7. Festival of Tearing Babies
What It Is: A sumo wrestler competition designed to scream babies
The average price is not specified.
For four centuries, the Naki Sumo Crying Baby Fest has played a significant role in Japanese culture. Every year on May 5, a date chosen to represent the height of spring, two sumo wrestlers, one holding a baby, are needed for Naki Sumo.
Festival of Crying Babies, ©Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images
The victor is declared to be the first child to cry while in the wrestler’s embrace. According to Japanese tradition, a screaming infant can drive away evil spirits. A robust, loud-crying baby will develop into a healthy, robust adult. The infant who cries the loudest is judged the winner if both babies cry at the same moment.
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