Traditions of different peoples of the world. Amazing traditions of different peoples

In Denmark, a flag hung in a window indicates that someone is celebrating a birthday in that house.

In Thailand, on the Song Kran holiday, it is customary to pour water on passers-by, this is considered to wish good luck. Also in Thailand, where most of The population professes Buddhism, the human head is considered the sacred repository of the soul and touching it is considered a serious insult.

Men from some Eskimo tribes line up to greet a stranger. After which the first of them steps forward and gives the stranger a good slap on the top of the head, and expects a similar response from the stranger. The slapping and hitting continue until either party falls to the ground. Natives South America They greet each other by spitting on each other. And among some African peoples, sticking out the tongue is a sign of greeting.

In Korea, to show that the feast turned out well and that everything is very tasty, you need to slurp as loudly as possible.

For many centuries, among the peoples of Northern Kamchatka it was understood that if a guest enters into sexual contact with the host’s wife, he thereby does him great honor. The mistress of the house made every effort to make the guest want to share her bed. And it was considered special luck for this house if a woman became pregnant from this relationship. The birth of a child was celebrated by the entire village.

Unique funeral custom has existed for two thousand years in the interior of the island of Luzon in the Philippines. The deceased are buried in logs they have hollowed out themselves, and then taken to caves high in the mountains. In some caves there are up to several hundred unique coffins.

You and I eat with a spoon and fork, people. East Asia They often use chopsticks for this, Eskimos use a knife, and the Central Asian dish besh-barmak is called so because they eat it “besh” - with five fingers, “barmak” - with fingers.

To enter a Christian church wearing a headdress is to commit sacrilege. Anyone who enters a synagogue or mosque with his head uncovered also blasphemes.

In some places in the East, women still hide their faces and bodies under ridiculous, shapeless clothes. Many Africans still believe that a short apron is the height of what they can afford to wear to the detriment of ancient customs, prescribing complete nudity.

To relax in the middle of the day, we sit on a chair. A Tajik or Uzbek will prefer to sit on the carpet with his legs crossed in Turkish style. Zulu will think that his European and Central Asian friends simply do not know how to relax and are completely devoid of imagination. There are so many ways to sit! Moreover, they are their own, special, among Zulu men and women. And representatives of one of the North Australian tribes most of all like to relax in a position that is surprisingly uncomfortable, in our opinion. They stand on one leg, resting the foot of the other leg on their knee.

When greeting a European, he extends his hand, a Japanese curtsies, and a Kamba in Kenya spits at the person he meets as a sign of high respect. A man from the Maasai tribe solemnly spits when meeting, then wets his own hand with saliva and only after that allows himself to shake the hand of an acquaintance. Mangbett in northern Congo are greeted in a very European way, by the hand, but at the same time they politely crack the knuckles of their middle fingers.

If you are not tired of the enumeration, you can continue it. Tumbwe in Tanganyika, to say hello, kneel down on one knee, take a handful of earth and sprinkle it crosswise on the chest and arms. On the Zambezi, under similar circumstances, they clap their hands and curtsy, and when meeting a white person, it is considered necessary to also shuffle one’s foot: why not? European XVIII century?

Greeting a friend, a Chinese asks: “Have you eaten?”, an Iranian wishes: “Be cheerful!”, a Zulu says: “I see you”...

It turns out that kissing is by no means as common as even those who know that wild chimpanzees are excellent kissers might assume. So, since ancient times, the Chinese rubbed their noses instead, and the Eskimos did the same. The ancient Egyptians kissed from time immemorial, and among the ancient Greeks, according to Herodotus, this exciting activity took root relatively late.

IN African tribe Maasai people greet each other by jumping. The higher you jump, the more respect you will show.

The natives of the Maori tribe from New Zealand rub their noses against each other when they meet, this is a greeting. By smell they distinguish fellow tribesmen from strangers.

IN Latin America At every meeting and acquaintance, hugs and kisses are accepted.

It is better to greet the Japanese with a bow in the same way as he bows to you. Nowadays, modern Japanese are no longer surprised by the outstretched hand of a foreigner.

One ancient tradition in China is to avoid the number four. Because "four" sounds the same as "die". If you need to get to the fourth floor, you simply won’t find it, even if the house is five floors.

In the East, guests are traditionally treated to tea. The bowl is not poured full, but little by little. A guest who stays too long will be poured a full bowl, which will mean “Drink and leave.”

If you are invited to visit in Greece, do not praise the decoration of the house, because old tradition everything that the guest liked, the hospitable host should give him.

