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63 Traditions That Might Make No Sense But Are Still A Thing In These People’s Countries
Every country has something peculiar that makes it different from the others. Take traditions, for example; some countries have customs and celebrations that might seem completely wild to some but are totally natural to others.
Spain, for example, has the festival of La Tomatina, where people just basically throw a bunch of tomatoes at each other. The Māori people of New Zealand have a traditional dance called Haka that they use to welcome, honor, or intimidate.
But some traditions can be so outrageous and silly that even the locals think they're a little bit too much. When the user u/SnooPoems7525 asked people online to share the "stupid traditions" in their countries, folks from all over the globe had something to say. Some picked pretty bad ones; others focused on those that are just harmlessly fun yet still pretty ridiculous.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Australia
We have the Henley on Todd Regatta up in Alice Springs. It’s a boat race on a dry river bed.
sdorph 21 hours ago
In 1993 the regatta had to be cancelled because there was water in the river
Andrew Keir 8 hours ago
I think this is referenced in a Terry Pratchett book, but I can't track it down.
RELATED:
#2
England
Cooper's Hill cheese roll which simply involves chasing a cheese wheel down a hill. Has been practiced for centuries and no one knows why. People get injured over chasing a wheel of cheese. Tbh I think most traditional things are a bit dumb/cringe.
Andrew Keir 8 hours ago
If in 'most traditional things' you include "Morris Dancing" , then, yes, they are
Apatheist 13 hours ago
Be honest, ladies, you didn't even notice him holding the cheese, did you? ;)
Allen Packard 4 hours ago
There's a documentary about this. "We are the champions" on Netflix. Wild y'all.
#3
Finland
Wife-carrying competitions. It's an obstacle race, and the winner gets their wife's weight of beer. Doesn't have to be a wife though, a girlfriend, a cute neighbor etc. are fine.
LillieMean 15 hours ago
One of the obstacles on the course is a water obstacle. And the most effective way to carry the "wife" is precisely the upside-down position shown in the pictures. So the wife had to hold her breath underwater.
Michael Largey 2 hours ago
Mmm, the less she weighs, the easier it is to win. But - here's the catch - the less she weighs, the less beer you win. Where's the sweet spot?
#4
Spain
So hear me out. Shortly before Christmas you go to "the forest" (aka nearby store) and get a Tió, which is a log with a painted face and a traditional catalan hat. You put your Tió in a warm corner in your living room, cover it with a blanket so it doesn't get cold, and periodically feed it orange or tangerine peels. On Christmas eve, children gather around it with sticks and start beating the [hell[ out of the poor thing while singing the traditional song. Which basically says: "either you [drop] out gifts, nougat and almonds, or we'll beat you up until you do". After the song the blanket is removed to reveal all the gifts the Tió has [dropped]. Fun times xD.
Dave Nalesnik 12 hours ago
🎶What rolls down stairs, alone or in pairs, rolls over your neighbor's dog🎶
#5
Canada
We have bathtub races. It’s a race from Nanaimo to Vancouver in a bathtub (with a motor attached). The race began in 1967 as a unique way to celebrate Canada's 100th birthday and has grown into a major event.
#6
USA
Not well known in the US but it’s a big country so I’ll nominate my state’s dumb tradition. In the Upper Peninsula of Michigan there is an annual outhouse race. Stupid? Probably. Awesome? Definitely. Great place to get drunk? You betcha.
FreeTheUnicorn 13 hours ago
Anchorage has this as part of Fur Rondy, but you need someone on the throne for it to count
UnclePanda 9 hours ago
"... cough sob ... I don't really know, I just stepped out to use the loo and... hack spit..."
Michael Largey 2 hours ago
As many times as I've had to run for the toilet, it seems only fair for the toilet to have its turn.
#7
France
The race on an inclined mast :
It consist to running up a soap-coated pole tilted over the water (like a bowsprit), to try and grab laurel branches and a flag hanging from the end.
#8
Autralia
The tuna hammerthrow at Tunarama in Pt Lincoln, South Australia. They throw rubber fish now but up until 5ish years ago the tuna were real.
Huddo's sister 16 hours ago
That's one I haven't heard of. It must happen at a time of year with a lot of other news, because usually they will play a segment at the end of tv news programs whenever these annual events occur.
#9
Spain
La tomatina de Buñol.
