10 Stupid Things to Do Before You Die

5.Take Part in a Stupid Festival

This is the moment where the list turns the corner of cliché since it€™s going to advice that you dip your toe into the €˜Bucket List€™ of nearly every adrenaline junkie on the planet. Taking part in Pamplona€™s Bull Run is as attractive as it is because it cunningly disguises stupidity with a veil of tradition. Just because it€™s been done for centuries doesn€™t make it less stupid. The exhilaration of running away from a stampeding pack of bulls, only to reach a stadium where people cheer you on to try and touch the angry one they keep inside after the others have left, is unimaginable. If adrenaline is not your ideal holiday souvenir then perhaps La Tomatina in Spain €“ you know the one where everybody throws tomatoes at each other? €“ is more likely to attract you. If La Tomatina sounds like something that€™s been done to death but the idea of public fruit-based revolt still appeals, then the Battle of the Oranges at Carnevale d€™Ivrea is for you. Not only do they throw projectiles of considerably more substance, they expect full-on role play and costumes which you can purchase there! If you€™re British then there€™s one festival which should usurp them all. The Cheese-Rolling €˜race€™ at Cooper€™s Hill on Gloucestershire. It€™s maniacal, traditional and on your doorstep! There€™s literally nothing quite as stupid as lining up at the top of a wet, muddy hill and attempting to chase a wheel of cheese down it. And therein lies the point! When an event, nay tradition, holds little more appeal than the sheer enjoyment of rolling down a hill and being tackled by a well-meaning local, there€™s no explanation necessary. It€™s stupid, it€™s hilarious and it€™s something you€™re unlikely to forget anytime soon!
 
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Contributor

A. J. S. Scott was created as a homunculus by a mad English Alchemist who was trying to make rum from ink and seawater. He is still a fan of both and he has no comment on what happened to all the ‘No Exit’ signs in Islington Underground Station when he visited for Beltaine. You can send him missives by bribing the Right Raven with sour-strings, or: Instagram: @ajsscott Tumblr: andrew-scott-things.tumblr.com