In Spain they have breakfast at 14:00 and lunch at 22:00. At the table they try to avoid topics such as personal life, bullfighting and the period of Franco's reign.

In Malaysia, men are greeted with a bow, and married women It is forbidden to hold hands.

Don't miss the lightning! Subscribe to us on Telegram

Read all the news on the topic "" on OBOZREVATEL.

Sun Dance

As you know, the indigenous people of America performed many rituals in honor of the spirits of the earth. All these rituals are needed in order to contact great spirits; they also often sacrifice themselves in order to maintain direct contact with the Tree of Life. Direct contact with the Tree occurs in this way: a skewer attached to a post pierces the skin on the chest. All participants begin to move forward and backward and try to break free, while at this time their skin is still connected to the pole. This dance can last for several hours.

Cannibalism

In India, in the city of Varanasi, there live Aghori Babas who are known for eating dead people. Many of them think that most of all in life a person is afraid of his death, and that this fear prevents him from becoming spiritually enlightened. Aghori Babas believe that if they eat dead person, then this fear disappears and they begin to become enlightened. According to Hindu laws, 5 types of people cannot be cremated: pregnant women, children, saints, unmarried women and people who died due to snakebite or leprosy. These people are first given to the Ganges River, and then the Aghori take them out from there and begin to consume them.

Vine Jumping

Gkol is a ritual that is performed in the village of Bunlap. This ritual is reminiscent of bungee jumping. At that moment, when the men are preparing to jump, all the other residents sing and dance. The jumpers tie a vine around their ankles and then jump from wooden towers that are made especially for this ritual. Apparently, the men are not worried about what this might mean for them, they simply believe that the higher the jump point, the greater the blessing of the gods.

Self-flagellation

During the holy month of Muharram, every year followers of Shia Islam carry out mass self-flagellation. Thus, they commemorate the death of Hussein, as well as the grandson of Muhammad. During the ritual, men torture their bodies with blades attached to chains. Men do not feel pain as they are all in a trance state.

Sky Burials

There is a sacred ritual called sky burial in Tibet. Buddhists believe that there is no need to preserve the body after death, since there is a circle of rebirth. Bodies of the dead people are transferred to aerial predators. In order for the body to disappear as quickly as possible, it is cut into pieces and given to the surrounding area for consumption.

Voodoo and Spiritual Domains

West Africa is popular with Voodoo followers. One of the rituals is famous for the fact that a person takes a spirit or a friend’s soul into himself, as if into a vessel. Although the person is conscious, it is believed that the spirit takes complete possession of the body, and at the end of the ritual the spirit remains in the person for another 3 days.

Dancing with the Dead

Madagascar hosts the "Twist the Dice" festival. Residents believe that in order for the spirit to reach the afterlife faster, the body must decompose as quickly as possible. Therefore, once every 2 years for 7 years they dig up their loved ones, dance with them around the grave and then they need to be reburied in another place.

Fire Walks

In Malaysia it is believed that in order to repel evil influences from oneself or to strengthen male strength and get rid of bad thoughts, you need to undergo a cleansing ritual and walk barefoot on burning coals. Hundreds of people believe in this and therefore take part in this festival.

Death rites

Impaling

A very dangerous ritual is performed annually in Phuket, Thailand. Participants pierce their cheeks with swords, spears, knives or even weapons. All this is carried out because the residents believe that the gods put them into a trance during this action, and this helps protect themselves from evil and brings good luck in the future.

Scarification

The spiritual connection between the tribe is very important in Paula ( New Guinea), so they have unusual ritual. One of the ceremonies is held in the “House of the Spirit”. The ritual consists of teenagers living alone in the House of the Spirit for two months. At the end of the isolation, everyone prepares for initiation, after which their transition to maturity is recognized. During the ritual, punctures are made using bamboo shards. All these serrations are very similar to crocodile skin. Tribal people believe that humans are descended from crocodiles. According to legend, the crocodile swallowed the boy and left an adult man in his place, and because of this, all the marks on the body resemble marks from the teeth of a crocodile.

In Denmark, a flag hung in a window indicates that someone is celebrating a birthday in that house.

In Thailand, on the Song Kran holiday, it is customary to pour water on passers-by, this is considered to wish good luck. Also in Thailand, where most of the population professes Buddhism, the human head is considered the sacred repository of the soul and touching it is considered a serious offense.

