Famadihana: dancing with the dead in Madagascar

• Every seven years or so, the living families

dance with their dead ancestors to show them
respect. They even give out gifts for the dead.
Families in Madagascar have been practicing
this for many years, and intend to continue
the strange tradition in future, as well.
 Kanamara Matsuri in Japan

• Every first Sunday of April, thousands of

people visit Kawasaki to witness the Kanamara
Matsuri or penis festival. During this festival,
you’ll get to see lots of penises in varying
colors and sizes, and even eat penis-shaped
sweets. It used to be known as the Shinto
fertility tradition, and was later changed to a
sex-positive ritual.
 Burns Night in Scotland

• Burns Night is celebrated for the celebrated

poet Robert Burns and his contribution to the
Scottish culture. On the 25th of every January,
the people of Scotland hold supper and poetry
recitations written by the poet. They prepare a
dish called Haggis, a sausage made from
sheep’s belly. The ritual is to read the poetry
on that dish written by Burns before
proceeding to eat.
 Hanging coffins in Sagada, Philippines.

• There is an old tradition in Sagada where

people hang their coffins in limestone caves. It
was carried out by the Igorot tribe of
Mountain Province, which became a common
belief among the people in northern
Philippines. They believe that this ritual
prevents monsters and beasts from taking the
dead bodies, and also purifies or blesses the
departed soul.
 Sharpening of teeth in Indonesia

• Teeth sharpening or chiseling is a strange

beauty ritual practiced by women in
Indonesian rural communities. It involves the
sawing of the teeth, and women who undergo
teeth chiseling are considered extremely
beautiful. Thankfully though, this isn’t a
mandatory requirement for all women.
 Russia — Offering vodka

• It is the custom to welcome new friends with

shots of vodka, and this is even expected from
older generations. What better way to break
the ice than with some stomach-warming
shots of this Russian tradition? I think
friendships would form faster worldwide if we
all adopted this idea, and that’s something we
can all toast to, or, as they say in Russia, “Na
zdorovye!”. 
 Don’t ask for salt when dining in Egypt

• In many cultures, like the United States, it is all

right to ask for salt to add to your food. But if
you are dining with friends and colleagues in
Egypt, keep in mind to avoid asking for salt. It
is taken as an insult to the host, as Egyptians
take it to mean that you are repulsed by the
taste of the meal served to you.
 Losing a tooth in Greece

• For many cultures, children are told to keep

their baby teeth under their pillow and the
Tooth Fairy will give them money in exchange
for their teeth. But Greek children are told to
toss their tooth onto their roofs. The cultural
tradition is meant for the child to have a
healthy tooth as well as good luck to the
family.
 Finger-pulling in Austria

• You might wonder when you see Austrian men

engaged in finger-pulling. It is actually a
serious traditional sport and the rules of the
game are quite strict. The game is
called Fingerhakeln (finger-pulling), which is
like a mini version of tug-of-war. The objective
is the same, to drag the opponent by the
finger across the table. Bavaria also plays this
sport.
 Shoving your face on your birthday cake

• In live action and animated films, shoving one’s face

onto a birthday cake elicits a laugh. Some do it as a joke
and some do it out of disgust or anger. But in Mexico it is
a cultural tradition, so the birthday celebrant does not
have any reason to get angry. It even follows a process.
The cake is brought out and presented to the person
celebrating the birthday. Guests sing the birthday song
and the candle is blown. The birthday girl or boy takes a
bite of the cake and as expected, someone will definitely
shove her or his face on the cake.