Holi and ‘Other’ Festivals of Fun and Colours Celebrated Around the World: From La Tomatina to Carnival of Ivrea, 8 ‘Get Wet’ Festivals To Know About

The festival of colours, ‘Holi’ in India, is a great time to have fun, play with colours, party, and celebrate with family and friends. Holi celebration is a total dose of joy and excitement. But, have you ever wondered if a celebration similar to Holi is happening around the world, where people splash fruits like tomatoes, melons, and even mud and wine? Let’s explore some unique festivals similar to Holi, highlighting their vibrant celebrations and cultural significance. Holi Celebrations in India: From Hola Mohalla to Shigmo, Here’s How Holi, the Festival of Colours, Is Celebrated in Different Parts of India.

1. Chinchilla Melon Festival ( Australia)

The Chinchilla Watermelon Festival is celebrated every second year in February in Chinchilla, Australia. This festival is full of fruity events like Melon Bull’s Eye, Melon Skiing, Melon Bungee, and much more.  The festival started in 1994 to attract more visitors to the town. It is said that locals celebrate this festival to honour farmers and growers of Watermelon in town.

At the Chinchilla Melon Festival in Australia, you can go watermelon skiing. (Photo: Stephanie Clark.) pic.twitter.com/yRnp609V0F

— Quite Interesting (@qikipedia) July 29, 2018

2. La Tomatina (Spain)

La Tomatina is an event celebrated playfully by splashing tomatoes at each other. The festival is observed annually on the last Wednesday of August in the of Buñol. A massive number of people gather to enjoy themselves by throwing tomatoes at each other and having a great time filled with laughter and fun. People squish the overripe tomatoes and hurl them at one another. At the end of the event, the whole town is covered in tomato debris.

La Tomatina (Photo Credits: Wikimedia Commons)

3. Carnival of Ivrea ( Italy)

The Carnival of Ivrea is a festival that takes place in the Northern Italian city of Ivrea. The event involves a tradition of throwing oranges to other groups, called the “Battle of the Oranges”. This festival is the largest food fight in Italy and surrounding countries. It bears a striking resemblance to the La Tomatina festival but with a different fruit. During the battle, two teams dressed in costumes throw oranges at each other.

Thousands gathered Sunday in the Italian town of Ivrea for the traditional Battle of Oranges, the highlight of the town’s annual carnival. pic.twitter.com/SGaqauF2m2

— TIME (@TIME) March 4, 2019

4. Boryeong Mud Festival (South Korea)

Is it so? Are you done with tomatoes, melons and oranges? It’s time for a mud bath. The Boryeong Mud Festival celebrations occur both in Boryeong town and at Daecheon Beach, where mud is brought in from nearby mudflats. The best part is that even if the festival looks muddy and clumsy, you will able to enjoy the benefits of rich mud as it is good for skin exfoliating and glowing.

Boryeong Mud Festival (Photo Credits: Wikimedia Commons)

5. Haro Wine Festival (Spain)

Spain is known for hosting a unique festival of throwing wine, which takes place every year in the town of Haro in the La Rioja region of Northern Spain. People of all ages participate in the festival, carrying jugs, bottles, and other containers filled with red wine. They pour wine at each other until they get completely soaked in the drink. The festival features a Batalla de Vino (Battle of Wine) and youth bullfights. It is an amazing sight to see people covered from head to toe in gorgeous red wine.

Haro Wine Festival (Photo Credits: Wikimedia Commons)

6. La Merengada (Spain)

Spain has a tradition called La Merengada, which takes place on “Fat Thursday” in a small town near Barcelona. During this event, there is a wild battle of meringue and cream, followed by a Candy Fight for children. Once the meringue is over, the candy comes out, and the kids have a great time playing with it. This event is also known as the Candy Fight and is a messy yet fun-filled tradition that makes the children extremely happy.

La Merengada (Photo Credits: Wikimedia Commons)

7. Songkran (Thailand)

Songkran is the most famous festival in Thailand, which celebrates the beginning of the traditional Thai New Year. It is an important event on the Buddhist calendar and the name Songkran comes from a Sanskrit word meaning ‘passing’ or ‘approaching’. This festival is similar to Holi, where people tend to throw water and apply the beige-coloured paste to each other. It is one of the messiest festivals in Thailand, and people enjoy it with great enthusiasm.

Songkran Festival (Photo Credits: Wikimedia Commons)

8. Galaxidi Flour Festival (Greece)

This festival is a colourful “flour war” played in Galaxidi, Greece on March 18 every year.  This tradition is believed to have started in the 19th century, during the period when Greece was occupied by the Ottoman Empire. Although the exact reasons for these flour fights are unknown. People dressed up in plastic clothing and covered their faces with black coal during the 19th century. They would also wear safety goggles to protect their eyes. During the festival, people would fill the streets, dancing and throwing coloured flour at one another.

Galaxidi Flour Festival (Photo Credits: Wikimedia Commons)

These festivals are similar to Holi in terms of the way they are celebrated. If you are far away from India and missing Holi, you could try participating in some of these festivals. Don’t miss out on the fun and excitement of celebrating with vibrant colours.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 22, 2024 02:13 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).