Some Of The Dirtiest Festivals (SFW)

For some travelers festivals provide a rare opportunity to learn more about a particular culture by partaking in one of their traditions. For others they’re a great excuse to get down and dirty!

Via boryeongmudfest.com

More than 2 million people from all over the world come out every year to attend the Boryeong Mud Festival that is mineral rich mud used to make cosmetics in Boryeong, South Korea

telegraph.co.uk / Via spanish-fiestas.com

Held annually in the Valencian town of Buñol, Spain, La Tomatina draws thousands of people who want to fight dirty… with tomatoes. Despite how messy tomato throwing gets, La Tomatina has rules to ensure good clean fun.

Via bbc.co.uk

Cheese Rolling Race at Coopers Hill, Gloucestershire, England began as sacred festival meant to bless the land for a successful harvest. Today it’s known more as a day when drunks roll down a hill to chase cheese

Via beachpatong.com

The Songkran Festival in Thailand takes the cake as cleanest festival of the bunch, but anyone who’s spent the day at a water park knows that walking around drenched all day does not leave you feeling clean.

Via mostinterestingdestinations.com

If you thought those tomato stains were never coming out, wait until you’ve been to the Batalla del Vino. The people of La Rioja, Spain celebrate with a battle of wine. La Rioja is known for producing wine and apparently they have plenty to spare. During the festival people splash each other until the entire crowd turns into a sticky, purple, presumably very drunk, mess

Via holifestival.org

If getting covered head to toe in gray mud sounds too drab, then perhaps you’ll prefer the colorful way that people in India celebrate. During the Lathmar Holi Festival people all over India cover each other with brightly colored powders and paint.

Via italylogue.com

Carnevale d’Ivrea or “Battle of the Oranges” takes place in the Northern Italian city of Ivrea. This festival seems to have stemmed from public revolt although the Battle of the Oranges involves more role-play and costumes.

Via spiegel.de

There’s nothing clean about Clean Monday in Galaxidi, Greece. Clean Monday aka Pure Monday follows Greek Orthodox Lent with a huge flour war during which participants fling 3,000 pounds of starch at each other.