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Smashing coconuts on people’s skulls in India
Breaking coconuts on people’s heads is a ritual that has been around for a long time in southern parts of India. Their extreme superstition has caused this to become an obsession and therefore despite warnings they have continued to perform this act that has been around since the colonial period.Devotees to the Hindu religion will gather inside the temple and the Priest will smash a coconut on the head of each of them one after the other as a sign to the gods they are asking for good health and success. The subjects will then usually walk away as if unphased by the event.
Festival of scrambled eggs in Bosnia
Whereas in the UK we might celebrate the start of Spring by picking some daffodils or doing a spring clean, in Zenica, Bosnia they mark the start of the season with an unusual tribute to scrambled eggs known in Bosnia as Čimburijada.They start the day as they mean to go on with a large breakfast of eggs cooked in a large pan in a city park near the river. They then spend the rest of the day partying, barbecuing and jumping into the river.
Throwing cinnamon at 25-year old’s in Denmark
In Denmark, if you turn 25 and are unmarried not only do you have to face Valentine’s Day alone, but you also must endure your friends and family submerging you in a cloud of cinnamon.This long-standing tradition in Denmark is customary if a man or woman turns 25 and is still single. Firstly, they get splashed with water and then they get covered from head to toe in cinnamon. It’s not a form of punishment but more just an excuse to be silly with friends and family and is a tradition that dates back hundreds of years.
The monkey buffet festival in Thailand
On the last Sunday of November something rather spectacular, if a little bit strange, happens in Phra Prang Sam Yot temple in Lopburi, You do not have permission to view the full content of this post. Log in or register now..A lavish banquet is laid out and a big celebration is held, but not for humans. The feast is held in honour of Lopburi’s thousands of macaques that supposedly bring good luck to the area and its occupants and therefore they are the special guests at this party.
The festival includes performances by dancers in monkey costumes during the opening ceremony and towers of fruits and vegetables in which the monkeys climb, jump and indulge on.
Polterabend in Germany
Polterabend, meaning ‘wedding ******’, is a unique tradition in Germany that is generally held the day before a bride and groom are due to wed. It’s a big party where friends and family gather at the front of the house and smash things on the floor such as; plates, flowerpots, tiles, anything that makes a lot of noise in order to bring good luck, the only exceptions being glass and mirrors, of course.Once the dish breaking is done the bride and groom then work together to clean it up as preparation for the future.
Shoving faces in cake in Mexico
Perhaps one of the best traditions on this list is ‘La Mordida’, a Mexican birthday tradition. The birthday girl or boy will have their hands tied behind their back and when they go to take the first bite of cake, they will have their face pushed right into it whilst the rest of the party guests shout “Mordida! Mordida! Mordida!”, the Spanish word for ‘take a bite’. It’s particularly important to note here that Mexican cakes are pretty creamy.Battle of the oranges in Italy
Every year on the three days leading up to Mardis Gras something rather strange takes place in Ivrea, Italy. The residents divide up into nine different squads and dress in battle attire then over the next few days they sling oranges at each other to try and kill the other teams.The origins of this game are unclear, but it has become the largest food fight in Italy, however, not quite as big as La Tomatina yet.
Finger cutting of the Dani tribe
Everyone grieves differently after the loss of a loved one but the women of the Dani tribe in Indonesia have quite a unique and severe way of dealing with grief.When they lose a loved one the top joint of a woman’s finger will be amputated. String will be tightly tied around the finger until it goes numb and then a family member, often a sibling or parent will cut off the top of the finger. The wound is then burnt to stop the bleeding and prevent infection.The process is carried out to symbolise the pain suffered after the loss of a loved one and to keep the deceased person’s spirit away.
Baby tossing in India
You may want to sit down for this one. In India, they have a ritual that involves throwing newborn babies off the side of temples. If you got married at the 50-foot-high Sri Santeswar temple in India, it’s a tradition to return with your baby and throw them from the top onto a cloth that is held by both Muslims and Hindus below.These are some of the strangest traditions but although they may seem absurd to some, they are a way of life for others and natives believe that they have very good reasons for their actions.Teeth tossing in Greece
Some cultures pop children’s teeth under their pillows and wait for a swap with cold hard cash by a fairy. Others throw a baby’s recently liberated tooth on their roofs.
Baby Jumping in and and
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Residents in a small Northern Community take part in baby jumping, called El Colacho, to keep the devil at bay. Men dressed as the devil run between and jump over infants, who are laid on mattresses along the streets.While
La Tomatina is the biggest tomato fight that exists. It is a strange culture among the Valencians in Bunol where tomatoes are used as weapons. Snowball fights are so last year.
Avoiding using red ink in South Korea
Based on their history and customs, red ink was used to write down names of dead people. It is therefore considered a taboo to write someone’s name in red.
Initiation custom in Brazil
is strange how young boys prove their bravery and strength. In the Satare Mawe tribe they showcase the courage by placing hands in a basket filled with angry bullet ants. The bites are real pain.
Witches’ Night in the Czech Republic
Prague has more than its fair share of rituals and traditions, one of which sees young lovers jump over the dying embers of bonfires. Single men are also encouraged, on this day, to leave tokens of freshly cut branches on the doorstep of the women of the affections. It was once believed that the evil powers on this evening, which falls in between the ancient feast days of St. Jacob and St. Phillip, were far stronger than normal and that for this evening only they ruled over the good. Flocks of witches riding broomsticks were said to soar the skies, and the Czechs believed that the bonfires would bring them down in flames. Nowadays the celebration is far more light-hearted, and the biggest bonfire in the country takes place in the center of the Czech capital.
Sardine burial in Tenerife
A custom tradition among Spaniards is actually burying a sardine, with a funeral procession of mourners in black. It mostly occurs at the highly spirited moments in the Christian calendar such as lent and the advent period.
Burial Ritual in Brazil and Venezuela
When a person of the Tanomani tribe dies, his or her body is burnt. The bone and ash powder is mixed into a plantain soup that the people attending will drink. They believe that this pleases the dead soul as it finds a resting place in their bodies.
Foot binding and Blubbing Brides in
in China
Young girls were compelled to go through the painful process of foot binding. For almost a thousand years, the Chinese thought that small feet were marks of beauty and desirability among girls. This perception caused the Chinese men and women to intentionally restrict the girls’ feet from growing bigger by binding them. In the late 1940’s, this tradition was stopped because of the debilitating experience that young Chinese girls suffered from.Whereas Brides cry for about a month, which is considered part of the wedding preparations. This culture is still observed by the Fuji living in Wuling Mountains. I guess it beats crying for a month after the wedding.
Tooth filling in Indonesia
In Bali, a rather peculiar ritual is performed by both genders before marriage. They fill two teeth. It is done to keep any evil forces or characteristics such as greed, lust, anger, stupidity, confusion, jealousy and intoxication away from the couple.
Welcome drinks in Fiji
You may have noticed this when you were welcomed to the Pacific nation. Guests are served a strange earthy cocktail made from squeezing roots and served in a wooden bowl or bucket. It’s called Kava, but cannot in anyway compare to the Spainsh bubbles. Kava is considered narcotics in many countries, although a very mild one.
excerpt from:expatriates/Garforsglobe