They get the rejected tomatoes and start a tomato battle. Simple and stupid as that.
...now, La tomatina is one stage in Tekken XD.
UnclePanda 9 hours ago
I would 't travel there for it but if I was in the neighborhood, I'm bringing my tomato bombardier skills from my youth AND I'm getting the official t-shirt.
#10
France
Nautical jousting in the South of France. It's completely stupid but it looks super fun. A bit like béhourd (combat with medieval weapons and armor).
Andrew Keir 8 hours ago
Fsr the French don't celebrate Trafalgar day - and the English don't celebrate Castillon ...
Load More Replies... #11
Switzerland
Queen fights. Every year there'll be a series of fights between queens (cows) with the winner being crowded the Queen of queens.
You get two dominant herd leaders and put them in a ring. They lock horns and start shoving to establish dominance. The one that backs down or gets pushed a certain distance loses.
The cows become famous. I.e you can buy calendars of famous cows etc.
Ben Stubbs 11 hours ago
Nope. Pitting animals against each other under the guise of entertainment is disgusting. Watch a nature documentary if that fills your boots
ILoveMySon 3 hours ago
I immediately thought of dog fights which are illegal in the US.
Load More Replies... Michael Largey 2 hours ago
To me, "queen fights" suggests backstage disputes on Rue Paul's show.
Andrew Keir 8 hours ago
"You can buy calendars of famous cows." Sigh ... But, in fairness, you also can choose *not* to ...
UnclePanda 9 hours ago
A herd of goats can sprout a queen who really does lord it over the other goats. I've had two who intentionally blocked the others out of the shed during the rain, gloating, oh so clearly gloating.
#12
Turkey
Family of the deceased is expected serve every guest (usually about 30-50 people) a dinner after the funeral.
It doesn't sound bad but I remember during my grandmother's funeral this year how my dad, aunt and uncle basically had no choice but to instantly start arrangements when they were crying just 10 minutes ago because relatives of outer circle expected dinner, they should have been comforted and instead they were kept busy.
Gingersnap In Iowa 20 hours ago
Honest question: is the keeping the family busy serving dinner suppose to distract them from their grief?
Pernille 16 hours ago
I think being kept busy is a good way to deal with grief. Last summer when my mum died we cleaned my parents house from top to bottom in the days after her death, it kept us from just sitting around crying.
Load More Replies... Goliakova 20 hours ago
It’s similar in the US, but usually the deceased’s family pays for dinner at a restaurant in honor of the departed.
Chaos Pandas Unite 13 hours ago
Man that isn’t familiar to me, probably because the US varies a lot. I’ve heard and seen a totally different set up where the mourners are brought a lot of food so they don’t have to worry about making meals for a while, and get to feel cared for by their community.
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Gabriele English 7 hours ago
Serbia furneral , unbelievable, paid crying and wailing old women suddenly appeared on the furneral of someone still the most important person to me. That was so sick it made me barf and shake. F.u.c.k. those countries who need a show. It's apparently common
OneHappyPuppy 4 hours ago
Narikače (pronounced na-ree-kah-cheh) Women that show up to a funeral to cry/wail/sob. Some have made it a business. It's baffling
Load More Replies... UnclePanda 9 hours ago
In my experience, all family funerals served the same cheapest-available boiled ham. I came to think think of them as funeral sandwiches. Later, I began to wonder if we had a secret warehouse of the stuff somewhere.
ILoveMySon 2 hours ago
Years ago "funeral potatoes" tended to be monstrosities but I have tweaked the recipe with fresh ingredients and make them as a side dish regularly.
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BlackCatWithWhiteSocks 14 hours ago
This is a tradition in other countries as well. It is honouring the deceased and also helps the idea that life continues
#13
USA
More silly than stupid, the Pumpkin Chuck Festival. Hobbyists and engineers create these extremely powerful machines including trebuchets and pneumatic canons to see which team can chuck (throw) a standardized pumpkin the farthest. The current record is held by Big-10 that chucked a pumpkin 5,545.43 feet (1,690.25 m) or a little over a mile.
Unicorn 15 hours ago
Quoting distances like that to the nearest hundredth of a foot is stupid rather than just silly.
nicholas nolan 10 hours ago
Not for this sort of competition, it isn't. They've come down to hundredths before.
