Bizarre European Festivals

Yes, I know, the world is getting weirder day by day all by itself. But Europeans have spent centuries celebrating what looks like weirdness to the flummoxed tourist.

It's not every day you get to sample spinach and nettle soup while getting pummeled by huge phalluses, as you might at the start of lent in Tyrnavos, Greece. And when has throwing fruits at people been socially sanctioned? What would you think about a town in southern Italy whose residents would go to bed unhappy if the youth of the town didn't beat back the local police to tear up a carefully crafted parade float? Read all about it in our latest: Unusual Festivals in Europe.