During the month of June, certainly in Great Britain, summer is well upon us and every now and then we may even be lucky enough to get a spot of sunshine for a day or two. However summer is a great time for holidays and for getting out and seeing the world. Although some holidays may cost a pretty penny, if you want to experience some great culture in the form of weird and whacky festivals, there are a couple of places you absolutely need to visit in the month of June to make a great holiday.
Festa de Sao Joao do Porto
The Festival of John the Baptist in Portugal holds some strange tradi tions which have slightly lost their meanings over the years, although it makes for a great experience for tourists and holidaymakers.
Although the entire festival lasts over the course of several days, the oddest tradition occurs on the 23rd June which works as a very strange Valentine’s day-esque celebration.
Houses are draped in bunting and people will run around ‘attacking’ their crushes or significant others with a small plastic hammer or limp leeks. The ‘attack’ is normally gentle as it is done out of love, but what this signifies in ancient tradition is unclear.
Roasted Pig Parade
Known as a pretty famous festival in the town of Balayan in the Philippines, the roasted pig parade occurs annually on the 24th June, again as part of the feast of Saint John the Baptist, where one hundred pigs are roasted. After the roasting the pigs are dressed in a whole number of costumes which vary from year to year and can be anything imaginable.
The residents then gather at the church and sit for the holy mass and afterwards there is a big parade to celebrate the roasting of the pigs. Finally after the end of the parade the pig meat is distributed among the onlookers and the participants of the parade, marking the end of the celebration.
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