7 Strange Local Customs for Tourists

Traveling is a very enriching experience. It opens the mind and allows to know other ways of living life. Each nation has its own culture and customs based on it, which for many travelers can be surprising and even shocking when compared to their own.

When traveling the world, it never hurts to collect extensive information about the country we are going to visit. Not only in terms of places of interest or means of transport but also in terms of its traditions. Therefore, in the next post we will review some local customs that may be strange in the eyes of tourists.

Groundhog Day in Pennsylvania

Every February 2 a curious weather forecast by a groundhog is held in Pennsylvania. Known as 'Groundhog Day', this celebration has been organized since 1841 (the year of the first documented reference) when the organizers bring Phil, the famous groundhog, out of his burrow to predict the arrival of spring.

Custom says that if the groundhog does not see its shadow and leaves the burrow, winter will soon be over. If, on the contrary, because it is a sunny day, the groundhog sees its shadow and goes back into the burrow, it means that the winter will last six more weeks.

Although this strange custom occurs in many populations in the United States and Canada, the most popular of all marmots is the Phil of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.

No flowers to hosts in China

Do you like to give and be given flowers? Well, if you visit China, you should know that it is considered rude to give a bouquet of flowers to the owner of the house we visit. In this way, the guests are thought to be indicating that the house is not pretty and therefore the hosts need something to decorate it with.

Likewise, if the occasion arises to give a bouquet of flowers to a woman, it is best if they are artificial because they are eternal. On the other hand, the natural ones wither quickly.

Spitting, a matter of good manners

In our culture spitting in public is considered rude. Nobody likes to see another taking a tremendous gulp out of his mouth. However, in the Massai tribe (Kenya and Tanzania) it is traditional to greet acquaintances and friends with an affectionate spit. They even often spit on newborns to protect them from evil spirits.

The phallic procession of Japan

A lot of tourists have to stay when they watch the Kawasaki phallic procession. It is a traditional festival that the Japanese celebrate to ask the gods for fertility, protection against sexually transmitted diseases or for a child who is on the way to be born well.

The central axis of the festival is a large statue in the shape of a penis that they take out in procession surrounded by other large and small phallic representations. To celebrate this day, people eat penis-shaped sweets of all kinds on the streets, some Japanese women made hats shaped like sperm and the temple sold T-shirts, as well as candles and other souvenirs with phallic shapes. Everything that may have this connotation will be there.

Finger Stretching Championship in Germany

Every year the International Alpine Championships are held in Ohlstadt, Upper Bavaria, to choose the best finger fighter in the country. It may sound funny but the truth is that for some Austrians and Bavarians it is a matter of prestige.

Those who participate in these championships are preparing diligently to win for quite some time. Some squeeze tennis balls with their hands to gain strength while others practice lifting several pounds with just one finger.

Dog Food Festival in China

Every year in Yulin, China, the arrival of the summer solstice is celebrated with a dog food festival. Although many people are horrified by the idea of ​​eating dog meat, the truth is that this tradition has deep roots in the area and has been going on for centuries.

It appears that eating dog meat during the summer months brings good health, increases sexual performance, and protects against disease. And if it is accompanied by liquor, much better.

The most appreciated meat is that of the crossing of San Bernardo and local breeds since they produce an abundant litter and grow very fast. Slaughtered dogs are between 6 and 22 months old when their meat is most tender for consumption.

Despite the ecologists getting the Yulin authorities to ban the sale of dog meat to markets and restaurants, in practice it continues to be consumed.

UK's rolling cheese festival

This festival is so popular that it is celebrated in various towns in the UK. However, the most famous of all is the one in the county of Gloucestershire: Cooper's Hill Rolling Cheese Festival.

The first written references to this event date from the mid-XNUMXth century, although there is no consensus about its origin. The tradition of throwing cheese down a hill and chasing it to catch it is believed to have been part of a series of festive events that took place during the summer to celebrate the arrival of this season.

Catching the cheese in motion is practically impossible as it reaches speeds of 100 km / h. The only thing that the participants can do is go down the hill and try to reach the goal in the best conditions to catch it at the first opportunity.