Men from some Eskimo tribes line up to greet a stranger. After which the first of them steps forward and gives the stranger a good slap on the top of the head, and expects a similar response from the stranger. The slapping and hitting continue until either party falls to the ground. The natives of South America greet each other by spitting on each other. And among some African peoples, sticking out the tongue is a sign of greeting.

In Korea, to show that the feast turned out well and that everything is very tasty, you need to slurp as loudly as possible.

For many centuries, among the peoples of Northern Kamchatka it was understood that if a guest enters into sexual contact with the host’s wife, he thereby does him great honor. The mistress of the house made every effort to make the guest want to share her bed. And it was considered special luck for this house if a woman became pregnant from this relationship. The birth of a child was celebrated by the entire village.

A unique burial custom has existed for two thousand years in the interior of the island of Luzon in the Philippines. The deceased are buried in logs they have hollowed out themselves, and then taken to caves high in the mountains. In some caves there are up to several hundred unique coffins.

You and I eat with a spoon and fork, the peoples of East Asia often use chopsticks for this, the Eskimos use a knife, and the Central Asian dish besh-barmak is called so because they eat it “besh” - with five fingers, “barmak” - with fingers.

To enter a Christian church wearing a headdress is to commit sacrilege. Anyone who enters a synagogue or mosque with his head uncovered also blasphemes.

In some places in the East, women still hide their faces and bodies under ridiculous, shapeless clothes. Many Africans still believe that a short apron is the height of what they can afford to wear, to the detriment of ancient customs that require complete nudity.

To relax in the middle of the day, we sit on a chair. A Tajik or Uzbek will prefer to sit on the carpet with his legs crossed in Turkish style. Zulu will think that his European and Central Asian friends simply do not know how to relax and are completely devoid of imagination. There are so many ways to sit! Moreover, they are their own, special, among Zulu men and women. And representatives of one of the North Australian tribes most of all like to relax in a position that is surprisingly uncomfortable, in our opinion. They stand on one leg, resting the foot of the other leg on their knee.

When greeting a European, he extends his hand, a Japanese curtsies, and a Kamba in Kenya spits at the person he meets as a sign of high respect. A man from the Maasai tribe solemnly spits when meeting, then wets his own hand with saliva and only after that allows himself to shake the hand of an acquaintance. Mangbett in northern Congo are greeted in a very European way, by the hand, but at the same time they politely crack the knuckles of their middle fingers.

If you are not tired of the enumeration, you can continue it. In Tanganyika, to say hello, they kneel on one knee, take a handful of earth and sprinkle it crosswise on their chest and arms. On the Zambezi, under similar circumstances, they clap their hands and curtsy, and when meeting a white person, it is considered necessary to also shuffle their feet: what is not the European 18th century?

Greeting a friend, a Chinese asks: “Have you eaten?”, an Iranian wishes: “Be cheerful!”, a Zulu says: “I see you”...

It turns out that kissing is by no means as common as even those who know that wild chimpanzees are excellent kissers might assume. So, since ancient times, the Chinese rubbed their noses instead, and the Eskimos did the same. The ancient Egyptians kissed from time immemorial, and the ancient Greeks, according to Herodotus, adopted this fascinating activity relatively late.

In the African Maasai tribe, people greet each other by jumping. The higher you jump, the more respect you will show.

The natives of the Maori tribe from New Zealand rub their noses against each other when they meet, this is a greeting. By smell they distinguish fellow tribesmen from strangers.

In Latin America, hugs and kisses are customary at every meeting and acquaintance.

It is better to greet the Japanese with a bow in the same way as he bows to you. Nowadays, modern Japanese are no longer surprised by the outstretched hand of a foreigner.

In China, there is one ancient tradition - to avoid the number four. Because "four" sounds the same as "die". If you need to get to the fourth floor, you simply won’t find it, even if the house is five floors.

In the East, guests are traditionally treated to tea. The bowl is not poured full, but little by little. A guest who stays too long will be poured a full bowl, which will mean “Drink and leave.”

If you are invited to visit in Greece, do not praise the decoration of the house, because according to the old tradition, everything that the guest liked should be given to him by the hospitable host.

In Spain they have breakfast at 14:00 and lunch at 22:00. At the table they try to avoid topics such as personal life, bullfighting and the period of Franco's reign.

In Malaysia, men are greeted with a bow, and married women are prohibited from holding hands.

Every culture in the world has traditions that seem strange, unusual and even unacceptable to representatives of other cultures. For your consideration, a list of the most bizarre traditions observed in different countries peace.