Load More Replies... #14
Russia
I don’t think traditions are dumb/cringe. They had the meaning at some point. Now we can make them “dumb” or “cringe” when we don’t have the meaning behind it anymore, so it’s just incomprehensible to nowadays society.
In Russia we have a funny experience celebrating Easter - we have chicken eggs boiled and painted with different patterns. In the morning we have something like egg fights, where each person chooses an egg (some look at the painting or colour, some choose with their teeth - like to slightly knock them against the tip of the egg to guess if it’s hard and strong enough).
After choosing the egg you pick who is going to hit and who is going to take a hit (it usually doesn’t matter). Whose egg is not cracked wins.
In some parts of Russia winners have a right to take the opponent’s egg and eat it. In other parts of our country the loser eats the cracked egg and the winner continues his contest with other people.
I think it’s quite fun, also a great thing to boost family bonding. Even if you’re not religious you usually do it just for fan and as a small tradition.
Kristiina Männiste 18 hours ago
Estonia has that too. Clever people use painted wooden eggs to participate in those contests to always win. In some parts of Estonia people make racetracks for rolling the eggs on Easter. The one whose egg arrives at the bottom of the track first is the winner.
#15
Denmark
Tying your friends to a street lamp on their 25th birthday and showering them with boatloads of cinnamon powder.
*If they are not married by 25. If you get married before 25, you don't get "kanel".
Sometimes your friends pour water on you before the cinnamon, to really make it stick or they just give some cinnamon rolls and sticks.
OneHappyPuppy 4 hours ago
Not only is this bad if you inhale cinnamon, but cinnamon (as well as powdered sugar and other powdered particles, flour for example) are combustible in certain conditions
Andrew Keir 8 hours ago
If that's what they do to their 'friends', what happens to their enemies? Sent to Greenland ?
#16
New Zealand
Gumboot throwing competition. Most famously held in a place with a giant gumboot.
#17
Canada
In my province, there’s a Christmas tradition called “mummering”.
People get dressed up in ridiculous, thrown-together outfits that hide their identity. Think; multi-layered and oversized clothing, huge undergarments worn on the outside, big clunky boots and mittens, and scarfs/glasses/masks/ even lampshades to disguise their faces.
Like carollers, the mummers will go door to door around the neighbourhood looking to be invited in for a drink or a dance or just to cause some good old fashioned foolishness. (The mummers are usually known to the people the visit but keeping their identity hidden during the charade is the goal)
There are songs about it, Christmas ornaments, even mummer-themed entertainment nights are put off at local venues.
If you ever get visited by mummers on Christmas you can bet there’ll be no shortage of laughs and gossip after they’ve left trying to figure out who each one was
UnclePanda 9 hours ago
I'm not picking at you, I've just been wanting to type this for a long time. Specifying one group does not automatically constitute a slam to all others. If I say I need a screwdriver, I'm not also saying, "and 'ck all the hammers!" Notice to the Internet - you have been warned! 🙄
Load More Replies... Debby Keir 11 hours ago
* Mummers in the UK are performers in traditional folk dramas, often seen around Christmas or Easter, who wear disguises (or "masks") and perform short, ritualistic plays, typically featuring a hero-combat, death, and revival, symbolizing winter's end and spring's return, with famous characters like St. George battling villains, followed by a doctor's resurrection and requests for money, food, or drink. These groups, also called "guisers" or "rhymers," visit homes and pubs, with their plays evolving from ancient masked processions, focusing on themes of good vs. evil and fertility *
Michael Largey 2 hours ago
In Philadelphia, we had an annual Mummers Parade. Still do, in fact.
#18
Canada
Polarbear dip.
People will jump into a hole that's been cut into the ice. Don't think many people do it anymore. Was kinda a thing just to say you did it but it was also sometimes done for charity.
UncleJon_TheMadScientist 1 hour ago
We have one on new years day here in Milwaukee at Bradford beach
OneHappyPuppy 4 hours ago
To be fair, just this month was the Epiphany - a day when Christians jump into a body of water to retrieve a cross. Sometimes, like this year, it means jumping into icy waters
Andrew Keir 7 hours ago
In several places in Scotland, as well. I don't know what life insurance companies make of it, though.
Rose the Cook 16 hours ago
There used to be a so called "Polar Bear Club" where members swam every day at Bondi Beach in Sydney during the 1960s.
