Have you ever heard of the traditional American saying ‘Different Strokes for Different Folks’? Well, diversity is what makes up this world, and of course human tendency always lets us do things differently. Whether or not we are accustomed to, many weird things happen in the world. If you are among those people who have been raised in the typical western household, remember, some of the cultures from around the world must seem pretty bizarre to you. In this article, we are gonna bring together the top 10 weird cultures exist till date around the world. If you try to delve deeper into this, what you will find is there’s almost no end to the number of weird things. If you love reading creepy things, you will definitely enjoy this top 10 list of jaw dropping cultures from around the globe. Here is how it goes:
Monkey Buffet Festival
Here’s the buffet festival for Monkeys in the province Lopburi, Thailand. Well, Monkey Buffet Festival is described as one of the strangest festivals that still exist in the world. This is a fun festival with a difference making Thailand a unique destination for tourists. People set up tables in the downtown area and the load them up with some fruits, flowers, cake and candy. All the monkeys are attracted by this food and hop all over the tables entertaining the views. Do you really wonder who the genius behind the annual Monkey Buffet Festival is? Well, for this we have a man by the name of Yongyuth Kitwattananusont to thank who was hotelier by trade. With the assistance and sponsorship of Tourism Authority of Thailand, he inaugurated Monkey Buffet Festival in 1989. It has now grown to Tourism Festival and thousands of tourists visit Thailand to attend festival every year. If you happen to visit Thailand during November, don’t miss this unusual festival of Monkey Buffet. Monkey Buffet Festival falls on 25th of November every year.
Walking Dead
Walking Dead? Isn’t it more than weird things guys? Actually this is for fearless poeple. As funerals sometimes can be costly and intricate ceremonies, some families can’t afford an initial proper burial. As a result, they place the dead body in a temporary coffin. And when they are able to maintain the fund, the corpse is raised from the dead and walks to its new resting place. Afterlife is an important part of the religious beliefs of Torajah people.
El Colacho Baby Jumping
This is another of unusual traditions that exists in the world. The residents of Spain have been taking part in this weird culture called El Colacho since 1620. El Colacho means baby jumping. Originally El Colacho was organized to keep the Devils away. In this festival, infants are laid on the mattresses in the street after the heavy crowds gather to watch. The jumpers wear the traditional costumes to look like the Devils. However, sometimes injuries occur during the jump, this festival is still getting constant popularity in Spain.
Living with the Dead
Can you imagine yourself living with dead bodies? Doesn’t it sound so weird? But, it’s very common practice for some ethnic groups in Indonesia to wrap the deceased up in special garbs and keep it safe in the house they live. It is believed that the soul of their loved ones will be preserved until burial.
Kidnapping the Bride
It sounds illegal, isn’t it? But the Romani have carried out this insanely criminal tradition for centuries. This tradition of snatching the bride from under the nose of groom and guests with the wedding party in full swing is still getting massive popularity in the Romanian capital. Some friends of the groom decide to kidnap the bride. The ransom is all about few bottles of whisky or perhaps something more romantic. The guys who kidnap the bride negotiate via phone. This tradition is harmless and is celebrated as a risqué fun to nuptials.
Kanamara Matsuri of Japan
Kanamara Matsuri is The Festival of Steel Penis which takes place on the first Sunday of April each year. Japanese people celebrate fertility by holding the giant wooden phallus. They hoist that phallus into the air and then march across the town. It is believed that this celebration brings about regenerative abilities on the local crops and also ensures the fertility for everyone. It may appear to be an outlandish display of sexuality in public places, but many would argue that the openness of Kanamara Matsuri is healthy one which celebrated the ability to reproduce. During this festival, many Japanese go out with their children and happy go about giving them penis lollipop without sexualizing it in any way. Anyway, it will definitely astound you all knowing that there’s actually an entire festival in Japan dedicated to Penis.
Hanging Coffins in China
You can witness the countless suspended artifacts and occult phenomena on the chillingly steep cliffs along Yangtze River, China. People of China, some known as Toraja follow this weird culture wherein they burry their family members and hang them over some cliffs after death. You can observe many suspended coffins from the bottom of the cliff. Coffins are generally hung 33 to 164 feet high and some even as high as 328 feet above the ground. It is still not known for sure how the coffins were placed at such great heights. Records of hanging coffins date back almost 2000 years. The practices of hanging coffin burial also took place in some parts of Philippines and Indonesia too.
Tossing the Babies
Doesn’t it sound weird even when you hear the phrase ‘Baby Tossing’? But it’s a common practice for the people in Solapur village (situated in Maharashtra state of India) to toss newborn babies off from the terrace of 50 foot tower. There are people at the foot of the tower holding sheets to catch the baby safely. It is believed that this gives their children good luck, long and healthy life, and moreover, they will grow smart.
2. Carrying pregnant women over coal
carrying pregnant woman over coal
Here’s the snippet of weird Chinese culture according to which a husband should carry his bride over a pan of burning coals before entering their home for the very first time. Myth says that this strange custom is performed to ensure she will have an easy and successful labor.
Mourning of Muharram
This is one of the weirdest cultures in Muslim communities. They call it “Mourning of Muharram” and it takes place on the death anniversary of Husayn Ibn Ali. In this very day, a number of groups consisting of Shia Muslims go out with whips attached with knives and blades and then start beating them up unstoppably. Some people may even cut their own heads off with these knives. No matter how cruel this is, this tradition has been passed over to their descendants from generations. Interestingly, people in that community have been following this culture voluntarily.
