They say that it’s a small world, but is it really? How much do we really know about the different cultures with all their strange traditions?
People are so different in their way of life that what feels like a customary tradition to some seems like a bizarre notion to others. There are a list of different cultures and traditions that will amaze you.
And remember that if you look for the deep meaning behind these strange traditions, you will probably find that they make weird sense, regardless of their eccentricity.
1. Carrying the wife over burning coals, China
Some tribes in China follow a strange tradition where the husband carries his wife and walks over burning coals.
These tribes believe that this practice would help the wife have painless labor. And some believe that walking over burning coals prevents natural disasters.
Some choose to do this as the husband and wife take their first step into their new home and some choose to do it when they know that the wife is pregnant.
The husband usually does this barefoot with his wife on his back. Ouch, this tradition seems pretty painful!
2. Breaking porcelain for good luck, Germany
The German custom is called Polterabend, one of the most different cultures in Germany. It is an informal party where the family and friends of soon to be wed couples gather to break porcelain items such as dinner wares and flower vases.
The couples should then clear up the broken things. This tradition is believed to bring good luck to the new marriage. Or at least to show the couple the significance of hard work and unity, which are an integral part of any marriage.
3. Fulani Whip Match: A Test of Endurance
In Niger, the Fulani people have a long-standing tradition called the “Fulani Whip Match,” where young men compete to demonstrate their courage and endurance.
Participants are whipped by elders in the community, and the one who endures the most lashes without flinching or showing pain is declared the winner, earning immense respect and honor.
4. Thaipusam in Malaysia
Thaipusam is a Hindu festival celebrated primarily by the Tamil community in Malaysia, particularly in the Batu Caves near Kuala Lumpur. Devotees participate in this vibrant and intense event by carrying offerings and enduring acts of penance. Many participants pierce their bodies with hooks and skewers as an act of devotion to Lord Murugan, the deity to whom the festival is dedicated. The physical and mental endurance required during Thaipusam is a testament to the strength of faith and the lengths people will go to demonstrate their devotion.
5. Monkey Buffet Festival in Thailand
At Phra Prang Sam Yot temple in Lopburi, Thailand, there is a remarkable tradition that takes place on the last Sunday of November. Locals set up a dinner party for thousands of macaque monkeys that inhabit Lopburi. The monkeys are believed to bring good fortune to the area and its people, and are therefore the main guests at the grand feast held in their honor. The event is celebrated with great fanfare, including an opening ceremony where people dress up in monkey costumes, and towers of fruits and vegetables are present for the macaques to climb, jump, and feast on.
6. Bullet ant initiation, Brazil
According to the Satere-Mawe Tribe from the Amazon rain forest, Brazil, a boy does not become a man unless he can withstand being stung by a swarm of Bullet Ants. This ant has the most painful sting among all insects; some even say the sting is just as excruciating as being shot by a bullet.
The initiation ritual includes the boys sticking their hands in a glove full of bullet ants while they dance. Moreover, this tradition is not a one-time thing; the boy must go through this routine as many times as it takes for him not to cry during the process. The day he can endure this torture without shedding a single tear, is the day he becomes a real man.
7. Giving cinnamon in Denmark
In Denmark, there is a unique tradition in the western part of the country. If a person is not yet married by the time they reach their 25th birthday, they will be restrained by their friends and have cinnamon thrown on them. The tradition can be translated to ‘giving cinnamon’.
A similar, but less common tradition, is throwing pepper on an unmarried person on their 30th birthday. It is safe to say that this strange tradition is not without health risks.
8. Wife Carrying World Championship in Finland
More of a competitive sport than it is a tradition, a wife-carrying competition, called the Wife Carrying World Championships. Every year in Finland, where the sport was invented, athletes participate in a race where a male competitor carries a female competitor through an obstacle course.
The winners are the fastest team. The prize is the wife’s weight in beer. Other prizes awarded to the team with the best costumes, the strongest carrier, and the most entertaining couple. The sport has gained popularity, so now many countries hold their own wife-carrying competitions.
9. Famadihana, or Turning of the Bones – Madagascar
Famadihana, also known as “the turning of the bones,” is a funerary tradition in Madagascar. Every five to seven years, families gather to exhume the remains of their deceased loved ones. The bones are wrapped in new burial cloths, and a festive celebration ensues. Families dance with the bones, play music, and share stories about the deceased. It’s a way of remembering and honoring their ancestors while maintaining a strong connection to their past.
10. Finger cutting, Indonesia
This ritual in the Dani tribe in Indonesia takes strange to an entirely new tier.
When a family member expires, women from this tribe have to undergo physical pain besides enduring emotional misery. And to commend so, they cut off a piece of their fingers. This is apparently performed to ‘appease the ancestral spirit.’ For sanity’s sake, this tradition is scarcely exercised presently.
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