Haxey Hood
Thirteen men in red coats (the 'Boggins') throw a leather tube ('the Hood') into a crowd of hundreds. The goal: push it to one of four pubs in neighbouring villages. It's a chaotic, muddy, centuries-old rugby-adjacent scrum that can last for hours. The Lord of the Hood declares 'Hoose agin hoose, toon agin toon' to start.
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World Bog Snorkelling Championships
Competitors in full snorkel gear swim two lengths of a 60-yard peat bog trench cut through Waen Rhydd bog. No conventional swimming strokes allowed — just flippers and a snorkel. The world record is around 1 minute 18 seconds. Wales's finest contribution to aquatic absurdity.
competitionWorld Gurning Championships
Competitors pull the most grotesque face they can manage while sticking their head through a horse collar (known as a 'braffin'). The tradition dates to 1267 as part of the Egremont Crab Fair. Judges look for the most hideous distortion of features. Dentures are often removed for maximum effect.
fireUp Helly Aa
The Lerwick Up Helly Aa is Europe's largest fire festival. A thousand-strong torchlit procession of Vikings in full regalia marches through Shetland's capital before hurling their torches into a replica longship, burning it to ashes. The night ends with ceilidh dancing until dawn. It's dark, it's loud, it smells of paraffin.