Strangest traditions from around the world

Some of us may question the traditions and customs of some, but it's simply their choices, be it something we consider completely outrageous or just super-strange.

September 16, 2017

Mid South Coast Mail 2 minutes read

EVERY GROUP of people has their own customs or traditions that they follow.

Some of us may not agree with everything that they do, but it’s simply their choice, be it something completely outrageous to us, or something we just find super-strange.

Here is a list of some of the weirdest and strangest international traditions, which are (apparently!) practiced around the world:

• Whipping Women On the Butt (Czech Republic) – men go door to door on Easter Monday smacking women on the butt with braided wooden switches in hopes of imbuing them with fertility.

• Feeding The Dead (Rome) – Roman used to citizens feed honey and other liquids down tubes going into graveyards to feed their loved ones. This tradition is reportedly still occasionally practiced today!

• Eating The Ashes Of Loved Ones (Brazil) – The Yonamamo tribe of Brazil believes that when a loved one dies, the family members must consume their body – after cremation of course.

• Socks Leading You On A Pub Crawl (Germany) – Unmarried 20-year-olds will have lines of socks leading to pubs on their birthday. They would have to consume drinks at the pub before moving on to the next.

• Wife Carrying Contests (Finland) – Said to have started in the 19th century, this sport tests how well people can handle their spouse in the competitive wife carrying event.

• Cleaning Doorknobs On Your 30th Birthday (Germany) – Women who are still unmarried on their 30th birthday, are required to clean the door knobs of their best friend. The only way to stop this is to get a kiss from the opposite sex.

• Letting A Rodent Predict The Future (USA) – Yup, this is when Americans let a groundhog decide when winter is actually going to end.

• Cinnamon On All The Single Ladies (Denmark) – Women and men who are single and over the age of 25 have cinnamon thrown on them to show their relationship status.

• Applauding When A Plane Lands (Poland) – The origins of this are unknown.