8. Hadaka Festival, Japan

The men compete over a pair of sacred sticks and other fortune items.[Photo/Australiaplus.com/Chinese]

More than 9,000 men dress in nothing but traditional loincloths for the Hadaka, or Naked Man, Festival.

The festival occurs in several locations throughout Japan, but the biggest one is held at the Saidai-ji Temple.

At midnight on the third Saturday of February, the men compete over a pair of sacred sticks and other fortune items in the hopes they will be blessed with a year of happiness.

And although the festivities occur in winter, participants warm themselves up beforehand by drinking copious amounts of sake, Japan's alcoholic beverage of choice.

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