Teeth filing, Bali, Indonesia

This Hindu religious ceremony is an important process during the transition from puberty to adulthood. The ritual for both men and women must be performed before marriage, and is sometimes included in the marriage ceremony. The tradition is to file down the fangs. It is believed that by this a person is freed from all invisible evil forces, because teeth are a symbol of lust, greed, anger, confusion and jealousy.

Wedding procession of the Tidong tribe, Indonesia

The wedding procession of the Tidong people is unique. Perhaps the most charming thing is that the groom is not allowed to see the bride's face until he sings her a few love songs. But the strangest thing is that the bride and groom are not allowed to bathe for three days and nights after the wedding. Tidongs believe that in this way good luck will come to the young family, and they will not face quarrels, infidelity and the death of newborn children. You won’t be able to lie and run to wash yourself: the couple is watched by several people, who, moreover, only allow certain amounts of food and drinks.

Finger cutting, Dani tribes, Western New Guinea

The Dani (or Ndani) people are an indigenous tribe inhabiting the fertile lands of the Baliem Valley in the western part of the island of New Guinea. Members of this tribe, in order to emphasize the depth of grief at funeral ceremonies, smear their faces with ashes and clay. But that's nothing. The second tradition is more terrible: when a person from the tribe dies, his relative cuts off his finger and buries the phalanx along with the corpse of his husband or wife, as a symbol of love. The finger represents the body and soul, which will always live together with his/her spouse or relative. Some cut off their fingers until they are unable to perform household chores effectively.

Mourning Muharram, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq and several other countries

This tradition plays important role among the Shiites and it is held in the first month of the Muslim calendar, one of the four forbidden months. The event marks the anniversary of the Battle of Karbala, Iraq, when Imam Hussein ibn Ali, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, and the Shia Imam, the prophet's successor, were killed by Yazid I. The event reaches its climax on the morning of the tenth day - Ashura. Groups of Shia Muslims beat themselves with special chains with razors and knives attached. This tradition is practiced among all age groups; in some regions, parents force their children to take part in the blood ceremony.

Gloves with ants, Mawe people, Brazil

This is a very painful ritual, which is practiced by the Mawe tribe living in the Amazon basin, but without it the young man will not be considered an adult. When a boy reaches a certain age, he goes out into the jungle with the local medicine man and other boys his age to find and collect the so-called bullet ants, which have a very strong sting and poison. This name is no coincidence: the bite of this ant can be compared in degree of pain to a bullet wound! The ants are placed in a large wicker mitten, and the boy must put it on and hold his hand there for about ten minutes. To distract themselves from the pain, the young men begin to dance a ritual dance. However, in order to prove that the sufferer - a real man, he is ready to endure this pain 20 times longer.

Funeral rites of the Yanomamo people, Brazil and Venezuela

Ritual ceremonies are very important for this tribe. When a tribe member dies, his body is burned and the ashes are mixed into plantain soup, which is eaten by the deceased's family. It is believed that by eating the ashes dear person, relatives help the spirit move to a new body. The body of the deceased must be completely burned, because among the Yanomamo representatives the process of decay seems terrifying. Moreover, the body must be burned as soon as possible, otherwise the soul may fly out of the body and haunt the living.

Famadihana ritual, Madagascar

The traditional festival is celebrated in urban and rural areas of the country and is especially popular among tribal communities. This funeral tradition, known as "bone turning", involves people bringing the bodies of their ancestors from family crypts, wrap them in fresh cloth and then dance with the corpses around the tomb under live music. The ritual is usually held once every seven years, and the whole family gathers for it. For Madagascans, this is an occasion to pay tribute to the dead. During the ceremony, the relatives of the deceased dress very smartly, sing traditional songs and dance.

Baby Jumping, Spain

In a small community in northern Spain, residents participate in the El Colacho ceremony, which literally translates to "the devil's leap." Babies are placed on mattresses on the ground, and people dressed in devil costumes run and jump over the babies, thus protecting them from any future harm. This tradition is at least 4 centuries old.

Today on the territory of Russia you can meet representatives of 190 ethnic groups - these are Russians, Chuvashs, Udmurts, Yakuts, Tatars and many others. In total, according to various sources, there are from 2000 to 4000 peoples and nationalities living in the world. They all have their own cultural traditions, however, some have particularly amazing customs!

Madagascar

The inhabitants of Madagascar continue to follow several unusual traditions. This state is spread over a number of islands in the Indian Ocean, but received its name in honor of the largest landmass that formed about 88,000,000 years ago. Then the future island “broke away” from India and set off to drift into open waters. Today Madagascar is located closer to Africa. It is separated from the mainland by about 400 km, and every year this distance only increases by 2 cm.

