The customs and traditions of other peoples are interesting, surprising, and sometimes strange and even shocking. People of a different nationality may express their feelings or mood in a completely different way than is customary with us. Also among peoples different countries of the world, there are unique rituals, beliefs and holidays that reflect their history or beliefs. Knowing all these nuances, you can better understand how people live in a particular country. Study national customs not only entertaining, but also useful if you are planning to go on a trip.
The strangest and most original traditions of the peoples of the world
Undoubtedly one of important aspects of any culture are its rules of etiquette: the way of greeting, farewell, behavior at the table, etc. For example, among Russians it is customary to shake hands, loving and friendly Spaniards can generally kiss when they meet. But in Japan, it’s better not to do this - they value personal space and only let close friends in.
What other oddities are there in the world? Here is a ranking of the 10 most unusual traditions of other countries:
- On the streets of India, you can see men holding hands. This does not mean that they are romantic relationship. This is how they show their friendship. But Indian couples in love never express their love in public.
- In Germany, they don't clap their hands when they want to applaud. To express their feelings, the Germans used to knock on the table.
- The peoples of some Asian countries, such as China, Korea or Japan, consider good tone slurp while eating at a party. Thus, they show the owner that the dish is very tasty.
- In Japan, it is considered indecent and rude to blow your nose in public. If someone needs to clean their nose, then they do it away from everyone and very quietly.
- For residents South Korea writing someone's name in red is taboo, and all because red ink was previously used to write the names of dead people.
- In Malaysia point to something index finger- it's rude and insulting. Instead, it is customary to point at things with the thumb.
Another one interesting feature: while in many countries people shy away from cemeteries, in Denmark they are turned into a kind of parks where you can socialize. Pretty pragmatic use of space, right?
Holidays are part of the culture of the people. Often they use unusual rites and customs that can be quite amusing and sometimes frightening.
monkey banquet
In Thailand, the Monkey Banquet festival is held annually, dedicated to the god Rama, who, according to legend, was helped by monkeys to defeat enemies in a big battle.
AT last month On November, the monkeys, who live in the province of Lopburi and are considered sacred among the locals, are served tables with a huge amount of fruits, vegetables, sweets and drinks in the middle of the temple.
They say that more than half a thousand primates gather there and it takes about 2 tons of food to feed them! Their feast looks very funny: uncivilized guests throw food, fight for the right to get the most delicious fruit, tease the tourists who have come.
tomato fights
Snowball fight - last century. In Spain, tomatoes are used for these purposes! At the Tomatina festival, which is held there every August, thousands of people gather to take part in the tomato battle. Vegetables are brought on wagons and all participants in the action throw each other for an hour, turning everything around into red goo. In total, about 15 tons of tomatoes are used in the battle!
Officially, the holiday is dedicated to the patron saint of the city, Saint Louis, but in fact it has long been a lure for tourists.
goose day
On the occasion of this Spanish holiday, held in the city of Bilbao, a goose is chosen, greased and tied over the water with a rope. Competitors swim up to him on a boat and jump up to catch him. The goal is to tear off the animal's head. The winner receives his carcass and universal respect.
It is worth mentioning that a live goose was previously used, but then, at the request of the Society for the Protection of Animals, it was replaced with a dead one. To some, the competition may seem cruel, but for the Spaniards it is an indicator of the strength, endurance and dexterity of men.
cobra festival
Indians have worshiped snakes since ancient times, especially cobras are considered sacred. In Indian temples there are images and statues of these reptiles, they pray and make sacrifices.
In some cities and villages of India, a festival is held in honor of the worship of snakes "Nag Panchami". It passes in the middle of summer. Just then, heavy rains flood the burrows of reptiles and they crawl out.
Nag Panchami is directly dedicated to the god Shiva, who is depicted with cobras around his neck. During the festival, people dance to the music while carrying snakes in pots on their heads. The procession goes around the whole village and moves to the main temple. After chants and prayers, snakes are sprinkled with turmeric, they are given honey with milk to appease them, and they are released into courtyard temple. Animals crawl, performing peculiar dances. The holiday looks spectacular and bewitching, which attracts crowds of tourists.
