Obscure and unique holidays from around the world range from cultural, nature-based, to purely fun, such as Bhutan’s Blessed Rainy Day (Sept 22), which washes away sins, and Mexico’s Night of the Radishes (Dec 23), featuring intricate radish carvings. Other, lesser-known celebrations include La Tomatina in Spain (massive food fight), Japan’s Mountain Day (nature appreciation), and International Talk Like a Pirate Day (Sept 19).
Here are some of the most obscure and unique holidays worldwide:
- Night of the Radishes (Mexico – Dec 23): Artisans in Oaxaca carve giant radishes into detailed, thematic scenes.
- Blessed Rainy Day (Bhutan – Sept 22): A day marking the end of the monsoon season, where rain is believed to be blessed by the Buddha.
- Sizdah Be-Dar (Iran – April 2): Known as “Nature Day,” people spend the day outdoors to avoid bad luck associated with the 13th day of the Persian New Year.
- Cheung Chau Bun Festival (Hong Kong): Features a “bun scrambling” competition to climb towers of sweet buns.
- La Tomatina (Spain – August): Thousands gather in Buñol for a massive, chaotic tomato fight.
- Yule Lads (Iceland – Dec 12-24): 13 trickster figures who visit children over the 13 days before Christmas.
- Picnic Day (Australia – Aug): A public holiday in the Northern Territory dating back to the late 1800s.
- Mountain Day (Japan – Aug 11): A recent holiday (2016) created to encourage appreciation of the outdoors.
- Day of the Sea (Bolivia – March 23): Remembers the loss of coastline to Chile during the War of the Pacific.
- Radunitsa (Belarus): A day for ancestor veneration, often involving cleaning graves and having picnics with the deceased.
- International Talk Like a Pirate Day (Global – Sept 19): A lighthearted, unofficial holiday to speak like a pirate.
These, alongside others like Cheese Pizza Day (Sept 5) or Digital Detox Day (March 5), showcase a mix of deep tradition and modern whimsy.
I really meant to do one design for every day of the year — to cover the complete range of possible date down to 29th of February. But I soon found that 366 is a mighty tall number. So this will just have to wait.
Meanwhile, here are some of the designs I DID make:
International Sloth Day
20 October
Hey ho, it’s Monkey Day today!
December 14th
