Our planet is a house for many cultures, and each of them has its own unique tradition. In this post, I have tried to collect the top 10 bizarre traditions and festivals around the World. Some of the traditions are no longer held because of human or animal rights issues.
10 – Day of the Geese/ Antzar Eguna, Spain
The Day of the Geese is an old competition from Spain. This ritual is to test the eligibility and strength of young men in front of females. A greased goose is hung above the water; as their boats pass underneath, young men attempt to jump off, grab the goose and rip off the goose head barehanded. The one who outmatches other males will win the female adoration, and he could bring the headless goose back home. The competition can be found during San Antolin Festival in Lakeito.
In modern times, the goose is already killed off-site.
9 – Finger Cutting, Dani Tribe, Indonesia
In some cultures, the amputation is a custom of mourning. This was particularly true of the Dani tribe from Papua, Indonesia. The members of this tribe cut off their fingers as a way of demonstrating their grief at funeral rites. As an expression of sadness, they also covered their faces with clay and ashes. This finger-cutting ritual is performed to satisfy ancestral spirits in the afterlife.
The good news is the practice is no longer a typical ceremony in the tribe.
8 – Monkey Buffet Festival, Thailand
Every year, Monkey Buffet Festival is celebrated to honor gods in Heaven. Around 2,000 monkeys take part in the celebration, and they enjoy 3,000 kg fruits and veggies which are provided by Lopburi people in Lopburi province, Thailand.
7 – Foot binding
Foot binding was a custom tradition for Chinese young women for more than 1000 years. Their feet were bound to make them shrinking and fit into 3 inches lotus shoes. Small feet with crescent moon shaped were a symbol of the highest beauty for Chinese women, but it limited their movement and activities as a consequence.
In modern times, this practice is considered a symbol of eroticism and honor in Chinese Tradition.
6 – Sky Burial, Tibet, China
Sky Burial was the usual ceremonial practices to honor death. Once a Tibetan dies, his/her family will save their body for 3 days. On the last day, monks will chant the corpse, while at the other place, body breakers prepare their hatchets and knives to slash the corpse, and splint the bones before serving to the vultures. The bones were mixed with tsampa and roasted barley flour.
First, the bones are given to the vultures, followed by internal organs and the flesh.
5 – La Tomatina, Spain
La Tomatina is an annual summer festival in Buñol, Valencia, Spain.
The history of La Tomatina has different versions, but none of them explains how the city becomes the host of the biggest tomato fight in the World.
4 – Bathroom Ban, Tidung, Borneo, Indonesia
Tidung people in Northern Borneo won’t allow their new bride and groom to urinate, to poop and to bath for 3 days and 3 nights after the wedding ceremony had been completed. This strange tradition is believed will make the new husband and wife livelong and happier. Every newlywed in Tidung is overseen by the family members and permits only to consuming a small amount of food and water during the Bathroom ban period.
3 – Gurning, England
Gurning is a humorous facial expression contest, encountered in rural areas of England, and the competition becomes a tradition since 1267. The Englishmen who can make the best Gurning expression is Peter Jackman. He already won 4 times World’s Gurning Championship that was held in Egremont, England. To keep the World’s title, Peter made his mouth toothless since the year 2000.
2 – Blackening the Bride, Scotland
“Blackening the Bride” is a dirty pre-wed ceremony where friends of the bride are welcomed to cover the bride with sour milk, eggs, feathers, or other disgusting stuff they cand find and then she is paraded throughout the city.
This tradition is believed to prepare the bride to be a stronger wife before she encounters various marital difficulties and conflicts in the years to come.
1 – Polterabend, Germany
Polterabend is a pre-wed ceremony in Germany. Friends and relatives are invited to join the party. They must break dishes, tiles, flowerpots, toilets, and other house wares unless they are glasses and mirrors. On the other side, the next husband and wife have to clean all the mess of the broken stuffs together. It symbolizes cooperation and the ability to face anything that will happen in the future unitedly. It seems very romantic, indeed.
