March 16th, we celebrate the panda.  Originating in Central China, these animals survive mostly off of plants, as they very rarely eat meat.  We celebrate these creatures to raise awareness of these animals.

There are national holidays all over the world, happening at different times for different reasons. But what are the most unique holidays, the most specific holidays, and why are they celebrated?  

Let's start with the country of Spain. In an article called Fascinating & Bizarre: 10 Unique Traditions Around, it says that every year in a small town of Buñol, Spain, thousands of people gather and have a tomato-throwing festival, all for fun but turning the streets a bright sea of red. It is one of Spain's most famous events.

Next, we will travel to the country of Thailand, where a really weird festival takes place. It's called the monkey buffet festival. It might sound like the monkeys are getting the bad side of it, but actually, the people of Thailand put fruits on tables for the monkeys to eat. Not... the other way around, thankfully. This event takes place to honor the monkey population in Thailand.

Finally, the last tradition I want to share is in Brazil. It's a ceremony for coming-of-age men. They have to wear gloves, but not just any gloves, they must wear gloves that are full of a specific kind of ant, called the bullet ant. As the name says, it feels like bullets going through your hands when you are stung by one. This tests the boys strength and resilience by enduring the sting of one of the most painful ants in the world. I wouldn't want to do that, personally. Ouch!

All of these holidays and traditions are just some of the amazingly weird and diverse things happening in our world. You wouldn't even know it, but there could be something really, really important, happening RIGHT now, some tradition, and you wouldn't even guess. Hopefully, it's not the bullet ant gloves though.