Thoddoo Watermelon Festival
Thoddoo, in Alifu Alifu Atoll, is the agricultural heart of the Maldives : known locally as "watermelon island." The island produces over 3,000 tonnes of watermelons annually, and the festival celebrates the harvest with watermelon carving competitions, watermelon-eating contests, and the distribution of free fruit to every household. Thoddoo is one of the few Maldivian islands with fertile soil deep enough for agriculture (most atoll islands are pure sand and coral rubble), and the watermelon fields stretch across the interior of the island in neat green rows. The island also produces papayas, chilies, eggplants, and limes, but the watermelon is king : enormous, sweet, and crimson-fleshed. During the festival, the island's harbor is decorated with watermelon-themed bunting, local women prepare watermelon juice and watermelon curry (yes, curry), and children compete to see who can spit seeds the farthest. The watermelon industry on Thoddoo is so important that the island's economy runs on two cycles: the fishing season and the watermelon season, and the farmers and fishermen are often the same people.