David Paterson 15 hours ago
Midwinter. People who participate are known as the "Bondi icebergs". Still, a fair bit warmer than actual cold counties.
Load More Replies... Ronja Oksanen 16 hours ago
Many people in Finland does this for fun, afterwards you go to sauna. It's said to be healthy for your heart/circulation. 😊
#19
Mexico
Dressing baby Jesus.
It’s a tradition every February 2nd to dress baby Jesus in different ways.
It’s like having Barbies but with baby Jesus dolls.
The catholic church is not happy and always suggest people a dress code 😄 but people keep doing what ever they want and is not a joke for them, they actually do it with respect even it could look funny.
Of course there are some people who do it as a joke but in general is a tradition with respect from some old school catholic people.
Goliakova 20 hours ago
In America, some people have stone geese statues in front of the house that they dress in little outfits too. It’s a mad world.
UnclePanda 9 hours ago
I gave up on craft shows shortly seeing seasonal outfits for cement yard geese.
Load More Replies... Andrew Keir 8 hours ago
Always interesting to see Europeans - and many in US - painting Jesus as white, for instance
Multa Nocte 5 hours ago
I know - confuses the hell out of me trying to figure out who it is supposed to be.
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Jan Rosier 14 hours ago
February 2nd is candlemass. 40 days after Chistmas, and as a Jewish woman, Maria's day of ritual cleansing. Catholicism has taken that day and marked it as the day she brought the baby to the temple, Simeon sees the kid, and says 'ok, now I can die as I've seen our saviour'
#20
Ecuador
During new year celebrations, men dress in drag and roam the streets asking for money. Originally it was in representation of a widow asking for money to bury her old husband (the year that just passed).
Keep in mind that this is not only acceptable but encouraged on that day. Do it any other day and you'll get very dirty looks.
#21
United Kingdom
Usually mentioned alongside the cheese chasing in weird and unique UK town traditions is the tar barrels from my hometown. Like the running of the bulls in Barcelona, but replace the bull with an ogre of a man running at you with a barrel of fire.
#22
Germany
Where do i start...
Maybe Stocherkahnrennen (Stake boat race)?
The most known one is a competition for Students. It involves heavy drinking, a self built boat and a team of 8. The goal is to be the fastest down a river. One pushes the boat with a stake, while the other seven have to steer and defend against other boats with their bare hands.
An other one would be the labour day traditions:
* local to me, people take "Bollerwagen" (small, hand drawn carts), fill them with crates of beer, put a speaker on top and hike to the top of the next hill with their friends while drinking. As this is open to every age group, fun things happen, like seeing your teachers or someomes grandparents get wasted.
* in big cities people putting expensive looking cars on fire has become a tradition of its own
And dont get me started on alemannic carnival, scared the [hell] out of me as a kid. Getting chased by people in costumes and scary wooden masks, that can grab you and take you with them or even hold you over a fire. Not fun.
Nicole Weymann 11 hours ago
Can confirm the Bollerwagen tours, except where I live we don't have hills, and it's mostly done by young men on father's day (ascension day). The car bonfires are centered around 1st May (Labor Day) as a "highlight" of left wing protests. In contrast to right wingers the lefties like to make their point (whatever it may be) by damaging objects, escalating to fighting with the police when things get rough, while righties like to start out by hurting/kiIIing people and threatening to hurt/kiII more before escalating into doing so. I'm not fond of either.
Roman Arendt 12 hours ago (edited)
The second one reminds me of a "Boßeltour" (a tradition from Northern Germany, especially Frisia) without the Boßeln and the Grünkohl. Sounds kinda lame.
#23
New Zealand
Crate Day is an absolute riot. Stupid to some but for many of us it's one of the highlights we look forward to this day usually the first weekend in December.
It's twelve (750ml) bottles of beer you usually start in the afternoon and keep going until you're done. For some that never happens they can't finish it as it is a lot of beer, for others it's a war and for a select few it's a walk in the park. My group of friends we always finish our crates but it's a long battle.
Have done five crate days these last five years in a row and it doesn't get any easier but our secret weapon is guitars lots of singing and lots of laughing.
V 17 hours ago
That's like 9L of liquid. That's a lot to consume in one day.
Load More Replies... Ben Stubbs 11 hours ago
Blimey! That's about 17 pints! My PB is 19, but I think David Boon holds the record!
