- Hey, welcome to the video.
We're going to have some fun today.
So all of us have traditions in our lives
in one form or another.
That's pretty universal.
Every country and culture practices
some sort of tradition.
For example, here in North America
Christmas is a very popular tradition,
where we exchange gifts
and then fight over who gets the last
of the rum and egg nog.
But not all traditions are that simple.
In fact, some are quite intense
or even downright strange.
So this week to give you a better understanding
of the world that we live in,
I gathered some of the oddest traditions
to share with you all.
So here they are,
the 10 strangest traditions
from around the world.
Number one is baby tossing.
In the western state of Maharashtra in India,
there is a near 700 year old tradition
of parents dropping their new born babies
off of the roofs of temples.
The newborns are dropped from a height of 15 meters
who are then caught by in a sheet
being held by men below.
Although not widely practiced
there are many villages who still partake
in this yearly tradition,
which is said to bring health and prosperity
to ones family.
Surprisingly, despite how dangerous this tradition is,
there has never been an injury reported.
You know, just coming from a practical point of view,
I feel like if you want your baby to be healthy
just get them an immunization shot.
You get all the health benefits you're looking for
without the pesky risk of you know, death.
Number two is the Kanamara Matsuri.
In Kawaskai, Japan there's an annual tradition
held every spring known as the Kanamara Matsuri
or simply the penis festival.
Sure why not.
The central theme of the event is
you guessed it, the penis.
Which is reflected in illustrations,
decorations, and even carved vegetables, and candy.
A giant wooden falice is hoisted into the air
and carried across town,
which is said to bring prosperity
to businesses and married couples,
as well as divine protection from STDs.
In fact, it's become a major tourist attraction
with much of the money going to HIV research.
See this is the type of festival
where you're going to want to be aware the type of food
you're consuming while there.
For example, I wouldn't recommend eating a banana.
There's too much risk of making eye contact
with someone while you're eating it.
Think about it.
Number three, is the funeral rituals of Toraja.
The people of the Tana Toraja regency in Indonesia
have a very unique tradition when it comes to their dead.
Funerals are very elaborate and expensive,
so dead relatives are often kept in temporary coffins
until the families can pay for the funeral.
Which can often take years.
The Toraja have a great respect for their dead,
so during this waiting period
the bodies of loved ones are often exhumed
so that they can be cared for.
They will actually groom and re-dress the body if necessary.
Basically, whatever it takes to make granny's corpse
look its best.
Once the family finally has the funds necessary,
it's reported they will actually walk the corpse
to it's final resting place.
See that kids,
don't complain when you're mom and dad
make you visit your grandparents,
because it could be a lot worse.
Number four, is bride kidnapping.
Bride kidnapping, also known as
marriage by abduction, or marriage by capture
is a tradition that's been practiced for centuries.
Believe it or not, it's still practiced in some places,
like Central and Southeast Asia, parts of Africa
in amongst certain ethnic groups
like the Tzeltal in Mexico and the Romani in Europe.
Unlike in most countries where bride kidnapping
is a crime and rightfully so,
among these groups it's a common tradition.
Basically the way it works is if a man
can successfully kidnap and hold a woman hostage
for a certain period of time,
so for example a week,
then he can claim her as his wife.
This tradition is insanely barbaric.
It's basically on par with a caveman
who clubs a woman over the head
and drags her back to his cave.
Even Fred Flinstone wined and dined Wilma
before making that bedrock.
You know what I'm saying?
Number five is the bullet ant ritual.
Several times a year
the Amazonian Satere-Mawe Tribe of Brazil
observes a special tradition that
every young man must go through
in order to become a true indian warrior.
The tradition requires that every young man
must put his hands in gloves filled with
giant tropical bullet ants.
If you don't know what bullet ants are,
they have a sting 30 times worse than that of a bee.
Initiates are required to wear the gloves
for more than 10 minutes at a time
while the ants inject them with a neuro-toxic venom.
Oh, and they're required to do it 20 times.
Last time I got stung by a bee
I cried like a little girl.
So excuse me while I do not go to the Amazon.
Number six is Yanomami ash eating.
The Yanomami tribe of Venezuela and Brazil
has a tradition that leaves a bad taste in the mouth.
Pun intended.
The tribe forbids the preservation or burial of their dead,
so those who die are cremated.
The odd part is the ashes
which often include crushed bones
are distributed to the family and eaten by all.
Serious questions, how exactly does one eat ashes?
I mean, is there a liquid involved?
Do you turn Grandpa into a tea?
Or do you do your best not to choke.
We're all wondering it.
Number seven is carrying the bride over coals.
China has one of the oldest cultures in the world,
with countless traditions that have been passed down
through the generations.
An odd tradition that some still observe to this day
is that after a wedding,
a groom must carry his new bride over burning hot coals
when entering their home for the first time.
Those who practice this believe it will ensure
an easy and successful labor when she becomes pregnant.
This seems like a very nice gesture
and one that I'm sure that brides really appreciate.
But if you're looking for luck
why not give her one of the many other things
that they consider lucky,
like a lucky cat or a money tree.
It seems kind of unnecessary to southern fry
your feet for the same effect.
Number eight is blackening the bride and groom.
In Scotland, they have a tradition for weddings
that's pretty crazy.
Unlike here in North America
where we have the popular tradition of throwing
rice at the bride and groom after the wedding.
The Scottish douse the bride and groom
the day before the wedding
with soot, flour and feathers
in a tradition that they call blackening.
It's supposed to prepare the couple
for any future troubles or humiliations
with the theory being that nothing could be worst than this.
I see, so tar and feathering someone is a sign of love
but even hinting that kilts are girly
will get you knocked out.
Yeah, I think the sensitivity level
is a bit off there my friends.
Number nine are Tibetan Sky Burials.
In Tibet they have a very different approach
to dealing with dead bodies than the rest of the world.
The majority of Tibetan people are Buddhist.
Part of their belief system is that
the body is simply a vessel.
So when someone dies there's no need to preserve the body
because their spirit has moved on.
So instead of burying their dead,
they cut the body in various places
and leave it on a mountain top
where it's exposed to the natural elements
as well as various animals who will,
well you know, take care of it.
People that are known for being peaceful,
it seems pretty violent to let dead bodies bake in the sun
while vultures eat their innards.
Remind me to never die in Tibet.
And number 10, cheese rolling.
Oh good, one that doesn't involve death.
The Cooper's Hill Cheese-Rolling and Wake
is an annual event held in England.
Traditionally it's for the people
who live in the local village of Brockworth,
but now people from all over the world
take part in this event.
It involves a nine pound cheese wheel
that gets thrown down a steep hill
while competitors rush after it,
and whoever crosses the finish line first
gets to keep it.
No one is exactly sure how
this strange tradition started,
but at least it doesn't involve death,
hot coals or stinging insects.
So I say, let the cheese roll on.
And that's it for this video guys.
The world is a strange place.
If you enjoyed this video,
please give that like button a click
and share this on Facebook and Twitter
and I will see you all back here next Saturday
with a brand new video.
Peace.
Oh, the outro screen, dig it.
Thanks for watching my new video.
If you'd like to see future videos from me
remember to click the big red subscribe button below
to subscribe to my channel.
I release a new video every Saturday
and if you'd like to add me to Facebook and Twitter
or check out my second channel
the links to those will be in the description
along with links to some of the things that I talked about
in this video and I will see you back here next week.
Bye.