If you are looking for strange events, go to Finland. You won’t believe what the Finns do when it comes to weird annual events, contests and similar activities… and here they are, the 13 weirdest events!
Wife wearing world championships
Every summer this strange event in Sonkajärvi, Finland, becomes more and more popular. The handcuff-wearing contest has been at the world championship level for over 13 years.
World Cell Phone Launch Championships
Finland is home to cell phone maker Nokia, but it is unclear if they have anything to do with this strange event. Did you ever want to throw away your phone? Join the World Cell Phone Launching Championships held every August in Savonlinna, Finland.
Air Guitar World Championship
A rare event for music lovers: the Air Guitar World Championship in Oulu, Finland. Have you ever played air guitar? It’s not easy to get in as a contestant, but it’s a lot of fun to watch. Part of the Oulu Music Video Festival in late summer. You can also watch a 2006 documentary about this event, called Air Guitar Nation .
Mosquito Championships
This is one of the strangest: try to squash as many mosquitoes as you can, in 5 minutes. Can you hit 20 or 30? If not, learn from the pros at the annual Finnish Mosquito Championship.
Ant nest contest
Let’s sit on an anthill! Well, if you’re not ready for that, just watch and enjoy the contestants who suffer as they place their buttocks in an anthill for as long as possible… (Various locations in Finland).
Ice swimming events
Whether naked or clothed, ice swimming is popular in Finland (for example, in Helsinki). There are events in many areas. So if you’re looking for a quick icy hit or nude beaches in Scandinavia, Finland is the destination for you!
Snowshoe Football World Cup
Finland also has soccer (for Americans: soccer)! No, not the regular kind, but the only one: Snowshow Football. Gooooool!
Finnish World Sauna Championships
The World Sauna Championship tests how long competitors can tolerate a humid 110º Celsius in a Finnish sauna. A very popular annual event in Heinola, Finland, which takes place every August. Perspire and persevere!
Kutemajarvi Sex Festival and Matchmaking Festival
Of course, both summer festivals are geared toward adult visitors, but they are kept very professional, educational, and tasteful. The city of Kangasniemi hosts the Sex Festival, while the Matchmaking Festival takes place in Kurikka in western Finland. Remember, sexuality in Scandinavia is not taboo.
Swamp Soccer World Championships
Looking for a strange sporting event? Go to the swamp soccer or swamp soccer world championship. It requires the body to be much more physical and coordinated. Hyrynsalmi in northern Finland is the location for this annual event.
Finnish Livestock Championships
Alapitka, Finland, offers a unique event in July… the “talk to your cow” event! Watch the participants use their first names and courtesy when chatting with their bovine counterparts during the Finnish Cattle Championship.
Finnish Dialect Championships
No further information is needed for this; however, we would recommend it to visitors who already know at least basic Finnish as it will be much more fun if you can understand a word or two. It’s another weird annual event in early July. Location: Kuopio, Finland.
Milking Stool Toss Contests
This is a strange event on a regional level. If your journey takes you through rural Finnish areas, keep an eye out for farms that host milking stool tossing contests that take place in early summer. Launching that can’t be that difficult, can it?