It is noteworthy that people are often bitten during the holiday, and some snakes are poisonous, but no one suffers from this. Phenomenal!
Krampus Night
This terrible holiday is celebrated in the first 2 weeks of December before Christmas in Austria, Bavaria and Switzerland. About a thousand men dress up as Krampus - devilish creatures with horns and hooves, which are the antipode of Santa Claus. They walk the streets, scaring children and adults. Caught "pranksters" Krampus beat with rods.
The celebration is accompanied by mass fairs, processions and competitions. Residents of cities compete for the best and scariest costume. They are not afraid of evil!
Rites and rituals
Especially unusual and strange are the customs and traditions of the peoples of the world associated with religion, marriage and various initiation rituals. Some of them may seem absurd, but the natives believe that this is important, so you should not consider them stupid. Perhaps some of the traditions of our country also seem to someone devoid of meaning.
- Japanese warriors still adhere to the code of Bushido, according to which, in case of defeat, he must commit suicide. Better to die than fall into the hands of the enemy.
- AT Muslim countries 2 days before the wedding, the girl is covered with temporary henna tattoos - mehendi, which symbolize femininity, fertility and good luck. They should only be worn by a woman who is happily married. Mehendi is usually painted on the feet and hands. The longer the tattoo lasts, the better, so the bride is even exempted from housework.
Chinese brides, namely the residents of the city of Fuji, must cry before the wedding whole month. This is how they prepare for married life. Maybe they think that they will cry out all the tears and will not have to cry in the future?
- And here is another unusual folk rite. When a man of the Tanomani tribe (Brazil) dies, his body is cremated. Relatives of the deceased mix the ashes with a decoction of plantain and drink. They believe that this pleases the dead soul, which finds a resting place in their bodies.
- The Greeks have strange custom don't care about everything. In their opinion, such a ritual brings good luck and scares the devil away. They perform rituals with spitting in different special occasions such as christenings or weddings. AT old days the guests were supposed to spit on the bride's dress, but now everything is quite symbolic. It is enough to say "tfu tfu tfu".
- Young guys in Brazil undergo an extraordinary rite of passage. To prove their courage and strength, members of the Satare-mawe tribe put their hands in a glove filled with poisonous ants. You need to hold out for 10 minutes, but the bites are unusually painful, and the pain lasts for a whole day! There have even been deaths.
In fact, every culture has a lot to offer. Some may consider these practices inhumane. Others still look for meaning in them, because even the strangest customs and traditions in the world have an explanation.
Unusual traditions and rituals of the peoples of the world
5 (100%) 1 voters1. In Africa, members of the Masai tribe jump when they meet - the higher the jump, the more respect is shown.
2. In Norway, it is considered tactless to give up your seat in transport to people of age. There it is treated as a demonstration of physical advantage.
3. Loud "champing" is welcomed in China. If the guests eat silently, they offend the hosts and the cook. Quiet food is said to be food without pleasure.
Express info by country
The Earth is in third place in terms of distance from the Sun and in fifth place among all the planets. solar system to size.
Age– 4.54 billion years
Medium radius - 6,378.2 km
Middle circle - 40,030.2 km
Square– 510,072 million km² (29.1% land and 70.9% water)
Number of continents– 6: Eurasia, Africa, North America, South America, Australia and Antarctica
Number of oceans– 4: Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, Arctic
Population– 7.3 billion people (50.4% men and 49.6% women)
Most populous states: Monaco (18,678 people/km2), Singapore (7607 people/km2) and Vatican City (1914 people/km2)
Number of countries: total 252, independent 195
Number of languages in the world– about 6,000
Quantity official languages - 95; most common: English (56 countries), French (29 countries) and Arabic (24 countries)
Number of nationalities– about 2,000
Climatic zones: equatorial, tropical, temperate and arctic (basic) + subequatorial, subtropical and subarctic (transitional)
4. Also among the Chinese, there is no custom to bring flowers to the mistress of the house. Here it raises suspicions that the guest considers the house so unattractive that he brought flowers with him to somehow decorate it.
