World's Strangest Festivals

Where: Northern Greece, Southern Bulgaria.

What: Fire walking! During this eight-day religious celebration for those who celebrate the Anastenaria, worshippers are ostensibly possessed by Saint Constantine and are able to walk, dance, and stomp barefooted over fire. Live musicians play to accompany the dancers, and as the music gets faster, worshippers “touched by the saint” say they don’t feel the flames.

Why: The legend behind this ritual dates back to the Middle Ages, when the Church of Saint Constantine accidentally caught fire. According to the story, as flames engulfed the church, the icons of the saint and of his mother, Saint Helena, could be heard crying for help from the inside. The brave churchgoers who ran in to rescue the icons were unscathed by the fire.

When: Begins May 21. The eight days of dancing, all-night church services, and festivities end with a sacrifice of a sacred bull, from which every village family is given meat and sandals made from the hide.

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