In this wonder-filled world, with so many cultures and religions to learn about, it is no wonder that some normal things to us may seem a bit too weird for others. With the invention of the internet and the ability to see what people celebrate at the smallest corners of the world, weird traditions get discovered and even adopted with much ease. The perfect example is American traditions, which are, thanks to its long history of migration, the result of cultures and religions mixing in with each other. Halloween? One of the many national traditions that were adopted by the American people. One might even wonder - what traditions which might seem to be weird are important to the people celebrating them?
The traditions that we see as weird usually come into existence from a backstory-rich background from two sources - culture or religion. That is what cultural traditions and customs are - processes and aspects passed down to people by their parents, relatives, and friends. However weird they may seem, weird customs are the foundation of a culture's history. A reminder of the beautiful past and what makes them unique. Sometimes, a new tradition can be started and become a national custom when its significance is recognized by the wider part of the public.
With one of the major traditions of the year, Christmas, approaching us on the calendar, it might be important to catch up on some of the weird traditions around the world. With the list below, take a look at the world around you and see what people celebrate due to their interest in those traditions. Upvote the ones that you think are cool in weirdness and meaning, and comment down below on the ones that maybe you celebrate too!
#1 There’s An International Hair Freezing Contest In Yukon, Canada
While others despise the winter season and drive it away, people from Yukon, Canada, celebrate this season in a freezing way: dunking their heads into hot springs and waiting for their hair to freeze over, and icicles to form. With temperatures reaching -30 Celsius, it is one of the weirdest, but coolest, traditions.
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#2 In Gloucestershire, England, People Gather To Roll Cheese Down A Hill
With Spring being the season of rebirth, when nature begins to show itself once more, it’s normal for people to celebrate. In Gloucestershire, England, locals and visitors gather around to roll cheese down a steep and grass-field-covered hill and chase them. While dangerous to the participants, it still attracts plenty of people each May.
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125points
#3 Castrillo De Murcia In Spain Has A Baby Jumping Festival
Some cultures view a child's birth as a gift not only to the nation but also to the culture overall, a new member to celebrate. To prepare them for the future, in Castrillo De Murcia, Spain, local people bless the babies born the previous year by allowing a “devil” to jump over them. With no injuries reported, it is a tradition that dates back to the 1600s.
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117points
#4 In Lopburi, Thailand, The Residents Prepare An Annual Feast For The Local Monkeys
Humans are part of nature so it is important to include a bit of the natural aspect into your tradition. Lopburi, Thailand has the tradition of preparing some food for the local monkeys that surround the town. From watermelons to lettuce and more, it is done to bring good luck not only to the people but also to gain favor from the monkeys who bring that luck to the region.
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107points
#5 Polterabend In Germany
To add to the previously mentioned wedding traditions, Germany added a little bit of spice to the traditional way weddings are conducted. The day before the wedding is to happen, friends and family gather to smash different things on the floor of the happy couple. From plates to flowerpots, there are few things that are safe from destruction. After the mess is made, the soon-to-be newlywed couple clean everything up, setting a strong foundation for their future.
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98points
#6 Boot Tossing, Finland
No one can debate that shoes have to be worn on the feet, but the Finnish have a unique way of using their shoes for the sake of tradition. The title of oddest sport belongs to Finland. Boot tossing has been practiced for generations, just like wife carrying.
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97points
#7 The Mari Lwyd, Wales
Welsh Christmas customs like the Mari Lwyd date back to the first half of the nineteenth century. A horse's skull is embellished, and it is then mounted on a broomstick. The skull seems like the head of some scary horse because the person holding the stick is draped in a sheet. The horse will stop and knock on every door before moving on. When a door is opened, the people who have gathered around the horse start singing and requesting admittance inside the house.
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94points
#8 “Partita A Scacchi”, Marostica, Italy
Chess is a game of strategy and thinking, making it quite boring to some people. The northern Italian town of Marostica is extremely delighted to host a human chess game every two years in September. The custom has its roots in a narrative from the fifteenth century. A product of a love triangle, it is one of the most fun traditions to partake in.
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93points
#9 Oaxaca, Mexico, Has A Massive Radish-Carving Festival During The Holiday Season
Radishes - we grow them in our gardens and most often buy them at the store when the appetite arises. In Oaxaca, Mexico, the radish-carving tradition dates back more than 120 years. Local people carve out figures and statues from the radishes they grow and display them to other locals and visitors of the region.
