Around The World In 30 Strange Cultural Traditions
One of the most fascinating parts of exploring the world is discovering the unique traditions that make each culture special. While some customs are heartwarming or symbolic, others are wonderfully unexpected—and sometimes downright quirky.
If you love diving into local culture and celebrating in unforgettable ways, these unusual festivals deserve a spot on your travel bucket list.
1. El Colacho, Spain
Held annually in the village of Castrillo de Murcia, El Colacho—also known as “the baby jumping festival”—is one of Spain’s most jaw-dropping traditions. Dating back to the 17th century, this pagan-meets-Catholic ritual is meant to cleanse newborns of sin and protect them from evil spirits.
After a colorful procession, babies are gently laid on mats in the street while men dressed as devils leap over them in a dramatic (and oddly charming) act of spiritual purification. It all wraps up with a blessing from local priests and a whole lot of cheering.
2. Throwing Broken Dishes, Denmark
Every year, the people of Denmark save their broken dishes until New Year's. Then, to ring in the New Year, they throw the broken dishes at the homes of their family and friends.
This bizarre, centuries-old tradition is meant to wish people good luck in the year ahead.
Rob Swystun, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
3. Satere Mawe Tribe Initiation, Brazil
One of the Satere Mawe tribe's strangest traditions is the coming-of-age ceremony for boys.
At 13, the boys harvest bullet ants, which are named for their incredibly painful sting. After incapacitating the ants with an herbal substance, they are woven into a pair of gloves with their stingers pointed inwards.
During the ceremony, the boys must wear the gloves for 10 minutes while performing a traditional dance. They must repeat the ritual 19 more times, so that the pain from the ant stings can prepare them to handle the pain of adulthood without showing weakness.
Andres Nunez Mora ,Shutterstock
4. Rumspringa, USA
In Amish communities across the U.S., turning 16 comes with a surprising twist: Rumspringa—a coming-of-age tradition that’s all about freedom and choice.
Normally, Amish life is rooted in simplicity, faith, and separation from modern culture. But during Rumspringa, teens are allowed to step outside those boundaries and experience the outside world: tech, fashion, parties, and all. It’s a rare chance to explore life beyond the community before deciding whether to commit fully to the Amish way of life.
Gadjoboy, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
5. Monkey Buffet, Thailand
Each year on the last Sunday of November, the Phra Prang Sam Yot temple in Lopburi is host to a lavish buffet. The people believe that macaque monkeys in the region bring good luck, so to honor the animals, they are presented with piles of fruits and vegetables.
Mr.Peerapong Prasutr, CC BY-SA 4.0,Wikimedia Commons
6. The Thaipusam Festival – Malaysia and Singapore
Thaipusam is a Hindu festival that is celebrated in many parts of the world, but few places do it quite like Malaysia and Singapore. In these regions, the devotees, who are called "kavadi bearers" pierce themselves with hooks and skewers.
The painful ritual puts them into a trace-like state and is believed to purify their souls.
Peter Gronemann, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
7. Bun Festival – Hong Kong
Every year on the eighth day of the fourth lunar month, the island of Cheung Chau comes alive with one of Hong Kong’s most unique celebrations: the Bun Festival.
At the center of it all is a towering structure stacked high with sweet buns. The main event? A thrilling competition where participants race to climb the tower and grab as many buns as they can—each bun believed to bring good luck and drive away evil spirits. It's festive, it's chaotic, and it's unlike anything you've ever seen.
怪貓 , CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
8. Famadihana – Madagascar
Famadihana, or "the turning of the bones", is an interesting funerary tradition that's mean to honor ancestors. Every five to seven years, people gather to exhume the remains of their loved ones and wrap the bones in new burial cloths.
During the ceremony, people dance with the bones, sing songs, and share stories about the departed.
Smarteeee, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
9. Krampus, The Czech Republic
For most places around the world, Christmas is a time of joy. But the Czech Republic embraces the darker side of the holiday with Krampus.
During Christmas parades, the hideous monster can be seen following behind Santa Claus, ready to punish children who were naughty.
Veronika Matejkova, Shutterstock
10. The Day Of The Dead, Mexico
Far from being a somber occasion, Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is one of Mexico’s most vibrant and heartfelt traditions. Held each year from October 31 to November 2, it’s a beautiful celebration of life, memory, and the enduring bond between the living and the departed.
Families create stunning altars—called ofrendas—adorned with marigolds, candles, photos, sugar skulls, and favorite foods of their loved ones. It’s a colorful, emotional, and unforgettable cultural experience that invites everyone to reflect, remember, and rejoice.
Tom Hilton, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
11. Polterabend, Germany
Before a couple gets married, their relatives all gather together to break things like plates and vases. Once the mess has been made, the couple is left to clean it up.
It's a weird ritual but the meaning is heartfelt: it's meant to show the couple that they can rely on each other even when things get messy.
Dickelbers, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
12. Spitting On The Bride, Greece
In many parts of the world, spitting on someone is considered one of the worst things you could do. In Greece, however, spitting on a newlywed bride is meant to ward off evil spirits.
Nowadays, many guests just making spitting sounds.
13. Soup Of Relatives' Bones, Venezuela
Among the Yanomami people of the Amazon, honoring the ancestors takes a deeply spiritual and symbolic form. In a sacred ritual, the bones of a deceased loved one are carefully crushed, mixed into a special soup, and then shared among family members.
Far from morbid, this tradition is rooted in love and protection. By consuming the remains, the Yanomami believe they help guide the soul safely into the afterlife—and keep it connected to the living. It’s a powerful reminder of how deeply culture shapes the way we grieve and remember.
