221 Curious Customs Practices and Traditions Around the World

Placing text from Ancient Scriptures in the mouth of the deceased is a funerary custom in Thailand. Do you know: Family and relatives pour water over one hand of the deceased as the body is being bathed. Abhidharma are ancient 3rd-century Buddhist Scriptures that contain four syllables, namely ci (symbolizing heart), ce (symbolizing metal concepts), […]

The Qingming Festival is a Chinese tradition held to commemorate the dead. Do you know: The Chinese believed that people constructed kites, which are used for sending greetings to commemorate the dead. The 104th day after the winter solstice, usually the first week of April, is celebrated as the Qingming festival. On this day, it

Ngaben is a cremation ceremony practised in Bali, Indonesia. Do you know: In Indonesia, the social status of the deceased influences the time of the cremation ceremony’s performance. An expert decides the date for the Ngaben ceremony. On that day, the body is first placed in a coffin, which then goes into a sarcophagus. This

Death is considered a transition from one life to the next in Cambodian customs. Do you know: The teeth or parts of bone of the deceased are often worn as amulets on chains. When a person dies, in Cambodia the family of the deceased puts a white flag in front of their house. The flag

Placing food and money is the custom practised by the Vietnamese for their dead members. Do you know: The deceased is traditionally buried twice in Vietnam. After a person has died, his body is washed and dressed. A chopstick is placed in the deceased’s mouth with a little rice and three coins. Fake money is

Re-naming the deceased is a Vietnamese custom. Do you know: The Vietnamese believe it is unfortunate for the deceased to keep the same name as when he was alive. When a person is about to die in Vietnam, the members of family gather around him/her. The eldest child bends to hear his last words and

The Seijin no Hi is a ‘coming of age’ festival celebrated in Japan on the second Monday in January. Do you know: The age of attaining adulthood in Japan is 20 years. At the Seijin no Hi, the men and the women who have attained the age of 20 years, dress up in traditional attire

African dolls come in varying styles and designs, based on the tribe or group making it. Do you know: Apart from being toys, African dolls also serve the purpose of ensuring fertility. Depending on the tribe, the African doll’s style changes and so does its uses. For instance, Ndebele people make LingaKoba dolls in colourful

Shichi-go-san meaning 7-5-3 is a festival organized for 3 and 7-years-old-girls and 5-year-old boys in Japan. Do you know: This festival dates back to the Heian Period, between 794 and 1185 when nobility would celebrate the entering of children into middle school. The Shichi-go-san celebration is a day when parents along with their children, who

The Red Egg and Ginger Party is organized in China, when a pregnant woman completes one month of pregnancy. Do you know: The Chinese consider an egg a symbol of life changes and harmony while ginger is important to establish balance. The Moon-yut party or red egg and ginger party, is held by the proud

Kinaalda is a four-day coming of age ceremony for the girls who have reached puberty, celebrated by the Navajo tribe in North America. Do you know: The origin of this ceremony began with the myth of the changing woman who was said to be the first woman on the earth to have children. The Kinaalda

Quccija or ‘choosing’ is a unique tradition celebrated in the Republic of Malta on a child’s first birthday. Do you know: The locals believe that this custom helps predict a child’s future. For the child’s first birthday, various objects are laid out before him. The locals believe that the object the child touches would predict

The Umhlanga is the traditional dance of Swaziland, which is performed by thousands of young women in August. Do you know: The dance is also known as the Reed Dance, as it performed when the reed has reached maturity. The Umhlanga attracts young women from far and wide, who travel all night on the first

‘Feet on the Ground’ is an Irish wedding custom. Do you know: As the guests leave the wedding ceremony, the bride and the groom throw chocolate coins to the guests. While green may be the traditional colour for the Irish, no one wears green to a wedding as it brings bad luck. Also, at their

Wedding Towels play an important role in wedding customs in Belarus. Do you know: The colour and design of a wedding towel vary from region to region in Belarus. For her wedding, the bride was made to tie a towel around her hand and drag it on the ground, on her way to church. The