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Where it's held: The usually-tranquil lakeside town of Pushkar in Rajasthan, India.
What happens: 25,000 camels are brought together to be traded, decorated and generally fussed over. The animals are adorned in beautiful embroidered outfits and judged in beauty competitions, and visitors can take a camel ride out into the surrounding Thair desert.
Why it happens: Pushkar is a sacred spot for Hindus. Legend has it that when a demon was defeated here with a lotus flower, lakes sprung magically up from where its petals fell. Hundreds of temples supposedly used to exist here to commemorate its religious significance.