221 Curious Customs Practices and Traditions Around the World

As per Russian traditions, if someone dies a glass of water and a loaf of bread are placed near the body of the deceased. Do you know: The place or seat where the deceased would sit for family meals is usually left unoccupied for more than a month. The Russians believe that a loaf of […]

Feeding a person before he is about to die is an old Estonian custom. Do you know: The Estonians also believed that the hand of a dying person on the one who was sick could heal the sick. As per Estonian customs, a person must be fed before his death because if he were to

After a funeral, Special Dinners are organized in Lithuania. Do you know: The dinner is a way for the mourners to ask the dead to leave the family unharmed. Special dinners are organized as a treat for the soul of the deceased individual and the souls of other dead persons. The dinner is a way

Counting Virtues is a funerary custom in Lithuania. Do you know: Women used to wear white handkerchiefs if they were in mourning, as white was the colour of death. It is customary in Lithuania for a female member to count the virtues of the person who has recently passed away. If the deceased had no

Dressing a deceased woman in her Doodshemd is a funerary custom from the Netherlands. Do you know: The Doodshemd, also known as ‘lijkhemd’, is a special nightdress worn by a woman on her wedding night. Placing white sheets on the windows of a house where someone has recently died was a common custom in the

Soil and Salt hold special meaning in Scottish Highland funerary customs. Do you know: In the Scottish Highlands, the dead would be buried with a wooden plate on his chest. The wooden plate was placed on the deceased’s chest to place soil and salt on it. Both these things had a symbolic meaning. The soil

Leaving windows open in the deceased’s house, holding wakes are funeral customs prevalent amongst the Irish. Do you know: It is considered bad luck if someone were to block the path to an open window in the deceased person’s house. The Irish believe that the windows of a house where someone has passed away must

Polish have unique customs that are followed after a person has passed away. Do you know: When someone dies, the clocks in that household are stopped. The doors and the windows are left wide open in the house of the deceased so as to allow his soul to leave. Also, mirrors are covered and the

Fallen Stars symbolize the death of a person in Romanian customs. Do you know: People in Transylvania believe that each person has his own tree and star. Fir trees symbolize life for the Romanians. Hence, when someone passes away, a fir tree is placed at the head of the deceased’s grave. A young group of

Hatod or ‘bringing the dead to his destination’ is one of the funerary customs performed by the locals of the Cebu province, Philippines. Do you know: Before the coffin of the deceased is placed in a funeral car, all the relatives must pass under the coffin once so as to help them move on. The

The Isneg people have specific burial rituals. These people live in the Cordillera Administrative Region, which is situated on a Filipino island known as Luzon. Do you know: The Isneg people are also known as the Apayo. Commonly known as the Apayao, the Isneg people have specific burial rituals after the rituals for the deceased

The Ilkano tribe lives in the northern part of the Philippines. They place immense importance on symbols. Do you know: Any black moth or butterfly entering a house is considered a bad omen amongst the Ilkano. The Ilkano people believe that the demise of an individual can be predicted by symbols that may appear in

Not leaving the dead unattended is a custom followed by the Jewish people. Do you know: The person who stays to guard the body of the dead is known as a shomerim. The Jews consider leaving the body of a deceased person as disrespect. Hence, a person or persons must stay with the body. However,

The Nepalese have very unique and specific rituals involving death and the deceased. Do you know: When someone passes away in a family, the family is not allowed to use salt for three days. When a death occurs in the family, the family must buy or make shoes from any material other than leather. The

Reincarnation is a popular belief amongst the Hmong people who live in the parts of China, Thailand, Vietnam and Laos. Do you know: The funerary rituals of the Hmong begin on Friday and last until Monday, when the dead is buried. During a funeral, the Hmong people play tunes with bamboo flutes, known as the