14. Baby Tossing, India
In the Indian state of Karnataka, babies are thrown from the roof of a temple to prove their parents' religious devotion and bless them with a prosperous life.
Don't worry: the babies don't usually get injured as the people celebrating on the ground below are waiting to catch them with a big blanket.
15. Brushing Your Teeth At Work, Brazil
It might sound strange, but there are practical benefits to this tradition. It's common to see Brazilians brushing their teeth at work after lunch.
Many restaurants even provide mouthwash for customers to use after a meal.
16. Cemetery Hang-Outs, Denmark
In Denmark, cemeteries aren’t just places of mourning, they’re serene, beautifully designed spaces that double as public parks. With peaceful lakes, open meadows, and even bird sanctuaries, many Danish cemeteries have become surprisingly popular spots for both locals and tourists to relax and reflect.
Strolling through these tranquil grounds offers a unique way to connect with Danish culture, where life and its end are honored side by side in thoughtful harmony.
Pedro Cambra, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
17. La Tomatina, Spain
Welcome to the world's biggest food fight. La Tomatina is said to have originated in 1945, when people who were excluded from the city's parade started a brawl using tomatoes from the vegetable stands at the market.
Now, people attend the annual festival from around the world to throw tomatoes at each other.
flydime, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
18. Breaking Coconuts On People's Heads, India
Originating hundreds of years ago in the south of India, this Hindu ritual is believed to bring prosperity. People gather in a temple and the priest smashes a coconut over the head of each person.
This is believed to show the gods that they are wishing for success and good health.
19. Hair-Freezing Contest, Canada
Every February, the Takhini Hot Pools in Yukon, Canada are host to weird, winter celebration. People dip their heads into the warm water from the hot polls and then expose their wet hair to freezing air.
The goal is to shape a cool hairdo before it freezes solid.
Tahkini Spring Pool, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
20. Throwing Cinnamon, Denmark
If you’re single and turning 25 in Denmark, don’t be surprised if you end up dusted head to toe in cinnamon! On Valentine’s Day, it’s tradition for friends and family to soak the birthday celebrant with water and shower them in cinnamon, just for fun.
There’s no profound meaning behind it, just a quirky, lighthearted custom that’s been around for over a century. It’s messy, hilarious, and uniquely Danish—and definitely one for the memory books if you're celebrating abroad!
21. Festival Of Scrambled Eggs Festival, Bosnia
In the city of Zenica, Čimburijada, or "the festival of scrambled eggs", signals the beginning of Spring. People gather in the morning to cook scrambled eggs in gigantic cast-iron pans. The rest of the day is spent celebrating the change of seasons.
ПФ Сметанино, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
22. Battle Of The Oranges, Italy
In the three days before Mardi Gras, the streets of Ivrea turn into a battleground. Dressed for battle and organized into nine squads, the residents throw oranges at each other and try to defeat each other's teams.
It not quite as popular as La Tomatina, but it is the largest food fight in Italy.
Gabriele F., CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
23. Finger Cutting, Indonesia
The women of the Dani tribe have an extreme way of confronting grief.
When a loved one passes away, the woman cuts off the tip of her finger to symbolize the pain of losing that person and to keep their spirit away.
24. Night Of The Radishes, Mexico
Just before Christmas, the city of Oaxaca lights up with one of the most unique holiday traditions you’ll ever see: Noche de los Rábanos, or Night of the Radishes.
Locals carve oversized radishes—sometimes up to three feet long—into incredibly detailed sculptures, from nativity scenes to mythical creatures. The event turns the humble vegetable into a full-blown art competition, complete with prizes, crowds, and plenty of festive cheer.
AlejandroLinaresGarcia, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
25. Witch-Burning Festival, Czech Republic
On April 30th, people in the Czech Republic gather to celebrate Čarodějnice. During this festival, straw dummies called "winter witches" are burned to get rid of winter and send evil witches away until the next year. Afterwards, people celebrate with dancing and roasted sausages.
26. Groundhog Day, USA and Canada
Every February, people in North America wait to see if a groundhog name Punxsutawney Phil will see his shadow.
According to this odd tradition, if the groundhog emerges from hibernation and sees his shadow, there'll be six more weeks of winter. If he doesn't see his shadow, spring is on the way.
Anthony Quintano, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
27. Red Ink, South Korea
Using red ink is a big no-no in South Korea. Historically, red ink was only used when writing the names of the deceased in a family record. Writing the name of a living person in red ink was considered to be a sign of ill will towards them.
Using red ink is still considered rude today, so avoid using it if you're ever in South Korea.
Antonio Suarez Vega, Shutterstock
28. Hogmanay, Scotland
Scotland doesn’t just celebrate New Year’s Eve—it sets it on fire. Literally. Hogmanay, the Scottish New Year, is packed with bold traditions, but the town of Stonehaven takes it to the next level with a fiery spectacle straight out of Viking lore.
Each year, locals swing blazing fireballs over their heads as they march through the streets in a dramatic parade meant to ward off evil spirits and welcome the new year with strength and light.
29. Shoving Faces In Cake, Mexico
La Morida is a peculiar birthday tradition. The person celebrating has their hands tied behind their back and as they go to take the first bit of cake, people shove their face into the dessert and shout "Mordida", meaning "take a bite".
30. Cheese Rolling, England
Every May in the village of Brockworth, people gather to chase a wheel of cheese down a hill. A nine-pound wheel of Gloucester cheese rolling down a steep hill can pose dangers for competitors, but the festival remains incredibly popular.
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