Jan Rosier 14 hours ago
just twelve of what I suspect to be some kind of yuck pilsner or lager beer?
#24
Poland
We have a tradition of spraying/shooting/dumping water on someone on the first monday of easter. As you can see volontuary firefighters participate in that as well.
EmbersAreOut 11 hours ago
This is honestly one of my favorite traditions. My whole family is Polish, so I did this, even though i live in the states. I usually managed to rope my friends into participating as well 😭
Cuppa tea? 6 hours ago
In Slovakia this is done only to women. Depending on region, it can be within immediate family or whole village. It's as stupid as it sounds. I'm not participating, though.
#25
Netherlands
On new years day we look for a body of water, traditionally the sea, and we take a new years dip. We run into the sea, on januari 1st, even if there is snow and subzero temperatures.
Roman Arendt 12 hours ago
In Germany we even have a word for that: Das Anbaden (substantive)/anbaden (verbum). It usually takes place in coastal regions on January 1st and is often followed by "Angrillen", the first Barbecue of the year.
#26
Bog snorkelling is a thing in Wales.
Debby Keir 11 hours ago
It's not water - it's mud (and the snorkel to breathe, mask to keep the mud out of your eyes)
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#27
USA
The Giant Pumpkin Regatta. Grow a 1000lb pumpkin, hollow it out, get in and paddle.
#28
Mexico
Fireworks at 5:00 am on every religious holiday. Nothing like being forced awake that early on Christmas Day.
#29
USA
Cardboard boat races. Although I think they may also do these in the UK, and likely Canada.
#30
Germany
I just learned the other day that in some tiny town in East Germany, they weigh a tomcat in a public ceremony on the first sunday of advent.
The amount of weight he has put on since the summer is supposed to predict how severe the winter will be.
#31
Olive oil wrestling in Turkey. Makes no sense but people take it very seriously.
Andrew Keir 4 hours ago
Well, she was definitely easier on the eyes than Popeye ...
Load More Replies... #32
USA
Groundhog Day, where we yank a groundhog out of the ground and if he does not see his shadow we have an early spring, if he does then we have 6 more weeks of winter.
The President pardons a turkey from being eaten every year, which is really funny.
State and county fairs aren’t quite “stupid” but they’re a good time, always.
Tailgating before a football game is objectively a little odd, but they’re also super fun.
The pageantry of college sports I know seems odd to foreigners, but I love it. Mostly because my professional team sucks while my college team is poised to be a consistent contender for the next decade. It also just feels more authentic than any of the professional leagues.
#33
Beating women as a folks fest on the North Sea Isle of Borkum (Germany).
drmanhattanmar:
It’s called „Klaasohm“. Local boys dress up in costumes like these and have a parade around town. It’s not worth going into detail but the point was: Until 2023 it was part of the tradition to chase women around, hold them and beat their bottoms with a cow horn. Which was of course very painful and sometimes traumatic, because most women don’t want to be chased and beaten (there might be some who had fun with this part and were okay with it) but didn’t want to stay at home either. So they were chased and beaten. And of course running did make things worse because you know… it’s part of the "game".
Journalists brought this to light in 2023, after that the locals officially announced to stop with that. If they really did… I don’t know.
Corwin 02 13 hours ago
The do the same on Ameland Sunneklaas is a mysterious, centuries-old, and rugged folk festival on the Dutch Wadden Island of Ameland, celebrated around December 5th as an alternative to Sinterklaas. Masked and costumed men (Klaasohms) take to the streets to parade through villages at night, making lots of noise and following traditions that require women and children to stay indoors.
Andrew Keir 7 hours ago
When masked and costumed men are parading through the streets, anyone with dark skin is also advised to keep a low profile. Especially in ICE-y weather.
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#34
Chile
There is a more recent tradition called "the Strait dip" in which thousands of people go into the waters of the Strait of Magellan during the winter wearing only swimsuits.
This year a little over 7000 people participated and next year is expected to be the same.
#35
USA
My dad went to high school in Preston, Idaho, and they had a tradition where every year they raced beds down main street. We only went once, but it was really weird.
Multa Nocte 5 hours ago
It's Idaho - those people don't know the difference.
Load More Replies... Debby Keir 11 hours ago
Most medical schools in the 50's had a 'bed race' at some time or another - and universities had 'Rag Week' where all sorts of crazy stuff took place.
