by FFE Entertainment News staff

Most of us will go to great lengths to stop our baby from crying. But in many shrines in Japan, the ear-splitting wails have been turned into a cause to celebrate.

Once a year, the Japanese celebrate the sound of a baby’s cry in a ceremony that has parents laughing and babies crying. During “Crying Sumo,” babies are brought to shrines and carried by men dressed as sumo wrestlers. They are then coaxed to cry while parents and onlookers film and take pictures of the ceremony.

Why coax babies to wail? Those who attend the ceremony believe that the baby’s cry is purifying and innocent. Babies who cry will ward off bad luck and evil spirits and grow strong and healthy.

The ceremony has slowly become a tradition throughout the country and is being attended by more visitors each year.