There are some very strange traditions in the UK which are fun to read about and even more fun to watch.

If you're planning a trip, or if you're sending students here, why not see if you could visit one of our eleven unusual events? If you do go, remember to share the fun with us on Twitter @EnglishUK, but we don't recommend that you join in with any of the races or games!

Cheese rolling

A wheel of cheese is rolled down a very steep hill in Gloucestershire and people chase it and try to be the one to get it. This race dates back hundreds of years and it's dangerous - people have hurt themselves badly in the race. The next event is on May 30 at Cooper's Hill - you'll have to walk some way to watch this as the roads are closed nearby.

Stilton rolling

Stiliton rolling is slightly safer - it takes place in the village of Stilton in Cambridgeshire and teams compete to roll a fake Stilton cheese made of wood down a course and over a finish line in the village street. People compete in teams of four in a series of races. It isn't an ancient event - it was invented last century to bring trade into the town - but it's still fun to watch especially as it is part of other May Day celebrations.

World bogsnorkelling championships

We might need to explain this one. Snorkelling in when you swim underwater with a mask - usually looking for fish. A bog is a very muddy pond.

Here in Wales, people compete to see who can swim through the bog the fastest and sometimes they do it in fancy dress. There are also bog triathlons, a bog mountain bike race and other sporting events. This year's Championship is on Sunday 28 August at Llanwrtyd Wells. The Lonely Planet guidebook has described this as one of 50 "must-do" events in the world. We think they mean you must see it, not do it.

Worm charming

Worm charming is another very strange competition where teams of three people compete to see who can persuade more worms out of a square metre of ground. The teams aren't allowed to dig into the ground, and have to encourage the worms to come out in other ways.

If a team pours liquid on to the ground, they have to drink it as well. Anyone who cheats will be put in the stocks (where your legs or arms are trapped and people throw things at you) or made fun of. This is another event held on 1 May, at Blackawton in Devon.

World egg throwing championships

The World Egg Throwing championships happen at Swaton Vintage Day in Lincolnshire on 26 June. There are a lot of different events in the championship, including throwing raw eggs at a "target" - a local man, and getting points for hits. There are also relay races, throwing and catching events, and Russian Roulette which is played with five cooked and one raw egg.