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92points
#10 Midsummer Day, Lithuania
Lithuanians celebrate the warm season of summer with the day of Midsummer. During this day, young women must only wash their cheeks with fresh dew in the morning. Later in the evening, people gather around bonfires in the countryside and around the cities to make wishes and cast spell bags into the water to bring their desires to pass. Young couples also visit rural areas to look for fern blooms.
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84points
#11 A Groundhog Predicts How Long Winter Will Last In The United States
Predicting the future is hard for people, no one can do it with 100 percent accuracy, but animals are more predictable. In the United States, groundhogs are said to predict the future of the winter season's end - if it’s going to stay a bit longer, most often six weeks, or if it’s going to give way for the upcoming spring. If the ceremonial hog sees a shadow, you're going to have to wait a bit longer for the warm weather.
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83points
#12 The Battle Of Rockets (Rouketopolemos), Greece
In a little hamlet called Vrontados on the Greek island of Chios, two churches stand across from one another in a ravine. Then on Easter, opposing members try to use rockets to ring the bell of the rival church. The winner is reportedly determined by counting direct hits on each belfry the following day, yet each parish consistently asserts victory.
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77points
#13 Festival Of Scrambled Eggs In Bosnia
Eggs are one of the most popular foods to eat in the world. It’s a universal food which perfectly combines with many other foods. But Zenica, Bosnia has taken it a step further. To welcome the spring season, local people cook scrambled eggs in the morning and spend the rest of the day on leisure activities, relaxing and partying all around.
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#14 Stonehaven, Scotland Celebrates New Year’s With Literal Balls Of Fire
While firework shooting has become the main tradition that everyone partakes in around the world, Stonehaven, Scotland has also integrated literal balls of fire into their celebrations. People gather around and swing blazing fireballs around to celebrate the occasion. It is said that this tradition dates back to the old age of the Vikings.
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70points
#15 Bathtub Regatta, Belgium
Water is a vital part of our existence. It keeps us clean, away from thirst, and sometimes even entertained. The beginnings of this one-kilometer-long race along the River Meuse in Dinant, Belgium, can be traced back to 1982. The floating device's use of a bathtub is one of the requirements for succeeding against up to 49 other competitors. It is encouraged to decorate the bathtubs.
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68points
#16 Caber Toss, Scotland, UK
With sports being a way of improving oneself, it is not so uncommon to celebrate strength by showcasing it to other people. The traditional Scottish athletic contest involves men wearing kilts tossing a big pole called a caber, and it is practiced at the Scottish Highland Games. In contrast to modern sports, tossing is more about the position the pole lands in than it is about how far it travels. The pole must be thrown with its thinner end facing away from the tosser and land flat on the ground with its larger end.
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67points
#17 If You’re Not Married On Your 25th Birthday, In Denmark You Might Be Doused In Cinnamon
With Denmark being on the straits separating the Atlantic Ocean and the Baltic sea, it was only normal that some amenities from the west would come there. The Danish adopted the spices into their tradition as a way to play a funny joke on the people. If you are not married by the time you're 25, expect some cinnamon to be thrown at you. If you are over 30, be ready for some black pepper to be thrown too.
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#18 The Frog Dance (Små Grodorna), Sweden
Don't worry if you've seen Midsommar, the scary horror movie with a Swedish setting. If you decide to visit Sweden during their midsummer solstice events, there won't be anything similar. To the pace of upbeat music, players dance around a maypole while hopping like frogs and using motions that depict body regions that frogs lack.
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#19 The Sausage Tossing (Eis-Zwei-Geissebei), Switzerland
On Shrove Tuesday at precisely 3:15 pm, a large crowd of kids and adults congregate in front of Rapperswil's city hall. When the mayor asks, "Are all my guys here?" the children yell out, "One, two, goat leg!" loudly and clearly. The mayor and council members then throw sausages, loaves of bread, and pastries into the throng after opening the windows.
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#20 The Wife Carrying Race (Eukonkanto), Finland
To test their strength, Finnish men participate in the sport contest known as “wife-carrying”. The history of this contest in Finland is a little murky, originating in the 19th century, when a thief was alleged to have carried all he stole on his back, including the women.
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