海外文化:愚人節之外的三個搞笑節日

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

慶典和傳統在一個國家中佔據着特殊的地位。這是一個舉國團結的時刻，家家户户歡聚一堂，把日常瑣事都拋諸腦後，為了一個特別目的來慶祝一個節日。這也是人們表達自我的一種方式。

Besides the national festivals and celebrations, many places enjoy some whacky celebrations. Here are just 3 whacky festivals:

許多地方在歡度全國性節日和慶典之外還舉辦一些古怪的慶祝活動。下面就介紹三個怪節日。

Japanese Naked Festival 日本裸體節

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.

日本會舉辦裸體節。所有的男性參與者都身穿肥大的兜襠布在冬日的街頭列隊遊行。路邊的旁觀者則把冷水潑到他們身上。參賽者們則喝大量的清酒以免被凍僵。

La Tomatina Festival 西紅柿節

Every August thousands of Spaniards take part in the La Tomatina festival in Bunol. Truckloads of tomatoes are dumped 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 seen to participate in the festival.

每年八月都有成千上萬的西班牙人蔘加在波諾舉行的西紅柿節。每年，一卡車一卡車的西紅柿都會被運送並傾倒到市中心。整整一天，人們都互相扔擲西紅柿。但是，唯一的規矩就是必須先把西紅柿用手捏扁了再扔。就連老奶奶都會參加這個節日。

Sauna Bathing Championships 桑拿浴大賽

If you prefer it hot, Finland is the place for you to compare 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 positon. The last person left in the sauna is the winner.

如果你喜歡高温，就去芬蘭參加桑拿浴大賽吧！温度每30秒就升高一次，選手們必須堅持光着屁股坐在木椅子上，同時保持筆直的坐姿。最後一名留在桑拿室的人將贏得冠軍。

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 nation and becomes an integral part of a way of life. Maybe you can come up with some whacky celebration of your own.

有人説節日體現了慶祝者身上的某些東西，我去對此表示懷疑。但是，重要的是，作為地球村的一員，我們應該尊重而非責難他人選擇慶祝的方式和內容。每個節日都滿足了該國家中個體成員的某種特殊需要，並且構成了生活方式中不可或缺的部分。也許你也可以發現一些屬於自己國家的古怪節日呢！