Unusual Traditions: Part Uno

To people who are not accustomed to some traditions, they tend to find these traditions quite weird, odd, and unusual. But who are we to judge, people may think traditions that we may find normal are quite funny. For example, Americans in total eat 18 acres of pizza a day. That is a ridiculously large amount of pizza that most people not living in this country would probably think is an insane amount to eat. I even live here and can't believe that fact is true, well now that I think about it; we Americans do love our pizza.

 

On that note, here are some traditions that seem to be weird to people who are not familiar with them. Wedding ceremonies can have some unusual traditions like Polterabend and blackening of the bride. Polterabend is a German custom where guests come together at the bride’s home and break porcelain dishes, pots, and other objects on the night before the wedding. It is believed to be good luck for the wedding and also helps provide entertain the guests. At the same time, in Scotland, the tradition of blackening the bride may seem weird to some. This is because brides tend to be seen in a white dress, but in this Scottish tradition the bride and sometimes the groom are covered in spoiled milk, sauces, mud, feathers, fish, syrup, and many other gross items. It is believed that if the couple can overcome this humiliation, they will be able to stay together for life. How romantic?

 

Then there is also baby tossing. This seems kind of scary. I mean who would want to toss their baby, especially off the side of a 50 foot tower. However, parents in India, specifically in Maharashtra, climb to the top of the tower and toss their babies off. At the bottom, villagers hold a sheet out to catch the falling babies. It tends to be more of a Muslim Indian tradition, though some Hindus do practice it. By doing this, parents hope to provide the child with good luck for a healthy life. I wonder if any of these babies grow up to have a fear of heights.
 

In the Philippines, dead people are buried and hung in limestone caves around the Sagada. Similarly, people in China (Bo people) practice the tradition and in Indonesia the Toraja people hang coffins of the young. It is quite interesting to see that various parts of the world have similar traditions and they all have religious or spiritual meaning attached to it.

 

Though these traditions may seem weird to some, it is a tradition to others that contains religious and a spiritual meaning. There is always a reason behind why these things are done, and should not be judged. Some may seem sweet, others may seem weird, and others may just be plain disgusting, but we shouldn’t judge them. If it is what people want to do and believe then we should allow them to do it without judgment. Just always remember that it is important to be tolerant. I find all these cultures to be unique and interesting because of their traditions and would love to witness some of these traditions. Stay tuned for more weird traditions and if you want more information now, click here, here or here.