Before you RSVP to that family reunion in Paducah, Kentucky, this summer, make sure to consider your options.

• Helping elders clean food out of their dentures or chasing a roll of cheese down a hill in England?
• Babysitting the kids table or jumping over a row of babies in Spain?
• Listen to your aunts and uncles carrying on about their wonderful kids or attend the wife carrying world championships in Finland?

Catch my drift? There is a lot to do this summer around the world and it is cheaper than ever to get there thanks to the poor economy.

Here are a few options:

The Baby Jumping Festival, Castrillo de Murcia, Spain, June 11-15

Stretching back to 1620, men dress up like the devil and jump over a row of babies in the street to “cleanse” them of evil. The event is held every year in honor of Corpus Christi, but the tradition has evolved as I’m not sure if the devil ever wore Nikes.

Wife Carrying World Championships, Sonkajärvi, Finland, July 4

This Is Called Estonian Style

While on the subject of putting family members in danger, the Wife Carrying World Championships gives husbands the opportunity to carry their wives (or their neighbor’s wife or another female) around a course upside down. The wife must be wearing a helmet at all times and teams are punished 15 seconds for every “drop.” Former participants include the legendary Dennis Rodman.

La Pourcailhade, Trie Sur Baise, France, August

Come on…who needs horse racing when you can watch short, stubby-legged swine race around the track at less-than-amazing speeds? In addition to the race, la Pourcailhade includes a pig imitation contest with costume and noise requirements (including mimicking reproduction) and a pork-sausage eating contest. I don’t want to hazard a guess at what happens to the pigs that lose the race.

La Tomatina, Valencia, Spain, the last Wednesday of August each year

This giant food fight held in Bunol, a small town near Valencia, is the cream of the crop when it comes to summer festivals. The tomatoes at la Tomatina are specially grown for the occasion and people are supposed to squash the tomato before throwing to prevent injury. All in all, it is a crazy good time with the favorite target being the camera guys who are there filming the event.

Cheese Rolling Festival, Gloucestershire, U.K., May 25, 2009

Often rainy and still a bit cool, truckloads of people head to Gloucestershire to watch people chase a wheel of Double Gloucester cheese down a very steep hill. What’s worse is that to compete in the race, you have to climb up the hill right before heading back down. And don’t worry women who pine for cheese, there is a separate ladies race as well.

So what are you doing this summer?

Wife Carrying Photo Credit: jurveston on Flickr

La Tomatina Photo Credit: grahammclellan on Flickr