As we celebrate Heritage Month in South Africa, let’s have a look at some of the most unusual and interesting traditions which are considered normal depending on who you ask – and are celebrated in various countries around the world.
Also read: 6 Road tripping traditions everyone should try on their journeys
Cape {town} Etc discount: Looking for things to do in the city at half the price? Let these great offers inspire you and fuel your imagination! Get them here.
Here are 10 traditions celebrated around the world that will make you go ‘huh’!
1. Don’t pass the salt:
Requesting salt in Egypt is considered rude and in doing so you insult the chef. Egyptians believe that asking for salt suggests that you are not satisfied with the meal. Best to take your own salt along.
2. Newborn babies are considered 1-year-olds:
Koreans ‘age’ a year, every new year. Every person’s birthday is 1 January, so a newborn is already a year old. If a baby is born on 31 December, the baby turns 2 years old, the very next month on 1 January, of the new year.
3. One last dance:
Famadihana – the turning of the bones – is a Madagascan funerary ceremony where people exhume their ancestors, and rewrap the corpses in fresh cloth before dancing to live music while carrying the freshly wrapped corpses over their heads, and returning them back to the tomb. The belief is to celebrate the life lived by the dead person.
4. Blacken the bride:
There is a pre-wedding tradition in Scotland called blackening. The ritual involves throwing as many disgusting things at the bride, like rotten eggs, spoilt milk, fish, and basically, anything with a high gross factor is hurled at the poor bride. The custom is a metaphor for the challenging chapters of marriage life and if she can handle the blackening, she’s all set for married life!
5. Throw the baby for good luck:
A ritual practiced by couples in Karnataka India where newborns are thrown off of 50-feet-high temples with the belief that this custom brings good health and luck to the babies. The family members hold out blankets to catch the terrified infants.
6. Salute the Magpie:
One for sorrow, two for joy. In England, it is believed that spotting a solo magpie brings bad luck, and to counteract the prevailing bad luck, you have to salute the magpie.
7. A roof full of teeth:
It appears that not all children get visited by the Tooth Fairy. Children in Greece throw their baby teeth that have fallen out onto the roof of their home with the belief that it brings good luck and a healthy replacement tooth.
8. Red means dead:
While visiting South Korea be sure to stay away from red ink when writing cards or notes. Writing someone’s name in red ink traditionally signifies that the person is deceased.
9. Tardiness is encouraged:
You will be considered too eager, rude and greedy for showing up on time to events in Venezuela. Best to arrive 15 minutes later than the scheduled time to prevent being sneered at.
10. Baking with luck:
Bolivia has a New Year’s Eve tradition in which bakeries across the country bake sweet pastries and cakes with coins in them. Those who find a coin in their cake are said to have good luck in the new year.
Unleash your inner explorer with these incredible car deals, all priced under 100K. Find car listings here.
Also read:
Picture: Pexels
