Top 10 Strangest Cultural Traditions in the World

Culture is the way of life of a particular people; for some reason, some people have the strangest traditions in the world. There are over 50,000 unique cultures upheld by various tribes and people in the world and this article highlights the top 10 strangest of them all.

Which tribes have the strangest traditions in the world?

The Himba tribe of Namibia, the Hamar and Surma tribes of Ethiopia, and the Sudanese Latuka tribe have the strangest traditions in the world. Although they are all African tribes, Asia and Europe also have tribes with very bizarre traditions. In fact, many “civilized” nations are home to Shocking cultures around the world. In this article, RNN.NG provides you with information on many of these cultures, most of which you probably never knew existed. Let’s dig in.

Top 10 Strangest Traditions in the World

1. Eating the Ashes of the Dead

The Yanomami tribe is known for very weird traditions and lifestyles and this is only one of them. They reside in the Amazon rainforest bordering Venezuela and Brazil. The people of Yanomami do not believe in burying the dead or leaving any physical trace or remains behind.

They, therefore, burn the bodies of their dead loved ones and gather the ashes to be eaten. Yes! They eat their dead. They either mix the ashes into a plantain soup or serve it any other way and eat them. Sometimes, they eat the flesh directly too; according to them, the tradition gives room for the soul of their lost and loved ones to live within them.

2. Lip Stretching Tradition

The lip stretching tradition is yet another weird practice in the world today. Some people consider it first of the strangest traditions in the world. It is practiced by the Surma tribe of Ethiopia.

In observing this cultural tradition, girls have their lower teeth removed in order to wear lip plates which signifies a passage to adolescence. The lip plates are replaced from time to time to suit the present size of the stretching lip. According to this tradition, the bigger the lip plate, the more attractive the girl/woman is to men.

The lip stretching tradition is done to prove that a girl is of marriageable age. It also signifies strength and courage, making her celebrated by the male gender.

3. Okujepisa Omukazendu

The Himba tribe in Northern Namibia is known to have one of the strangest traditions in the world. One would think civilization would take away many of these weird cultures but here we are.

They have a culture for marrying off their women once they attain the age of puberty; the husbands are chosen by the father of the women. Asides from this tradition, the Himba tribe is also known for offering sex to guests, also known as “Okujepisa Omukazendu”.

When a guest visits the home of a couple, the man shows approval of his visit by offering his wife for the guest to spend the night. He, on the other hand, sleeps in another room. If there’s no extra room, the husband sleeps outside.

According to their belief, this fosters friendship and relationships.

4. Breaking Dishes as a Pre-wedding Rite (Polterabend)

Polterabend is a very strange cultural tradition in Germany where friends and families of soon-to-be newlyweds break porcelain plates before their wedding.

They gather to celebrate dinner and before the event comes to an end, everyone gathers to break as many plates as possible. This, they believe will bring good fortune to the couple after their wedding. The couple, on the other hand, will have to clean up the mess as a sign that they can work together during difficult times in their marriage.

5. Baby Jumping Festival

In Spain, it is believed that babies are born with some form of sin, and jumping over them cleanses them from those sins and protects them from bad luck and diseases. After jumping, rose petals are sprinkled on the newborns to signify that they have been cleansed.

This is one of the strangest and most risky traditions in the world as one cannot help but wonder what would happen if the jumping goes wrong on little infants. The ritual is a blend of Catholic and Pagan beliefs and it is called El Colacho, dating back to 1620.

6. Smashing Coconut on People’s Skull

This particular tradition is observed by Indians. The ritual is highly voluntary and is done at a thanksgiving feast.

People are seen lined up in a temple waiting for priests to break coconuts on their heads as a sign of good luck. The Aadi Perukku festival as it is fondly called is a sign of breaking free from one’s past. To observe this tradition, one priest holds the head of a devotee while another breaks the coconut within seconds.

Yes, your guess is as good as mine! Injuries are sustained. However, helpers are available in the temple to apply turmeric powder to the injuries. Other severe wounds are treated with stitches at medical centers while some others refuse their wounds to be treated.

7. Bull Jumping Ceremony

Bull Jumping is a popular practice for the Hamar tribe in the Omo River Valley, Ethiopia. It is a 3-day event and it is also one of the most important passage rites for male initiates in the land.

It has been in practice for over 200 years and this old culture may be preserved for even longer years to come.

The males are made to jump over ten castrated bulls to prove their manhood. It takes bravery and hope on their part to eventually scale through.

8. Kidnapping Your Bride

This is a tradition practiced by the Sudanese Latuka tribe. When a man sees a woman he wants to make his wife, he kidnaps her before asking for her hand in marriage.

After the kidnap, elderly members of his family then go to the father of the girl in question, asking for her hand in marriage. If he agrees, he is expected to beat up the man as a sign of approval. The weird aspect of this tradition is that the man can forcefully go ahead with the marriage even if the girl’s father disagrees. They do this to prove “male supremacy”.

9. Famadihana

Famadihana is a cultural tradition where people dig out dead bodies from their graves and dance with them. It is practiced by the Malagasy tribe of Madagascar. As a custom, the funerary tradition is carried out once every seven years.

Bodies of the deceased are dug out from family crypts or graves and rewrapped in fresh clothes. The family members and other well-wishers dance with the bodies thereafter and return them at the end of the rite.

This is done to celebrate the lives of the deceased and keep them in remembrance.

10. Toilet Ban for Newlyweds

The “toilet ban for newlyweds” is a marriage rite tradition practiced by the Tidong tribe of the people of Indonesia. The tradition forbids newlyweds from using the restroom for three days after their marriage. After their wedding ceremony, the new couple is taken to a secluded room where they will spend three days under the close supervision of some others appointed for the job.

The supervisors are to ensure that the couple passes the challenge without seeking other means to ease themselves. They are to also provide a very little amount of food and water to the couple so as to reduce their need to use the restroom. The reason for this tradition is still unknown and it remains one of the strangest traditions in the world.

Summary

Many tribes around the world have such bizarre traditions and they are still stubbornly upheld today. From the traditions mentioned in this article, it is obvious that each of them has explanations and significance attached to them, according to their beliefs.

Here are the top 10 strangest traditions in the world yet again:

1. Eating the Ashes of the Dead

2. Lip-stretching Tradition

3. Okujepisa Omukazendu

4. Breaking Dishes as a Pre-wedding Rite (Polterabend)

5. Baby Jumping Festival

6. Smashing Coconut on People’s Skull

7. Bull Jumping Ceremmony

8. Kidnapping your Bride

9. Famadihana

10. Toilet Ban for Neylyweds