5. Norwegians don't compliment in public. Even at school they do not praise students in front of other children and do not report grades to the whole class.
6. When visiting Greece, one cannot admire a painting or a vase. Otherwise, the owner will be forced to give it to you.
7. In Mongolia, guests are fed until they burp loudly. Therefore, it is not customary to restrain her - this is a sign that the guest was left hungry.
8. Unlike our tradition, in Japan and Norway they give only even number colors. It is believed that a flower without a partner feels lonely. odd number flowers suitable only for mourning ceremonies.
9. In Japan, it is not customary to blow your nose in public.
10. Indians do not use the word "thank you" within the family. Here they believe that relatives do not need gratitude.
11. In China, the number 4 is a symbol of death. Even in the numbering of floors, the 4th is missing.
12. In Arab countries It is considered impolite to hand over the hookah mouthpiece. This is regarded as coercion.
13. In Japan, etiquette prescribes to leave work only after the boss has done it.
14. The laws of Georgian hospitality prescribe that the glass of the guest is always filled. Therefore, by emptying the glass, the guest forces the host to refill it again and again.
15. In one Indian state, a young wife has the right to leave her husband after 3 days if she does not like something. After that, the girl is free to choose her partners.
16. In Kenya, after the wedding, the husband is required to wear women's clothes for a month and make women's work. This is done so that the husband understands better what it means to be a woman.
17. In Denmark, a flag hung in the window indicates that there is a birthday boy in the house.
18. In Northern Kamchatka, it was customary in the past for a guest to have an intimate relationship with the mistress of the house. It was believed that by doing this he pays tribute to the owner. If a child appeared after that night, the whole village celebrated his birth.
19. At every meeting in Latin America hugging and exchanging kisses.
20. There is no handshake tradition in Japan. It is customary to greet each other with a courteous bow.
Some festive customs of the peoples of the world can plunge into a state of shock any person who is uninitiated in the subtleties of their national culture. What is worth only a crowd of people in costumes of the devil, jumping over babies during the Spanish festival "El Colacho", or old sofas flying from the windows of the houses of the South African city of Johannesburg on New Year's Eve! Native customs will seem to you just a childish prank compared to what people in other countries do. Today we remember the most strange traditions from all over the world and find out how they appeared.
Ukrainian Christmas and web
In most countries, one kind of spider or web will become a good reason to panic and run out of the house screaming in horror. But this does not apply to Ukraine, where the multi-legged "monster" will only be welcome. Especially at Christmas! After all, spiders, according to Ukrainians, bring happiness and good luck. According to ancient legend, it was these creatures who helped save the Christmas of a certain poor widow with children. They decorated pine cone, which served her as a Christmas tree, with its silver web and returned the atmosphere of the holiday to the house.
The legend, unequivocally, brought a couple of notes of Halloween horror to the Ukrainian version of the Christmas tale. Indeed, in memory of the miracle performed by spiders, the inhabitants of this country began to decorate the festive tree with artificial cobwebs.
New Year's chaos in South Africa
There are hundreds of ways to meet in an original way New Year. You can, for example, watch the descent of the crystal ball in Times Square or set off giant fireworks. Have you heard that not so long ago, on the eve of this holiday, South Africans threw old furniture out of the windows of their own houses?
This tradition became widespread in one of the criminal districts of Johannesburg in the 90s of the XX century after the end of the apartheid era. However, it was not given to exist for a long time for objective reasons. A few years ago, a refrigerator flying from the upper floors caused serious injuries to an innocent pedestrian. 
Police officers joined the fight against the dangerous tradition. To maintain law and order, they cruised the streets of the troubled area in armored vehicles. The police action met with some success. In 2013, not a single piece of furniture flew out of the windows of local houses, although in new year's eve and there was an incredible number of fights, fireworks were launched everywhere, and a peaceful pedestrian could fall under a flurry of glass bottles.
Fast food at Christmas in Japan
There are strange traditions in Japan as well. And they concern the Christmas menu of its inhabitants. The Japanese do not want to see on their own festive table traditional dishes like turkey or goose. To all the culinary delights of the world, they prefer trivial fried chicken from a chain of restaurants. fast food KFC. How did it happen that a banal fast food originally from America became a local national tradition? 
