10 Bizarre Traditions From Around 

The World That Will Make Your Jaw 

Drop 
By Souvik Ray (May 10, 2017)
From
https://www.indiatimes.com/culture/who-we-are/10-bizarre-traditions-from-around-the-world-that-wil
l-make-your-jaw-drop-249483.html

Different cultures have different traditions. While some are distinctively charming, others are 
downright bizarre. 
1. 'Night Hunting' in Bhutan 

Known as ​Bomena​ in eastern parts of the Himalayan kingdom, young men looking for love and 
marriage set out at night for a different kind of hunt. They break into the rooms of eligible 
spinsters and spend the night there. If caught, they have to marry the girl, or work in her 
father's fields as a punishment.  

This tradition is much debated today as women are subjected to rape and an invasion of privacy. 

 
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2. Bullet Ant gloves of the Satere-Mawe tribe 

When boys of this Amazonian tribe come of age, they must prove their manhood in a tradition 
that's torturous and terrifying. The young men trap bullet ants which are then drugged by a 
medicine man, who places the deadly creatures in woven mitts. 
It is said the sting of a bullet ant can be compared to a bullet hitting the flesh. The 
young men then have to wear the mitts on their hands and dance for ten minutes to 
take their mind of the pain. Satere-Mawe men have to go through this ritual at 
least 20 times in their lifetime. 

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3. Thaipusam 
Celebrated by Hindus in Southern India and South East Asia, the festival of Thaipusam observes 
the victory of Lord Murugan over an evil spirit. Devotees pierce themselves with sharp objects 
through different parts of their bodies while going into a complete trance. Some even go as far 
as pulling vehicles with hooks pierced into their backs. 
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4. Bathroom ban after marriage 
Newly married couples of the Tidong community in Indonesia are prohibited from using the 
washroom for three days after their marriage. Breaking the rules of the observation will bring 
bad luck in their married life like stillbirth and death. 
Relatives of the couple supervise them over the three days after which they are bathed and may 
answer their calls of nature. 

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5. Penis Festival, Japan 

Better known as the Kanamara Matsuri, devotees carry a large sculpture in the shape of a penis 
and parade through the streets of Kawasaki in Japan. It is said that a demoness with vaginal 
teeth seduced men to their deaths until temple priests used a metal d**k to destroy her deadly 
secret weapon.  
Several sex workers take part in this festival to pray for good health and protection against 
STDs. 
  

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6. Consuming the dead 

The Yanomami tribe who reside in the Amazon rainforest bordering Venezuela and Brazil are 
repelled by the idea of burying the dead. They believe the no physical trace of the body should be 
left in order to allow the spirit to rest in peace. The ash and bone powder obtained after 
cremation is mixed into a plantain soup which is consumed by the deceased's family.  
By doing this, the Yanomami believe the soul of their lost and loved one will reside within them. 
  

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7. Famadihana, Madagascar 
Death is a time of sorrow and silence even if it means visiting the grave of a loved one who 
passed away years ago. Not in the Hauts Plateaux of Madagascar though, because July and 
September witnesses the custom of Famadihana. The 'turning of the dead' involves exhuming the 
remains of deceased relatives and re-wrapping their bones in fresh cloth.  
Relatives also take time to ask their dead ancestors for blessings and things they might need in 
the world of the living. While this is not spooky, it is described by many travellers as more of a 
party with plenty of rum to go around. Some revellers dance to tunes from the accordion along 
with remains of the dead. 

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8. Toddler tossing in India 

In some parts of Gujarat, Maharashtra and Karnataka, toddlers are tossed from the roof of 
temples 15-30 feet above the ground and are caught by a blanket held out by devotees. This 
practice is age old and is said to bring good luck to the child. It is a traumatic ordeal for the 
toddler and child rights activists managed to ban it in 2011.  
However, devotees continued to practise it in 2012. 
  

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9. Tooth Filing, Bali 

While most of us file our nails, Balinese men and women have their teeth filed in preparation for 
marriage. Smoothed teeth are symbolic of control on sinful emotions like lust, greed, anger and 
jealousy. These mark of a passage into adulthood, and is an extremely gruelling and painful 
experience. 
  

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10.  Gerewol Festival 

A pageantry of beauty and talent is something that has been used to evaluate a woman's worth 
since time immemorial. However, in the Wodaabe tribe, it's the men who have to be all prim and 
proper. The courtship festival known as Gerewol is where men dress up in all their finery and 
appear in front of the women to show them what they've got. 
They take part in a dance competition called Yaake where the winners are chosen based on their 
overall good looks and dancing skills.  
  

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