Strange Family Traditions from Around the World
by Blog Contributor | December 8, 2023 | Family, Literature, Tradition | 0 Comments
Photo by Any Lane
Some strange family traditions exist around the world, keeping the uniqueness of a family alive.
The Streamlined Locomotive by Stephen Lloyd Auslender follows the story of Theo Bezelbottom. Theo is an indolent scion of a wealthy family expected to complete different tasks his uncles gave him.
One unique attribute of the story is the tradition that runs in the Bezelbottom family. A family member has to change his name to Aloysius if he is trained under a member named Aloysius. The members under Aloysius are artists and dreamers, but are also never-do-well. However, if a person in training is under Throckmorton, the family member will change his name to Throckmorton once it’s time to take his place. Throckmorton is assigned to the intelligent, ambitious, and ruthless character of the clan.
Families around the world also share their own strange family traditions that might not be known to other parts of the globe. Here is a list of strange family traditions from around the world that you might not know:
A Festival of Throwing Tomatoes (Spain)
This strange tradition started in the 1940s in the small town of Buñol, Spain. Known as La Tomatina, the festival features throwing massive tomatoes at people and family members, causing a chaotic tomato fight and fun in the streets. The festival is known to make the streets red with the overripe tomatoes thrown at people. La Tomatina is one of the most popular events in the area.
Jumping Over Babies (Spain)
Another strange tradition from Spain is El Colacho, an event where men dress in the guise of the devil and jump over babies. This unusual tradition is annually celebrated in the small village of Murcia, Spain. In this event, people lay out their babies on mattresses on the street. Men in the devil’s guise will run and jump over them. People believe that this ritual will help cleanse the babies of the original sin and safeguard them from the activities of evil spirits.
Chasing a Wheel of Cheese (England)
In Gloucestershire, England, families and visitors from around the world attend the Cooper’s Hill Cheese-Rolling event, where they chase a wheel of cheese rolling down a hill. The first person to ever reach the bottom of the hill wins the competition. Families enjoy this tradition despite reported injuries. To this day, the tradition still attracts hundreds of people.
Mourning by Cutting a Finger (Indonesia)
Indonesia has its own strange tradition of mourning a dead relative, and it is painful. Papua, Indonesia’s Dani tribe will cut a finger to signify mourning. If a family loses a member, it is tradition that the female members will cut a portion of their fingers. They believe that cutting a portion of the finger will appease the spirit of the deceased.
A Messy Bride (Scotland)
Some parts of Scotland have a tradition called Blackening the Bride, where family members will cover the bride-to-be with different substances. These substances include a mixture of eggs, flour, molasses, and other things that will mess up the bride. This pre-wedding tradition will feature the bride on a parade with her friends and family as they make loud noises in the streets. The ritual signifies the preparation of the bride for the changes and challenges she will encounter in her married life.
A Trial by Bullet Ants (Brazil)
The Brazilian Amazon is home to the Satere-Mawe tribe. This tribe has its strange coming-of-age ritual where young men must endure the pain of bullet ant stings. At the right age, young men will wear a pair of special gloves filled with bullet ants. Bullet ants have one of the most painful stings among insects. This tribal tradition tests a boy for his strengths as he transitions into manhood.
Leaving a Family Member’s Body on a Mountaintop (Tibet)
Sky Burials in Tibet remain a tradition. This practice will have the family leave the body of the deceased on top of a mountain. The remains will be exposed to the different elements and scavengers. People believed that leaving the body on the mountaintop was returning the body to nature as it is a mere container for the soul. This tradition continues the circle of life.
Dancing with the Dead Ancestors (Madagascar)
One of the most popular and strangest family traditions belongs to Madagascar. The Malagasy people will exhume the remains of their dead relatives. They will then wrap the remains with fresh shrouds and parade them to the streets. The surviving family members will dance with the remains of their ancestors with lively music. This celebration signifies the connection of the living to the departed, honoring their memory among the surviving members.
There are more strange family traditions that inspire The Streamlined Locomotive by Stephen Lloyd Auslender. You may buy a copy of the book on this website to know more about Theo’s lighthearted quest to develop a streamlined steam engine.
