By Cameron Bly
Artwork by Justin Negard
We all have our favorite hobbies—for some of us it’s sports, for others it’s cooking a nice meal. Or perhaps it’s an intense game of chess or binge-watching the latest Netflix series. The list is endless. But what are some of the most bizarre pastimes around the world? Here are five of the most unusual ones we could find.
1. Bull Jumping: Ethiopia
An impressive feat, bull jumping is a three-day rite-of-passage ceremony for boys in the Hamar tribe. A teenage boy must hop over seven to 10 castrated bulls smeared with dung to make their backs slippery. As if doing this once weren’t hard enough, the boy must complete this task four consecutive times. The stakes are high: If the boy succeeds, he can marry a girl of his parents’ choosing and start his own family, but if he fails, he will have to wait a whole year before he can try again.
2. Cricket Fighting: China
Dating back to the Tang Dynasty, cricket fighting is a long-established Chinese sport and gambling activity. First, handlers stimulate their cricket’s antennae, which, of course, aggravates them. Then, they are placed in a miniature arena to brawl. Handlers remain tense as the crickets lunge at each other. The first cricket to back down loses. Since gambling on fights is illegal in China, this is done in secret. And, champion crickets can be worth a fortune. In 2004, the prize cricket cost nearly $2,500, according to BBC News.
3. Tejo: Colombia
Leave it to the Colombians to create a game that combines steel projectiles, explosives and lots of drinking. Players throw a tejo, a metal puck, towards a clay-covered board from 20 meters away. They attempt to land the tejo on the bocin, a steel ring, in the middle of the board, or the mechas, triangular pouches filled with gunpowder. Hit a mecha, and bang! You earn three points. Hit a perfect bull’s-eye in the middle of the ring, and you earn six points. But hit a bull’s-eye and a mecha in the same throw, and you earn nine points. Tejo is often played casually or in fierce competitions called torneos relampago.
4. Wayang: Indonesia
Who said shadow puppetry is just for kids? Wayang is a sophisticated form of shadow puppetry dating back to the 10th century. The puppets are made of buffalo hide and intricately designed with cutouts and patterns drawn in ink. Wayang plays draw on mythology, telling stories from the Hindu epics Rāmāyaṇa and Mahābhārata. Accompanied by a gamelan percussion orchestra, these puppet shows may span as long as eight or nine hours or even go overnight.
5. Wife-carrying competition: Finland
Yes, you read that right. Called eukankanto, this tradition originates from the legend of a 19th-century bandit, Herkko Rosvo-Ronkainen. One story says Ronkainen and his band of thieves stole food and women from villages, carrying them on their backs as they ran away. Another story says Ronkainen’s thieves would abduct women and force them to marry. In 1992, Finland held the first wife-carrying competition; the world championships are now held there annually. The objective is simple: A man must carry his wife through an intense obstacle course as fast as possible. But here’s the catch–any woman over the age of 17 who weighs at least 108 pounds and is willing to be carried is fair game. And the best part? The winner of the competition receives their partner’s weight in beer.
This article was published in the July/August 2024 edition of Connect to Northern Westchester.
Cameron Bly
Cameron Bly is a recent graduate of Fox Lane High School and will be attending Brown University in the fall. She enjoys writing and painting and was excited to do both for this issue. In her free time, Cameron loves to play the cello, bake and explore the outdoors.