Huddo's sister 16 hours ago
I have heard of nurses doing this in hospital carparks in Australia, I think as a fundraiser, though not for at least a decade.
Apatheist 13 hours ago
Yes, I've seen it in the UK as a student end-of-year fundraiser.
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#36
USA
I'm not sure that we invented this game, but I've seen people play it.
Zig Zag Wanderer 19 hours ago (edited)
Never wrestle with a pig. You can't win, and the pig probably enjoys it. Shades of global politics today, though....
#38
USA
Climbing greased poles when the Eagles win or lose. Go birds.
ILoveMySon 2 hours ago
Not just for games. This was especially prevalent at County Fairs, et cetera.
#39
USA
Despite the name, something that isn't really cringey but a whole lot of fun is Stickball, this is really only played in Oklahoma from my knowledge and isn't played professionally to the same extent that Football is.
It's a Native American sport, the goal is to hit an item, usually a wood carving of a fish, ontop of a pole that is about as tall as a telephone pole. The game is played boys vs girls, usually. My fellow dudes play with two sticks, both have baskets on them just big enough to hold the ball (little smaller than a tennis ball) One of the sticks is shaped to be better for throwing, they cannot use their hands at all during the game, only sticks. The girls meanwhile get to use their hands to get and throw the ball, yes they are alowed to grab your sticks.
The game gets super competitive when playing it, but everyone has a fun time generally. There are a lot of injuries, especially with the sticks.
285q6dgq6d 13 hours ago
When I lived in Oklahoma, every school year we had Indian Heritage Day (Cherokee tribe). We’d have a hog fry, play stickball, and then tribal members would demonstrate a dance while other members drummed. They also had demonstrations of different crafts such as beading or making dream catchers. I can’t tell you how much I miss Indian fry bread or Indian tacos.
#40
USA
Rolling an old car out on a frozen lake and taking bets on exactly when it will fall through.
nicholas nolan 10 hours ago
I grew up in the frozen wastes of Northern Illinois and Southern wisconsin, and I've never heard of this.
Nicole Weymann 11 hours ago
That would violate any number of laws hereabouts, starting with environmental protection and going from there.
highwaycrossingfrog 1 hour ago (edited)
This is a major plot point in the novel American Gods by Neil Gaiman, which draws from many old folk tales and traditions around the world, some quite esoteric
ILoveMySon 2 hours ago
What? I have lived in various regions of the US and have NEVER heard of, nor would condone, this.
#41
Spain
I think most of you are familiar with the Spanish tradition of people running in front of a bunch of bulls. Many foreigners assist every year, many people end up injured.
But reading about the frog competition, I remembered there is this less famous tradition in some parts of Spain where people compete with male pigeons. They release a female one, then each team releases his male pigeon, often painted with bright colours, and I don't really exactly know who the winner is, as it's just a big floating ball of pigeons in the air and you can't see [anything].
#42
Netherlands
Carbid schieten or carbide shooting. I don’t even know how to explain it, I’ve never been close enough to see it happen, but I’ve heard the explosions. Every year. As if the fireworks weren’t enough.
Jan Rosier 14 hours ago
well, it is as it sounds : take a canister with a lid and a small hole in the bottom. Lump of carbide in there, add lukewarm water, add lid, shake for a bit and let the gass inside develop. Then light the whole in the bottom, gass explodes and a nice flame is shown when lid flies off. Paintcan gives you a flame of about 5 - 10 meters, so point away from people. Using a milk jug can launch the lid much further... i've seen a lid getting lodged into a steel garagedoor 20 meters further...
#43
USA
Near where I lived in California, a bunch of folks will collect frogs and see how far they can jump by putting them down and then scaring the [hell] out of them to get them to jump far.
This is a serious competition and people get into fights over it, and where they source their frogs etc.
Huddo's sister 16 hours ago
In Australia you can find: cane toad, cockroach, camel, sheep, yabbie, cow, snail, hermit crab, and crocodile racing in different parts of the country.
#44
USA
I encourage ANYBODY to go to a Monster Truck Rally. It's just stupid fun.
#45
USA
I can’t believe none of my brothers and sisters from the southern states have mentioned Oakie Noodling.
Basically stick your hand into the zero visibility murk of some hillbilly swamp and pull out a monster catfish with your bare hands.
I salute you.
#46
Ireland
Puck Fair.
