The UK knows a thing or two about unusual festivals—not the mass-produced spectacle, but the deep, strange, almost mystical traditions. The first is the Lancashire Garlic Festival. Yes, you heard that right. Every July, the village of Blackpool transforms into a giant garlic market. There are people in garlic costumes, garlic beer, garlic pies, and even a “Garlic Cup”—a garlic clove-throwing tournament. This is no joke—it’s a legacy of medieval beliefs: garlic protected against evil spirits. The second is the Floating Lantern Festival in Bath. Every September, hundreds of lanterns made of paper and bamboo rise above the River Avon. People write wishes on them and release them into the sky. It’s a combination of Chinese tradition and British poetry. The third is the World Cheese Throwing Championships. In Gloucestershire, on Copper Hill, competitors run down a steep slope, trying to catch a large round cheese rolling ahead.
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