4 Most Bizarre European Traditions That Still Exist Today

This article was originally on GET.com at: 4 Most Bizarre European Traditions That Still Exist Today

While there are traditional European foods that 99% of Singaporeans won't dare to try, some of the age-old traditions that some countries in Europe observe till this day are quite bizarre as well.

Just to put it on the table, culture and heritage isn't a one-size-fits-all and they are all unique in their own right, so while we at GET.com reckon these European traditions that we've highlighted are strange and peculiar from a Singaporean standpoint, in no way are we disregarding their cultural significance.

4 Bizarre European Traditions That Still Exist Today

1. Bullfighting

Bullfighting might be fun for spectators that congregate at the stadiums, but this bloody fiesta really isn't a slightest bit humane to say the least. The gist of bullfighting is to torture and inflict brutal pain on the bulls, progressively weaken them till they heave their last breath after getting speared fatally.

In case you are wondering, contemporary Spaniards aren't the only ones who are still chasing bulls around. This tradition exists in southern France, Portugal, Brazil, Mexico and other Latin American countries as well.

And if you see yourself as the voice of animals in general, you would probably be less bitter knowing that in 2015, the the French court removed bullfighting from France's cultural heritage list.

2. Þorrablót (Month of Þorri)

Fermented shark is not the only cringe-worthy thing that many Icelanders feast on in the month of January. Known as the "Feast of Thorri", Icelanders join in the celebration by eating what they regard as delicacies the likes of blood pudding, liver sausage, boiled sheep heads and - wait for it - sour ram testicles. Good enough for Fear Factor, I suppose?

3. La Tomatina (Tomato Fight)

Do you belong to Camp Tomato or Camp Cream when you are eating pasta? For those who picked the former, perhaps you would enjoy participating in La Tomatina, the largest Tomato Throwing Festival in the world that is hosted annually in the Valencian town of Buñol, Spain. Participants of this huge tomato fight do it wholly for fun though I am not sure if everybody would do their part in cleaning the area up.

4. Laulupidu (Estonian Song Festival)

Singing only when you are in the shower is so passé. Estonians sure know how to take singing to a whole new level during the Estonian Song Festival which takes place once every five years in Tallinn. Their stage must be really well constructed and stable because it has to hold the weight of 18,000 crooners at any one time.

What do you think? Share your comments with us below!

GET.com Singapore is Singapore's lifestyle and personal finance website. We help you GET more for your money - food, travel, home loans, credit cards, shopping - everything!

Like GET.com on Facebook and sign up to get the HOTTEST stories delivered to your inbox!

For serious stuff, you can compare home loans, personal loans and credit cards at GET.com.

Our free GETdeals™ App helps you get the best credit card discounts near you for dining, shopping, lifestyle and more. Download it today!