3 day festival involving a goat being put in a cage for all three days (until very recently) and hoisted in the air.
#47
England
The Cotswolds are a hotbed of crazy. As well as the Cheese rolling, there are the Olympiks, which includes the shin kicking competition, and the river football at Bourton on the Water where the game is played in the river that goes down the middle of the high street.
#49
United Kingdom
Not saying it’s not fun. But Bonfire Night. Catholic failed to blow up parliament (didn’t even have enough explosives even if he were successful) and 400 years later it’s still a massive celebration.
Zig Zag Wanderer 19 hours ago (edited)
I was going to mention Guy Fawkes night. Fires and fireworks galore. We're still not sure if we celebrate the plot itself, or the foiling of the plot. I guess it's up to the individual!
Apatheist 13 hours ago
It's much reduced now to official displays only. When I was growing up, it was a back garden affair, and an unspoken competition with neighbours to see who had the biggest and loudest rockets (which were of course more expensive). Too much carelessness and too many injuries - accidental or caused to others - makes it far less prevalent.
Huddo's sister 16 hours ago
We used to do this in Australia, until the government saw how many injuries were caused by people mucking around with fireworks and cancelled it.
#50
USA
Kinetic Grand Championship in California. Basically a triathlon of foot peddled sculptures.
#51
USA
Black Friday, where people put their lives in danger and riot for $200 off a television.
Thankfully the tradition seems to be [vanishing] with the Boomers.
Hippopotamuses 1 hour ago (edited)
We now have this in NZ. Our independant consumer body, tracked some prices going up in the weeks (sometimes as early as late Sepember) before Black Friday, and then going down again on the day, and staying down for a week.
Michael Largey 1 hour ago
Anyone who can get up at 5 am of Black Friday didn't know how to celebrate Thanksgiving.
Huddo's sister 16 hours ago
Unfortunately his has become a thing in Australia, though cyber monday sales ofen make more money. It's really silly because we already had Boxing Day sales each year that were basically the same thing, but now people are over spending for almost all of November and December.
#52
USA
Red Bull Flugtag. Why not build a silly flying machine and compete for who's goes farthest.
Huddo's sister 16 hours ago
In Australia we have the Birdman competition at the Moomba festival in Melbourne, which is basically the same thing.
#53
USA
Annual world's largest chicken dance.
Oktoberfest Zinzinnati, Cincinnati Ohio.
Next one is September 2026.
It's always a blast.
Jan Rosier 14 hours ago
always feel ashamed to see a Belgian accordeon song has turned into something like this
Giraffe Sitter 18 hours ago
Incidentally, Cincinnati also has a huge Labor Day fireworks show. The town knows how to party.
#54
USA
Worm gruntin’ festival. Worm grunting is a unique tradition in Northwest Florida where people vibrate the ground to coax earthworms to the surface. Theres a worm grunting competition, food, costumes, and even a worm grunting ball.
Shark Lady 15 hours ago
Something similar where I grew up in NW England. You could do anything to encourage the worms to come out to play except digging.
#55
I'm not sure if this is still a tradition or exclusive to the US but the Cannonball Run is both really awesome and really stupid and dangerous.
Zig Zag Wanderer 19 hours ago (edited)
We had one in Australia for a while on a no limits road, but they started introducing speed limits on that road 😕
#56
USA
In Texas many towns do a rattlesnake roundup where they have a competition to go out and catch as many rattlesnakes as they can. It becomes a festival with vendors selling rattlesnake skins, bbq, snake meat, snake skins, and other goods. It was originally started by caballeros to keep snake populations down to protect people, pets, and livestock but it's turned into a whole commercialized thing. Freer, tx is a big one in South Texas.
#57
There’s some parts of Alaska that are so far north they don’t get nighttime during the summer. Our Independence Day is July 4th and the way we celebrate is lighting off fireworks. Fireworks are kinda hard to see during the daytime unfortunately for these places in Alaska so instead they just launch old broken cars off a cliff. It’s so dumb but kinda awesome.
nicholas nolan 10 hours ago
You know you can remove the volatile chemicals from an old vehicle and then, get this, cart the junked remains off to get recycled, don't you?
Load More Replies... #58
Belgium
Hazing. Willing students are subjected to humiliating, physically and mentally draining ordeals as part of initiation rituals to the student associations in university.
