After a pandemic-induced hiatus, the “Crying Baby” sumo festival in Japan is making a comeback. This event, which involves sumo wrestlers holding infants and trying to make them cry, has been a tradition for over 400 years.
According to The Guardian, the ritual, which took place over the weekend at Sensoji Temple in Tokyo, involves pairs of toddlers in ceremonial sumo aprons, facing off as they are held up by their parents.
“Staff wearing “oni” demon masks tried to make the babies cry, with the first to bawl declared the winner by a sumo referee in an elaborate traditional uniform holding a wooden fan used to signal victory,” the outlet reports.
While some may think it’s terrible to make babies cry, the chairman of the Asakusa Tourism Federation, who organized the event, shared, “But in Japan, we believe babies who cry powerfully also grow up healthily. This kind of event takes place in many places in Japan.”
A total of 64 babies participated in the festival.
#oddities
Recommend0 recommendationsPublished in Oddities
You must be logged in to post a comment.