#9 Christmas in Catatonia
(El Caganer, Spain) A little doll or model
who has his pants down to er… take a dump… somewhere in the Nativity scene. This particular tradition has been around since the 18th or 19th century, and he’s a bit like the “Where’s Waldo?” of a Christmas scene in the Northern region of Spain.
#10 Christmas in Catatonia 2
(El Caganer, Spain) If one crapping Christmas
tradition wasn’t enough – Caga Tio is a log with a painted face that brings presents to kids in an unusual way.
The idea is that kids spend the whole day waiting for Caga Tio to drop presents from his rear end.
This gives the grown-ups plenty of chances to make farting noises and tease the kids that Caga Tio is nearby, while everyone gets on with the business of eating and drinking way too much.
#11 Camel Wrestling(Turkey)
A kinder, gentler version of bullfighting? Perhaps.
In Turkey, camel wrestling is a popular event where spectators watch in glee as two specially bred male camels wrestle each other. Serious injuries are rare, but spectators should be wary of being sprayed by the milky saliva of the agitated camels.
#12 Blackening the Bride
(Scotland) Blackening the bride is a
weird Scottish wedding custom where the bride is drenched with a foul smelling mixture of eggs, sauces, flour and feathers.
The unfortunate bride is then paraded around the town. Her friends and family make much noise by beating the sticks and banging drums.
The custom still exists in the Scottish islands where the inhabitants follow this tradition.
#13 Bouncing Babies(India)
In Sholapur, India, an unbelievable non-religious ceremony takes place every year.
Babies are dropped from a 15-meter tower without any safety string tied to their bodies. They free fall straight into the hands of the people who wait below with a bed sheet.
The people of Sholapur are clueless about the purpose behind this fearful act. Some say, it’s for good health while others say it is for good luck for the future of the child.
#14 Bathroom Ban(Borneo)
Tidong are a group of people from northern Borneo with a particularly uncomfortable wedding custom.
For the 3 days and 3 nights following the wedding, both the bride and groom are prohibited from using the bathroom. That means no urinating, no defecating, and no bathing.
They believe that custom will lead to a long, happy, and fertile marriage. In order to achieve this, the newlyweds are allowed to eat and drink only very small amounts and are watched very closely by family members.
#23 Hanging Wax Body Parts
(Brazil) Hanging from the walls and ceilings of a church in Salvador de Bahia, Brazil is a collection of wax or plastic arms, legs, livers, hearts, lungs, eyes, uteri, and other internal organs and miscellaneous body parts. The church, Igreja de Nosso Senhor do Bonfim (Church of our Lord of Bonfim or the “Good End”), is the site of an annual religious ceremony and procession called the Festa do Bonfim (Feast of the Good End), when church goers dress in traditional clothing, attend the mass at the Church of Conceição da Praia in Salvador, then walk eight kilometers uphill to the Igreja de Nosso Senhor do Bonfim.
Upon arrival, they wash the steps and plaza in front of the church, all the while singing and dancing. The event is hugely popular and draws thousands of people from all over the world. The church is believed to have curative properties, and in the Sala dos Milagres (Room of Miracles), people hang wax or plastic representations of various body parts and photos of themselves or loved ones as either an offering to pray for divine intervention or thanks for curing a particular ailment. Seeing all those body parts hanging from the ceiling can be a tad jarring to the uninitiated, but they are left in a spirit of hope and gratitude.
