The 10 strangest customs in the world

One of the biggest attractions of traveling is get to know other cultures. Although today, thanks to the internet, we are in contact with every corner of the planet, still we continue to be surprised when we come across very different traditions to ours. In this post I share with you my list of the 10 strangest customs in the world.

Spit three times to drive away evil

Superstitions exist in all cultures. However, everyone has their methods to ward off bad omens. In Greece, some believe that spitting is the best way to chase away the maHe and misfortunes them. Therefore, they have the strange habit of spitting three times when someone gives bad news. Luckily, they only play the sound of spitting. It's a spit-free tradition!

Break the dishes

In rural areas of India, families in charge of a blind minor frequently isolate and deprive him/her of the care and attention they provide to their other children; such situation becomes even more severe among lower-caste families, orphans and if the blind child is a girl. greek weddings there is the ancient custom of breaking dishes as an omen of a happy marriage. Newlyweds and guests throw dishes on the floor to the beat of the music, not only to promote a satisfying married life, but also as symbol of abundance. Weddings are not the only context in which we can see this peculiar tradition, in baptisms and communions the attendees celebrate their joy and in the world of music and dance doing it is a way to protect artists from evil spirits.

Today, this tradition is a minority in Greece and has been replaced by a safer and easier to clean alternative Throwing flowers!

Kanamara Matsuri

The Kanamara Matsuri It is a festival that takes place in Kawasaki (Japan) early month of April. This Zionist party pays tribute to fertility and due to its cultural, social and religious importance, it attracts thousands of people from all over the country every year. In addition, its peculiarity has made it a important tourist claim.

What makes the Kanamara Matsuri so eye-catching?

What most attracts the attention of foreigners are the three penis-shaped altars that go out in procession through the streets, two of wood and a metallic one of pink color. Beyond that, these days inside the Kanayama shrine you can find all kinds of sweets, fruits and phallus-shaped gastronomic delights. There is also no shortage of representative souvenirs of this atypical tradition.

Always eat with your right hand

In India and in some Middle Eastern and African countries the right hand is mandatory to eat and the use of the left hand should be avoided. This protocol rule, which a priori may seem very strange, has a logical explanation. In these places the left hand is reserved for tasks related to personal hygiene, so touching food with it or, for example, saying hello is not very well regarded. It is understandable, right?

The Eukonkanto

The Eukokanto not exactly a tradition, but it has seemed so curious that we could not avoid including it in our list of the 10 strangest customs in the world. It's about a finnish sport in which the participants compete in mixed pairs. The ultimate goal is that the man manages to cross a track full of obstacles with his wife in tow in the shortest possible time. In fact, the word "eukokanto" is translated into Spanish as "Carry the wife."

Although current Eukokanto competitions are relatively recent, the sport originated in Sonkajärvi, a municipality in Eastern Finland, and apparently has its roots in the XNUMXth century. At that time the bandit Rosvo-Rokainen operated in the area and, according to local history, the thief only admitted into his gang those capable of showing their worth in an intense obstacle course and, precisely from there, the idea of this game that already it has spread to other countries such as Sweden, Estonia or the United States. Even there are different loading styles, in Estonian, for example, the wife is hung upside down and she is the one who holds the husband around his shoulders with her legs and grasps him by the waist.

El first Saturday of July is celebrated in Sonkajärvi one of the most famous Eukokanto competitions and the prize for the winners is as peculiar as the game itself They gain the weight of the wife in beer!

The rolling cheese race

And continuing with the strange competitions, we moved to the Gloucester district in England. The last Monday in May, is celebrated in this area on Rolling cheese festival, in which participants compete in a crazy race to catch a cheese Gloucester that is shot from the top of a hill. It seems an easy task, but it is not, there is a lot to do and cheese can reach 100 km / h. In fact, falls and injuries are frequent during the race and there is always a medical team ready to take care of the injured.

The origin of the festival dates back to the year 1836Although in 1826 a letter addressed to the town crier of Gloucester already referred to this event, it is difficult to know exactly how the idea came about and there are even those who relate it to an ancient pagan festival.

Don't tip

The custom of tipping is already widespread throughout the world, there are even countries, such as Chile, in which an extra percentage for the service is included in the restaurant bill, although later the customer may choose not to pay it. However, In China, except Hong Kong and Macau, it is not very common to tip.

This practice has become normalized, especially in large cities, but in many areas of the country leaving some coins on the table keeps surprising to the natives, especially if you visit places that are not very touristy. Taxi drivers are not usually tipped either, although nothing happens if you give them part of the change.

Hanging coffins

This unique funeral tradition It only exists in some areas of the Philippines, China and Indonesia. In China, it is typical only of some ethnic groups, such as the Bo people of Yunan province. In this area, coffins hang on wooden beams anchored in the faces of the mountains. There are different theories about the origin of this ritual, it is said that it was a form of prevent the beasts from taking the bodies, but it is also a way of bless the souls of the deceased, according to Bo's beliefs, mountains are a stairway to heaven and placing them so high makes the path easier for the deceased.

En Philippines the hanging coffins are in the Luzon island, In the Sagada cliffs, an area inhabited by the Igorot ethnic minority. As their beliefs dictate, placing the deceased high helps them get to heaven, where their gods reside. The tradition is that the coffin is made in life by the same person who will occupy it, using fragments of a tree to which a wooden cover is then added.

The Tomatina

La Tomatina is a festival held in Buñol (Valencia) the last Wednesday of August, during the festivities. In it, the participants fight a real tomato battle The photographs are impressive! The tomatoes that are thrown come from Xilxes (Castellón) and are grown especially for the festival, since their flavor is not so good.

The origin of the Tomatina

El the origin of this strange custom dates back to year 1945 and it is quite surprising. During the parade of giants and big heads (another of the events that continues to be held during the holidays), a group of friends tried to gain a foothold among the attendees. They did it with such impetus that they shot one of the participants that fell to the ground hitting everything around. In the vicinity of the Plaza there was a vegetable stall and some started throwing tomatoes. Slowly people got infected and joined the battle. The following year, the young people who started everything, repeated it, although this time they took the tomatoes from home. Years later, this tradition has become one of the most famous in Spain. In fact, in 2002 it was declared International party of touristic interest by the General Secretariat of Tourism.

The Groundhog Day

The Groundhog Day It is celebrated in the United States and Canada and became known around the world thanks to the movie caught in time (1993), starring Bill Murray. However, and although many recognize the scenes from the film, not everyone knows the origin and meaning of this tradition that closes our list of the 10 strangest customs in the world.

This millenial tradition originated in Punxsutawney, a small town of Pennsylvania, at the end of nineteenth century, as a form of predict the arrival of winter. Since then, on February 2, the town has been filled with the media and people who they go to see the groundhog Phill, in charge of this task. Just that day the animal leaves its den ready to give a forecast, if it is a cloudy day and Phill doesn't see his shadow, leave the burrow and announces that spring is coming soon. On the contrary, if the sun rises and Phill sees his shadow, will return to take refuge in its burrow warning that winter will last six more weeks.