Gradually the island began to be populated by representatives different nations, - along with the aborigines, Arabs and French appeared here. Pagan views mixed with Islam and Christianity.

Shamanism and Fado

Shamans continue to live on the island. Although they public importance over time, it began to weaken, even today these people monitor the observance of the unwritten laws and prohibitions of their ancestors - fado.

Tourists need to be especially careful, because the indigenous people always remember fado, and therefore do not go where they are not supposed to go, and do not talk about what they should not talk about.

Important fact! For non-compliance local traditions Malagasy can seriously punish representatives of other nations, for example, by beating them.

Most revered animal

In Madagascar, they are especially prized... Cows! People breed them not at all in order to always have milk or meat, but because these particular horned animals are a sign of the owner’s wealth, well-being, prestige and respect in society. In addition, it is cows that participate in most island rituals.

If a person passes into another world, the Malagasy people always “decorate” his grave with skulls or, at a minimum, the horns of artiodactyls. The more revered the deceased was during his lifetime, the more magnificently his grave will be decorated. Here you can see any parts of the cows' bodies. Sometimes for such purposes, shamans slaughter up to 100 animals at a time!

Funeral rituals

Funerals occupy almost every part of the life of this island country. central place. It is no coincidence that Madagascar is also called the “island of spirits”. It is believed here that earthly path person is too fleeting to pay attention to, so real value for the Malagasy there is only death. Funerals are always festive, fun, noisy, with dancing and rich tables. The festivities can take several days and nights. Everyone is happy for the deceased, because, according to the islanders, he does not die, but transforms into a spirit, which the others will regularly appease with gifts and offerings!

According to one custom, the dead are buried in luxurious graves, and according to another, even more ancient tradition, they are placed on small boats and sent out into the open ocean. No resident has the right to ignore funeral rituals or encroach on the inviolability of cemeteries - all this is regarded as disrespect for the dead and is considered fad.

Feasts with corpses

The strangest custom of the people of Madagascar, which appeared in the 17th century, is called “Famadihana” (from Malaga “turning over bones”).

Sufficient time must pass before the deceased completely transitions into a state of spirit. However, so that the deceased does not get bored during this period, he is regularly “shaken”, and quite in an unusual way. The dead are dug out of the grave or taken out of the crypt, washed, dressed in clean clothes, and then transferred to the place of a rich feast with a large number of guests. Everyone is obliged to approach the corpse, greet it and ask to share the meal and fun. If Famadikhana is held in honor of an important person and is of a grandiose scale, then the deceased is even carried around the village and shown to him the places where he loved to visit during his lifetime.

At dusk, the corpse is taken to the cemetery. First you need to walk around the grave 3 times, and only then bury the remains back into the ground. This way the Malagasy can be sure that the dead will calm down and not bother anyone. Famadihana is held no earlier than a year after the burial, and is also repeated every 7 years. During it you are not allowed to cry or be sad.

For Malagasy, Famadihana is something like a family celebration, when all relatives get together and relax together. However, the government is extremely skeptical about such events, because they provoke the spread of diseases and infections.

India

Amazing customs are also found in India, the second largest country in the world after China. Several hundred different peoples live here, unusual traditions– Rajasthanis, Sinhalese, Sindhis, Tamils ​​and others.

Replacement for husbands and wives

The peoples of India follow an amazing practice in which people are officially allowed to choose their life partners... Trees! This happens in exceptional cases - for example, when an astrologer predicts misfortune in a first marriage or announces the presence of a curse.

If a girl was born in an unfavorable astrological period, which is called Kuja Dosha, she can bring trouble to her chosen one. Such women are called “Mangalikas”. Concluding alliances with them is fraught not only with failure, but even with death. To prevent this from happening, prudent Indians came up with the tradition of weddings with trees.

After marriage, the tree is cut down and the woman is declared a widow. The curse is considered formally accomplished, because the tree seems to take away everything negative with it. After this, any man will be able to marry a woman without fear or fear. Sometimes a tree becomes a “husband” in order to transfer part of its fertility to the “wife”.

Men are allowed to do the same, but in their case the reasons will be different. Thus, according to Indian rules, the eldest son must find a wife first. However, sometimes average or younger sons express a desire to get married earlier, so so that they don’t just wait, the family marries the first-born on a tree.

