’s longest chain record several times.
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In 2022, a chain or 8,000 people passed a person on the crowd. You can see an example in X (previously Twitter).
The historic Rolle Festival
In practice since 1884, the Fête historique des louches, This tradition takes place in northern France in the commines. The legend says that the lord of the city was imprisoned in a high tower, and to show its people where it was a bee hero, a wooden spoon applied directed with its coat of arms from the tower.
The festival, which each one takes place, October, has many other activities, including a contest, but the most notable part is the parade where wood spoons are directed in the crowd. The goal is to get away with most of the spoon, demonstrating to all that you really deserve to live in the city of the commines.
The Gayant Festival
Near the border with Belgium, the city of Douai in northern France is involved in a festival to celebrate three major statues, representing a giant family. Called the “gayants”: they symbolize the city and compliance with folklore, they helped the villagers to survive battles, invasions and wars throughout the centuries. The procession involves a parade where giant statues are city tasks.
This is another French festival that was recorded in the list of “intangible cultural heritage” with UNESCO, specifically under the category of “giants and processional dragons of Belgium and France.” You can see an image in Social networks.
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Festival of the unusual
Which is carried out in Finistère, on the western coast of France, the L’Esolite Festival It has been happening for almost three decades.
Every July 14, the villagers come to demonstrate one of their “unusual talents”, either throwing an egg or demonstrating how long they can peel an apple. A culminating point of the festival is the race, where contestants try to go faster than those in the bed frames with rollers.
Some contestants use the festival as a way of showing their skill in the Guinness book of world records. In 2019, a participant broke the world record of drinking a liter of lemon juice through a straw!
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