While many traditions celebrate beauty, unity, and joy, there are some that have a darker side. These practices, though disturbing, continue to exist in various parts of the world today. In this article, we delve into horrifying traditions and provide a glimpse into these unsettling customs.
Bride Kidnapping (Kyrgyzstan)
In this practice, a man kidnaps the woman he wishes to marry and forces her into the marriage.
The woman is often pressured by the kidnapper’s family to agree to the union.
Tooth Filing (Indonesia)
Practiced among the Bali Aga people, this tradition involves filing down the upper canine teeth.
Believed to suppress evil spirits, the ritual is performed to maintain spiritual balance.
Scarification (Ethiopia, Sudan)
Some tribes practice scarification, where patterns are carved into the skin to create raised scars.
The scars are seen as a symbol of beauty, status, or initiation into adulthood.
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)
FGM involves the partial or total removal of the external female genitalia for non-medical reasons.
This harmful practice continues in parts of Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, despite international efforts to eradicate it.
Bullet Ant Gloves (Brazil)
The Satere-Mawe tribe of Brazil uses bullet ant gloves as a rite of passage for young men.
The gloves, filled with bullet ants, are worn to endure the excruciating pain of the ant’s sting.
Foot Binding (China)
Although now banned, foot binding was once a common practice in China, where women’s feet were tightly wrapped to prevent growth.
This painful custom was seen as a status symbol and sign of beauty.
Thaipusam Festival (India, Malaysia, Singapore)
Thaipusam is a Hindu festival where devotees pierce their bodies with hooks and skewers as a sign of devotion to Lord Murugan.
Participants often enter a trance-like state to endure the pain.
Sati (India)
Sati is the now-illegal practice of a widow immolating herself on her husband’s funeral pyre.
Although banned, there are still isolated reports of this horrifying tradition taking place.
Baby Jumping (Spain)
El Colacho, or baby jumping, is a Spanish tradition in which men dressed as devils jump over infants lying on mattresses.
This ritual is believed to cleanse the babies of original sin and protect them from future ailments.
The Aghori Sect (India)
The Aghori sect is a small group of Hindu ascetics known for their extreme rituals.
Practices include meditating on corpses, consuming human flesh, and covering themselves in ashes from cremation grounds.
Self-Mummification (Japan)
This extreme practice, known as Sokushinbutsu, involves monks mummifying themselves through a strict diet and meditation.
The purpose of this ritual, now illegal, was to reach enlightenment and be revered as a “living Buddha.”
Finger Cutting (Indonesia)
In the Dani tribe of Indonesia, women cut off a part of their finger when a family member passes away.
The act serves as an expression of grief and symbolizes the emotional pain experienced due to the loss.
Sky Burials (Tibet)
In Tibetan sky burials, the deceased’s body is placed on a mountaintop and left for vultures to consume.
This eco-friendly funeral practice is in accordance with Tibetan Buddhist beliefs in the impermanence of life and the interconnectedness of all beings.
Fire Walking (Greece)
The Greek Orthodox practice of fire walking, known as Anastenaria, involves participants walking barefoot across burning coals.
Believers perform this ritual as an act of devotion to Saint Constantine and Saint Helen.
The Running of the Bulls (Spain)
This adrenaline-pumping event involves participants running through narrow streets while being chased by bulls.
The Running of the Bulls is part of the San Fermin Festival, which takes place annually in Pamplona, Spain.
Tinku Fighting Festival (Bolivia)
The Tinku Fighting Festival in Bolivia is a centuries-old tradition where participants engage in ritualistic hand-to-hand combat.
The festival, intended to secure a good harvest and prosperity, involves dancing, music, and sometimes, injuries.
Goose Pulling (Germany, Belgium, Netherlands)
Goose pulling is a controversial and gruesome tradition in which participants on horseback attempt to pull the head off a dead goose hanging from a rope.
While the practice is now banned in many places, it still takes place in some regions under the banner of tradition.
Takanakuy (Peru)
Takanakuy is an annual Peruvian event where members of the community engage in fistfights to settle disputes and start the new year with a clean slate.
Participants adhere to a strict code of conduct and respect during these confrontations, which often draw large crowds.
Famadihana (Madagascar)
Famadihana, or the Turning of the Bones, is a Malagasy custom where families exhume their ancestors’ remains, rewrap them in fresh shrouds, and dance with the bodies.
This uplifting and lively event serves to strengthen family bonds and honor the deceased.
Whipping Ritual (Romania)
In this Romanian Easter tradition, young men playfully “whip” young women with braided willow branches as a means to promote fertility and vitality.
The women, in turn, offer the men painted eggs and homemade treats as a sign of appreciation.
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