A similar ritual is performed if a man has already had 2 unions that ended in the death of his wives (divorces in India are extremely rare). The ban on marrying 3 times does not hinder Indian men at all - they enter into alliances with trees, and then continue to calmly marry real women.

Cows and urine therapy

In India, the cow is considered a sacred animal. This artiodactyl has taken such an important place in the life of Indians because it personifies the ancestor of Surabhi. In addition, it is the cow that helps the deceased cross the river of time and find peace, and is also used for transportation by Shiva himself, one of the supreme Hindu deities.

However, the matter is not limited to reverent worship alone. Some followers of Hinduism follow a rather funny, from the point of view of Europeans, tradition - they regularly consume cow urine internally, because They believe that this way it will be possible not only to get rid of existing diseases, but also to prevent possible illnesses. It's about about oncology, tuberculosis, diabetes, stomach problems.

Priest Ramesh Gupta refers to ancient Indian texts that list the beneficial effects of such treatment. Despite the fact that not all Indians share his views, many still continue to come to the city of Agra, where there is a special shelter for cows. Adherents of the strange practice are confident that soon different nations from all over the world will learn about the benefits of cow urine therapy, and soft drinks made from a non-standard ingredient will replace Coca-Cola and Pepsi on store shelves.

Sati

However, not all customs in India are voluntary. One of the most terrible forced traditions in the whole world is Sati. The essence of this ritual funeral practice is as follows: after the death of her husband, the widow should be burned with him on the funeral pyre. Despite the fact that today Sati is considered a prohibited event, various Indian ethnic groups inhabiting rural areas sometimes continue to implement it. In total, about 40 such cases have been recorded since 1947.

The custom was named after the Hindu goddess who sacrificed herself for the sake of her lover, the god Shiva. Translated from Sanskrit, Sati means “truthful, honest, real, existing.” The roots of this terrible practice go back to the 10th century, when ritual self-immolation of widows became a mass phenomenon.

Women left without spouses knew about their fate, and therefore meekly accepted it. On one side, a fire awaited the widow, and on the other, a brand unfaithful wife, shame, humiliation and even violence. Despite this, Sati was often viewed as a voluntary and even purely personal matter, which it never was in reality. A woman whose future was considered unpromising was not only subjected to social pressure, but also physical coercion. Numerous drawings and writings indicate that widows were often tied up, because in this way they were unable to get out of the flames.

Wedding in Scotland

The Scots are famous all over the world for their wedding ceremonies and traditions. Firstly, they always choose only weekdays. Here it is believed that weekends are created exclusively for relaxation - both from work and from celebrations.

Secondly, the groom gives his bride a special gift - a small brooch, which is a symbol of future happiness, love and prosperity, and also becomes a special family amulet. After a couple has children, the wife pins a brooch on the clothes of one of them to ward off anxiety, sadness and misfortune. With the passing of generations, this heirloom passes from adults to young people.

Thirdly, the people of Scotland sometimes betray unusual entertainment, which appeared in the country during the Middle Ages. So, during the celebration, everyone who is not too lazy begins to smear the bride in mud! A snow-white dress, a veil, shoes - all this becomes gray due to flour, honey, earth, soot, sauces, noodles, sour milk and butter... In such a dirty state, the bride needs to walk through main street, show off in the central square, go to all the pubs and, in general, appear to almost the entire city.

If today this is done out of laughter and as a tribute to ancient traditions, then once upon a time such a ritual had a very specific purpose. Medieval people believed that the more they smear the bride in mud, the fewer quarrels and squabbles there would be in life together spouses. In addition, it was believed that this was how the girl said goodbye to past sins and started a new one, important stage with a pure soul.

Japanese Fertility Festival

Amazing traditions are also followed in Japan - for example, the Shinto festival Honen Matsuri is held here every year. It is celebrated on March 15, but not by all the people, but only by representatives of individual prefectures. The event is especially popular in the city of Komaki (Aichi Prefecture).

The spring festival is dedicated to the goddess Tamahime no Mikot. However, the central place here is occupied by a specially created wooden phallus, which reaches 2.5 m in length and 250 kg in weight! This design, carved from cypress wood and renewed every year, represents the consort of Tamahime no Mikoto, the warrior Take-ina-dane.

The Japanese believe that the parade, during which a wooden object is carried from one temple to another, can bestow upon them abundant fertility and healthy offspring. Honen Matsuri is one of the manifestations of the so-called. phallic cult, which was found in the beliefs of many different peoples of the world - the ancient Assyrians, Babylonians, Cretans, Africans, Indians, Australians, etc.

Amazing traditions different nations