大千世界，无奇不有。除了我们耳熟能详的传统中外节日——国庆节、中秋节、情人节、圣诞节——之外，许多国家都有那么几个让人觉得不可思议甚至古怪的节日，庆祝的方式也是千奇百怪。当你坐在家中吃西红柿的时候，某个西班牙城市的人们正在打西红柿仗取乐；当你穿着羽绒服哆哆嗦嗦地走在寒风里的时候，日本也许正在举行裸体大游行……古怪归古怪，这些节日也都是一国文化的组成部分。

　　Celebrations and traditions hold a special place in a country. It is a time of national solidarity when the families come together and forget the day-to-day grind and celebrate a holiday, for a particular purpose. It is a way for the people to express themselves.

　　Besides the national festivals and celebrations, many places enjoy some whacky celebrations. Here are just five whacky festivals:

　　Henley-on-Todd Regatta

　　托德河脚行船赛

　　If you want something quieter, trip over to Alice Springs in the dry heart of Australia. There you will find the Todd Regatta in a riverbed that normally has no water. The boats are bottomless and without paddles, or motors. They are usually constructed from beer cans, which have been eagerly emptied by the boat builders. The teams run up the riverbed with their feet sticking out of the bottom of their boats. In 1993 the race was cancelled because of the threat of a once in a blue moon rain storm.

　　World Black Pudding Throwing Championship

　　扔黑布丁比赛

　　In Greater Manchester UK they throw black puddings. Black pudding is traditionally made of cooked pig blood, fat and rusk, encased in a length of intestine. The contest dates back to the 1850s. Competitors from across the world have gathered at a pub in Greater Manchester for the World Black Pudding Throwing Championship. The aim is to knock Yorkshire puddings off a 20-foot shelf by throwing black puddings at them.

　　Sauna Bathing Championships

　　桑拿浴大赛

　　If you prefer it hot, Finland is the place for you to compete in the Sauna Bathing Championships. Every 30 seconds the heat is turned up, but the contestants must keep their naked bums firmly on the wooden seat, while remaining seated in an upright position. The last person left in the sauna is the winner.

　　The La Tomatina Festival

　　西班牙西红柿节

　　Every August thousands of Spaniards take part in the La Tomatina Festival in Bunol. Truckloads of tomatoes are pulled in each year and dumped in the city centre. The people throw tomatoes at each other for the whole day, but the only rule is that the tomato must be flattened in the hand first, before being thrown. Even elderly grandmothers have been known to take part.

　　The Naked Festival

　　日本裸体节

　　Japan hosts the Naked Festival. All male contestants are dressed in oversize diapers and parade through the winter streets. Bystanders throw cold water over the contestants, who drink copious amounts of sake in an effort to stop from freezing.

　　While some say festivals express something about the people who celebrate them, I wonder! It is important however, as a universal community we respect without censure , how and what others choose to celebrate. Each festival meets a particular need in the individuals of that country and becomes an integral part of a way of life. Maybe you can come up with some whacky celebration of your own.

　　Vocabulary

　　1. whacky: 〈口〉古怪的，滑稽可笑的。

　　2. national solidarity: 国家团结；grind: （令人疲劳或厌倦的）工作，苦差事；particular: 特别的，特定的。

　　3. regatta: 划船比赛，赛船会。

　　4. Alice Springs: 爱丽丝泉，澳大利亚中部的一个城市，以每年举办的托德河脚行船比赛和骆驼赛而闻名，成为澳大利亚著名的旅游胜地。

　　5. bottomless: 无底的；paddle: （划船用的）桨；motor: 发动机，马达。

　　6. construct from: 用……建成；beer can: 啤酒罐；eagerly: 急切地，渴望地。

　　7. stick out: 突出，伸出。

　　8. threat: 凶兆，征兆；once in a blue moon: 千载难逢的，极为罕见的。

　　9. 黑布丁的传统做法是将熬制的猪血、脂肪和面包塞入猪肠中而制成。rusk: 甜面包；encase: 把……放入箱（或盒、袋子等）；intestine: 肠，内脏。

　　10. pub: 〈英〉酒吧，酒馆。

　　11. Yorkshire pudding: 约克郡布丁，英国一种传统食物。味道偏咸、香脆，中间凹陷，呈杯形；

　　12. bum: 〈英〉屁股，臀部；firmly: 稳定地，坚定地；upright: 挺直的，直立的。

　　13. Spaniard: 西班牙人，西班牙居民；Bunol: 布尼奥尔，一西班牙小镇，以一年一度的西红柿节而闻名。

　　14. Truckload: 一卡车（的货物）；dump: 倾倒，丢弃。

　　15. flatten: 使变平，把……弄平。

　　16. oversize: 过大的，超大号的；diaper: 尿布；parade: 游行，列队行进。

　　17. bystander: 旁观者，看热闹的人；copious: 大量的，很多的；sake: 日本米酒。

　　18. universal community: 国际社区，地球村；censure: 责备，指责。

　　19. integral: 完整的，整体的。

　　20. come up with: 提出，提议。