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Cockroach racing among bizarre festivals of 2008
25 January 2008

There are a number of weird and wonderful festivals taking place across the world this year, with cockroach racing in Australia and toe wrestling in England among the most unusual.

For the past 26 years, Brisbane's Story Bridge Hotel has hosted the cockroach racing world championships on 26 January to mark Australia Day.

The event is comprised of 14 races, including steeplechases, and attracts thousands of spectators every year, according to Australia's News.com.

Another unusual occasion included in the website's list is the Songkran Water Festival in Thailand, which is held from 13 to 15 April.

Every visitor is guaranteed to get a soaking during this event, during which people take to the streets with hoses, buckets, water pistols and anything else they can find to engage in a mass water-fight.

April is Thailand's hottest month, so most visitors welcome the opportunity to cool down.

It is not necessary for British travellers to go so far to attend a strange festival, however, as in May the Cooper's Hill Cheese Rolling contest takes place in Gloucester and the toe-wrestling world championships are contested in Derbyshire in June.

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