Top 10 Unusual Traditions Around The World

Summary

This video explores unique cultural traditions from around the world. It features the hanging coffins of Sagada, Philippines, where the deceased are placed high to aid their spirits' journey. The Kayan tribes of Thailand wear neck rings for beauty and protection. Spain's Running of the Bulls is a thrilling event at the San Fermin festival. England's Cheese Rolling sees participants chase a cheese down a hill. In Indonesia, teeth sharpening is a rite of beauty and transition. Madagascar's Famadihana is a joyous reunion with ancestors. Bulgaria's 'Ride Buying' is a controversial bride market. India's baby tossing at the Saniswar Temple is believed to bring luck. Nepal's Kumari tradition venerates prepubescent girls as living goddesses. Lastly, Japan's Kanamara Matsuri is a fertility festival with giant phallic symbols, rooted in Shinto beliefs.

Takeaways

• 🏔️ In Sagada, Philippines, the elderly carve their own coffins or have them made by family if they're unable, reflecting a unique burial ritual.
• 💀 The coffins in Sagada are hung on cliffs or in caves, symbolizing the belief that higher placement aids the spirit's journey to a higher plane in the afterlife.
• 📿 The Kayan tribes of Thailand, now residing in Northern Thailand, practice neck ring wearing, which has various legends attached to its origin and significance.
• 🏃‍♂️ The Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, Spain, is a thrilling event where participants race alongside bulls through the streets during the San Fermin festival.
• 🧀 Cheese rolling in Gloucester, England, is a 200-year-old tradition where participants chase a rolling cheese down a hill, with the winner keeping the cheese.
• 🦷 Teeth sharpening in Indonesia is a beauty ritual practiced by some tribes, involving the painful process of chiseling teeth to a pointed shape.
• 🧨 Famadihana in Madagascar is a funerary rite where families exhume, dance with, and rebury their ancestors every seven years to honor and celebrate family ties.
• 👰‍♀️ Ride buying in Bulgaria's Stara Zagora is a controversial tradition where girls are sold at a market, reflecting a societal structure that prioritizes family and home duties.
• 👶 Baby tossing in India is a 500-year-old ritual where infants are thrown from a temple into the arms of family members to bring good luck.
• 🌸 The Kumari of Nepal is a living goddess, a pre-pubescent girl worshipped for embodying divine female energy, who leads a restricted life until she reaches puberty.
• 🍌 Kanamara Matsuri in Japan is a fertility festival featuring giant phallic symbols, rooted in Shinto beliefs and celebrating sexual positivity and overcoming evil.

Q & A

What is the unique burial ritual practiced in Sagada, Philippines?

In Sagada, the elderly or their families carve coffins out of hollowed logs. The deceased are placed inside, sometimes with bones broken to fit, and the coffins are hung on cliffs or in caves, rather than buried. This tradition has been followed for over two thousand years, with the belief that higher placement aids the spirits' journey to a higher plane in the afterlife.

Why do the Kayan tribeswomen in Thailand wear neck rings?

The Kayan tribeswomen wear neck rings to elongate the appearance of their necks, a practice that began in childhood and continues as they grow. The coils can weigh up to 25 pounds and are believed to make the women more beautiful. There are various legends about the origin of this custom, including protection from tiger attacks and making women less appealing to men from other tribes.

What is the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, Spain, and how did it start?

The Running of the Bulls is an annual event during the festival of San Fermin in Pamplona, Spain, where participants run in front of a group of bulls released from a corral. It began as a practical means for cattle herders to move their animals from the countryside to the city for sale or bullfighting and has since become a tradition.

How does the cheese rolling tradition in Gloucester, England work?

In Gloucester, England, on the last Monday in May, a large wheel of Double Gloucester cheese is rolled down Cooper's Hill, and participants race down to catch it. The first person to reach the cheese wins it. Despite concerns about safety, the tradition continues.

What is teeth sharpening, and in which cultures is it practiced?

Teeth sharpening is a ritual where teeth are filed or chiseled into a pointed shape, practiced by some indigenous groups in Indonesia, Africa, and other Asian countries. In the Manta White tribe of Indonesia, it is considered a form of beauty, while in Bali, teeth filing is part of a coming-of-age ceremony.

What is the Famadihana festival in Madagascar, and how is it celebrated?

The Famadihana, or 'turning of the bones,' is a Malagasy funerary tradition where families exhume, wrap, and dance with the remains of their ancestors as a way to honor the dead and celebrate family ties. It is held every seven years by families who can afford the celebration, which includes new clothes and lavish dinners.

What is the bride market in Bulgaria, and how does it operate?

In Bulgaria, specifically in the town of Stara Zagora, there is an annual 'bride market' where girls between the ages of 13 and 20 are presented for potential marriage. It is a controversial tradition where girls are sometimes taken out of school to participate, and it has been criticized for its oppressive nature towards women.

What is the baby tossing ritual in India, and what is its significance?

The baby tossing ritual in Karnataka, India, involves throwing newborns about 50 feet high from the Sanniswar Temple, with the belief that it brings good luck. The babies are caught by family members, and the tradition is tied to vows made at the temple for the birth of children.

What is the significance of the Kumari in Nepal, and how is she chosen?

The Kumari of Nepal is considered a living goddess, chosen as a young girl before she reaches puberty. She is believed to embody divine female energy and is worshiped accordingly. The Kumari must live in a temple, not speak, and not let her feet touch the ground. She retains this status until she begins menstruating, at which point she is considered to have lost the divine energy.

What is the Kanamara Matsuri in Japan, and what does it represent?

The Kanamara Matsuri is a fertility festival held in Kawasaki, Japan, where giant penises are paraded through the town. It is a sex-positive ritual with origins in Shinto tradition and a folklore tale about a demon that ate penises. The festival is considered both amusing and serious as a religious practice.