Traditions can be incredibly crazy sometimes. Sometimes there is history behind them, sometimes there isn't.
Yet, us humans keep on upholding these traditions, no matter how nuts they might be, simply because that's what we love to do.
Have you ever heard of the Cooper's Hill Cheese-Rolling and Wake? It's an annual event that takes place in Gloucester, England. It's origins are either related to pagan thought or simply to maintain grazing rights on the common. The origin these days, however, seems to be less important than the event itself.
During this bank holiday event, people from all over the world chase wheels of cheese down Cooper's Hill. It used to be that only locals participate, but now it's become some folks' weird dream to participate in the race. Ah, the glory of catching the runaway cheese.
Another tradition that has many different incarnations aroudn the world is the act of scaling a slippery, or greased, pole. It happens in Canada, in the United Kingdom, and in Malta.
The video below is from the competition in Malta. While the history of the tradition is fuzzy, the spectators really do come out for this one. It's even televised for folks to watch from home.
Take one look at the video below and you'll understand why so many people want to see what this tradition is all about. The greased up pole looks almost impossible to keep traction on. I don't think that I'd even attempt to scale this pole if it wasn't greased up and super-slippery!
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