Throwing husbands down a hill: Japan's unique winter festival! #japan

In Japan's Niigata prefecture, a traditional winter festival has taken place for centuries. The festival involves throwing married men onto a snowy hill while they wear their traditional attire. The event's aim is to strengthen the bond between married couples, and it has been going on since the 18th century. It's believed to have started as a way for men to retaliate against outsiders who married local girls. After the husbands are thrown down the slope to their waiting wives, participants smear charcoal ink on each other's faces in hopes of good health.