Imagine this: You’re taking a stroll in the beautiful city of Melbourne when you spot a man carrying a giant carrot. As odd as it sounds, this is a common occurrence for Australian locals. In fact, folks have come to know and love this delightful man so much that there’s a whole Instagram page dedicated to keeping up with where he’s been seen last.
Although just about everyone he comes across is elated to see the carrot man, naturally, they all have to wonder… why does he do it? The answer is simple: To make people smile. Still, how did he even come up with the idea?
@whatstrending A man has become a viral phenomenon for carrying a giant carrot around Melbourne, Australia, and here’s why he does it. #melbourne #carrotman #wholesome #humansbeinghumans ♬ original sound – WhatsTrending
Luckily, the carrot man, as he’s lovingly called, is happy to share all of the details. First of all, his real name is Nathan. And he’s been toting around his unusual companion for over a decade.
While shopping one day, he bought a giant turnip. In doing so, he noticed it made a number of people smile. Curious of the effects the turnip had on folks, he tried carrying a giant octopus and squid as well. Then, his beloved carrot came into his life, and the rest is history.
Carrot Man Delights Melbourne Locals for Over a Decade
“Then I made the giant carrot and carried it around town and I noticed a big difference,” Nathan shares. “The diversity of people smiling and the number of people smiling was much greater. So I just kept carrying the carrot around because it was the most successful thing at making people smile.”
Nathan tries to make an appearance with his carrot as much as he can, sometimes spending over an hour walking in order to make someone’s day. Based on all of the positive feedback he gets both in person and online, it’s safe to say he’s succeeding.
“I try to get out as often as possible but you have to be in the mood to do something like this,” Nathan explains to Humans In Melbourne in 2019. “Today I’ve been out here for about an hour and a half and I’ve had hundreds and hundreds of smiles. This is what’s so good about it, if I want to do something good I just grab my carrot and head on out.”
You can find the source of this story’s featured image here!
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