Babies compete in crying contest
The Nakizumo festival, is an event that features student sumo wrestles holding babies trying to make them cry by shouting Naki! Naki! Naki! (which means cry)…
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Most parents try to avoid hearing their little ones sound off but in Hiroshima, Japan, making babies cry is a 400 year-old tradition. The Nakizumo festival, is an event that features student sumo wrestles holding babies trying to make them cry by shouting Naki! Naki! Naki! (which means cry). The baby that cries first and the longest wins the contest.
In Japan, there's a proverb that says "Naku ko wa" which translates to crying babies grow faster, according to Japan Daily Times. The festival is meant to make the babies healthier and to ward off bad spirits, which is why parents voluntarily hand their babies over to participate in the contest.
The event is apart of Children's Day which is the last holiday during "Golden Week," a five-day period of national holidays back to back. During "Golden Week," many Japanese offices close as people take vacations, travel, and participate in a slew of events.
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