The world is a strange place with some unique and fascinating traditions. From throwing babies to monkey banquets, here are some of the most bizarre cultural traditions and practices throughout the world. Expatriate Health Care has reported
Bone soup from a deceased relative in Venezuela
The Yanomami tribes of Venezuela and Brazil believe that their loved ones will find peace in the afterlife if they cook soup from their bones and ashes and drink it.
Throwing Cinnamon in Denmark
In this 100-year-old ritual, when a single man or woman turns 25, they are sprayed with water and then smeared with cinnamon from head to toe.
Monkey Buffet Festival in Thailand
On the last Sunday of November, a feast is conducted at the Phra Prang Sam Yot temple in Lopburi to honor macaques, who are said to bring good luck to the area and its inhabitants.
The celebration has monkey-themed dance acts as well as towers of fruits and vegetables for the monkeys to climb, leap, and eat.
Putting faces on cake in Mexico
“La Mordida” is a birthday tradition in which the birthday girl or boy’s face is forced into the cake while their hands are tied.
Polterabend in Germany.
Polterabend, which means “wedding shower,” is typically held the day before a bride and groom’s wedding date.
Friends and relatives gather in front of the house and smash items on the floor, such as plates, flowerpots, tiles, or anything else that creates a lot of noise, to bring good luck.
Finger-cutting among the Dani tribe in Indonesia.
Everyone grieves differently following the death of a loved one, but the women of the Dani tribe in Indonesia have a distinct and severe method of dealing with grief.
When the women of the Dani tribe lose a loved one, they cut the top part of their finger to represent the pain and to keep the deceased person’s spirit away.
Baby-tossing in India.
When a couple marries in Karnataka’s Sri Santeswar temple, they must return there with their newborn infants. This tradition is followed in several places in India.
According to tradition, the priest shakes the baby before throwing it down from the 50-foot-high temple or mosque, while Hindus and Muslims grasp a cloth below to catch it.
Smashing coconuts on people’s heads in India
This Hindu ceremony has been practiced for a long time in southern India, in which a priest crushes a coconut over followers’ heads as a gesture to the gods, requesting good health and success.
