Cultural Encounters with a Competitive Edge
Is this the celebrated jumping frog of Calaveras County?
© iStock/Stevelenzphoto
Five of the Most Fascinating Competitions in the World
Grab your frog, your worm, your spouse, your crying baby, your cheese-chasing outfit, your cherry pits, your cockroaches, and your mustache wax.
Let the games begin.
From Calaveras frog jumping, to British cheese chasing, to Japanese baby crying, to Finnish wife carrying, to Indian mustache competitions, it’s time for some competitive cultural encounters.
What is it that drives us to compete . . . besides that thrill of victory? And, more to the point, what is it that drives us to compete in competitions unique to our cultures?
Most competitors in these kinds of contests say the same thing: it’s just fun.
But it may also be the cultural connection. Often, the competition is part of a country’s traditions and customs, shared with...
