Gotta love Der Spiegel. We read the online version of this German newspaper and are always amused at their observations on the world, including the political situation in the U.S. (yes, the English language version calls American political coverage The West Wing) and their poking fun at themselves and their country. A recent favorite is a feature called Europe’s Weird Ways, and let me tell you, there is some serious weird to be found in the folk celebrations and various customs throughout these lands. We already knew about the English habit of chasing an eight pound wheel of cheese down a hill. But the Grecian phallus festival and the Irish Goat King? New to us, for sure.
This is only the weird ways of Europe. America probably has its own website.
– D & T
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Ahh, but you missed the German Finger Pulling Championships. Can’t leave those out!
Oh god the goat king.
I hope you don’t associate us Northern folk with those depraved southerners. They marry that goat to a girl-child, you know. The marriage is legal and binding down there. The girl has to wait until the goat dies before she can marry again.
Oops. Did it again. Let me just say that this ‘Wrong Thoughts’ does not speak for the people of Northern Ireland.
Some of those things are truly bizarre. And the goose on is truly horrific!
The weirdest ‘weird way’ I can think of offhand for Americans is Pumpkin Chunkin’– but as you can see from the lack of the ‘g,’ at the end of the word (and since when is ‘chunk’ a verb?) it’s a strictly non-West Coast/Northern Cal thing, and we can take no responsibility for it. Plus, it probably comes from the English, anyway. Didn’t they always fling cows in Monty Python films?