Sun dance
As you know, the indigenous people of America did many rituals in honor of the spirits of the earth. All these rituals are needed in order to contact the great spirits, they also often sacrifice themselves and this in order to maintain direct contact with the Tree of Life. Direct contact with the Tree occurs in this way: a skewer attached to a post pierces the skin on the chest. All participants begin to move forward and backward and try to break free, while their skin is still connected to the post. This dance can go on for hours.
Cannibalism
In India, in the city of Varanasi, there are Aghori Baba who are known for eating dead people. Many of them think that most of all in life a person is afraid of his death, and that this fear prevents him from spiritual enlightenment. Aghori Babas believe that if they eat dead man, then this fear disappears, and they begin to become enlightened. According to the laws of Hinduism, 5 types of people cannot be cremated: pregnant women, children, saints, unmarried women and people who died from snakebite or leprosy. These people are first given to the Ganges River, and then the Aghori get them out of there and begin to consume them.
Vine jumping
Gkol is a ritual that takes place in the village of Bunlap. This ritual is similar to bungee jumping. At that moment, when the men are preparing to jump, all the other inhabitants sing and dance. Jumpers around the ankles tie a vine and then jump from the towers of wood, which are made especially for this ritual. Apparently, the men are not worried about what this might threaten them, they simply believe that the higher the jump point, the greater the blessing of the gods.
self-flagellation
During holy month Muharram, every year the followers of Shia Islam carry out mass self-flagellation. Thus, they commemorate the death of Hussein, as well as the grandson of Muhammad. During the ritual, men torture their bodies with blades attached to chains. Men do not feel pain, as they are all in a trance state.
Heavenly burials
There is a sacred ritual called heavenly burials in Tibet. Buddhists believe that there is no need to keep the body after death, as there is a circle of rebirth. The bodies of the dead people are handed over to aerial predators. In order for the body to disappear as quickly as possible, it is cut into pieces and given to be eaten in the district.
Voodoo and Spiritual Domains
West Africa popular with voodoo followers. One of the rites is famous for the fact that a person takes a spirit into himself or a soul to a friend, as into a vessel. Although the person is conscious, it is believed that the spirit takes possession of the body completely, and at the end of the ritual, the spirit is in the person for another 3 days.
Dancing with the dead
Madagascar hosts the Turning the Bone Festival. Residents believe that the spirit gets to afterlife, it is necessary that the body decomposes as quickly as possible. Therefore, every 2 years for 7 years they dig up their loved ones, dance with them around the grave, and then they need to be reburied elsewhere.
fiery walks
In Malaysia, it is believed that in order to repel evil influences from oneself or strengthen male power and get rid of bad thoughts, one must go through a purification ritual and walk barefoot on burning coals. Hundreds of people believe in this and therefore take part in this festival.
Mortal rites
The Yanomami tribe is considered one of the most primitive in the world. According to the residents, death is not a natural phenomenon. After death, the body is cremated and mixed with bananas and consumed. In their opinion, therefore, a member of the tribe does not leave them, but continues to live with them.impaling
Highly dangerous ritual held annually in Phuket, Thailand. Participants pierce their cheeks with swords, spears, knives or even weapons. All this is carried out because the inhabitants believe that the gods put them into a trance during this action, and this helps to protect themselves from evil and brings good luck in the future.
Scarification
The spiritual connection between the tribe is very important in Paula ( New Guinea), so they have unusual ritual. One of the ceremonies is held in the "House of the Spirit". The ritual consists in the fact that teenagers live alone in the House of the Spirit for two months. At the end of isolation, all prepare for initiation, after which their transition to maturity is recognized. During the ritual, punctures are made with bamboo fragments. All these notches are very similar to crocodile skin. Tribal people believe that humans are descended from crocodiles. According to legend, the crocodile swallowed the boy and left an adult man instead, and because of this, all the marks on the body resemble marks from the crocodile's teeth.