Robin Roper 20 hours ago
In the US, people have lost their lives to hazing; it still happens and is completely illegal.
Stardust she/her 13 hours ago
Happens a lot in India also though they’ve started cracking down on it as people have lost their lives to it
Jan Rosier 14 hours ago
Also over here, people have been seriously injured or even k1ll3d due to hazing. Student associations are still allowed to organise it, but under strict conditions. A certain amount of sober people need to be present, certain practices are forbidden, etc...
#59
USA
Hot Dog eating contest on 4th of July.
#60
This is very specific to Philadelphia, USA. Whenever one of our sports teams progresses beyond a certain point in the playoffs, it becomes a regular occurrence for people to climb traffic lights en masse to the point where the cops pre-emptively go around with buckets of Crisco and lube them up.
#61
USA
I’m from North Carolina and we have the Wooly Worm Festival. Wooly worms are these guys and, according to folk lore, you can predict the severity of the upcoming winter based on their patterns (this has been reviewed scientifically and is not at all true). Kids catch them and race them at the festival!
#62
USA
Well my first one was already taken, so in a few western states that have a long mining history, we have pack burro (donkey) races. You have to lead the burro, you can't ride it. It's an official "summer heritage sport" in Colorado.
#63
USA
Hot take but gender reveals. My sister loves to go insane for this sort of thing. She has two kids and is pregnant with her third.
Hippopotamuses 1 hour ago
These aren't popular where I live. I suspect that it's based on the risk of tempting fate.
What do you think ?
Kristiina Männiste 17 hours ago
Fastelavn (Vastlapäev) sledding. All Estonias, both young and old go sledding on Vastlapäev. Or at least try to take a sleigh ride. It is supposed to promote flax growth - the further you slide the longer will your flax grow. No one actually grows flax any more but we love sledding. The after sledding dinner is split pea soup, boiled pig trotters (optional) and Vastlakukklid (sweet buns with heaps of whipped cream)
Tara Noe 18 hours ago (edited)
South Korean 'Hahm' - was lucky enough to see this one. Loud, noisy procession of groom and friends before a wedding as they head to the bride's house. One man is the 'pack horse' (in my case, the guy was wearing a dried squid as a mask) bearing gifts. When they get there, there's a silly negotiation, asking for money/bribes for the pack horse to get him further to the door. It's nutty and loads of fun to watch.
anoukkataleya 2 hours ago
I get paid over 220 Bucks per hour working from home with 2 kids at home. i never thought i'd be able to do it but my best friend earns over 15k a month doing this and she convinced me to try. the potential with this is endless..., COPY HERE➤➤ 𝗟𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗝𝗼𝗯𝟭.𝗰𝗼𝗺
Load More Replies... Norfolk and good 20 hours ago (edited)
We have a day dedicated to pancakes in the UK. It takes place on Shrove Tuesday. It comes from the 15th century when pancakes were a good way to use up eggs, flour and milk before the start of Lent. Many people will also take part in a pancake race as well, where they run with a frying pan while flipping a pancake. Then in the evening we'll eat pancakes for tea.
Huddo's sister 16 hours ago
We do this in Australia too. If it's an official Pancake Day event, there is usually a gold coin donation on entry, with all the money going to charity. My old church used to have both sweet and savory pancakes and toppings.
Load More Replies... Huddo's sister 16 hours ago
In Australia we have a Nutbush dancing event every year, with many years getting the record for most people dancing to the nutbush at one time.
Apatheist 13 hours ago
I thought "nutbush" was referred to as "intersex" now...
Load More Replies...
Lazy Panda 2 9 hours ago
I'll name what I think really is a stupid UK tradition. And it's sadly stupid, because it's racist and people keep doing it. It's the Bacup Coconut Dancers. People say it's not racist, but I (and many others) disagree. I leave it for you to search and decide!
Apatheist 13 hours ago
The World Gurning Championships at the Egremont Crab Fair in Cumbria, UK, involve contestants pulling the most grotesque faces possible, traditionally by sticking their heads through a horse collar (a "braffin"). This centuries-old rural tradition, part of the historic Egremont Crab Fair (established 1267), sees participants distort their features to create ugly expressions, with no hands touching the face once in the collar.
Ronja Oksanen 16 hours ago
Unikeonpäivä, or National Sleepy Head Day, is a Finnish tradition celebrated on July 27th where the last person to wake up is playfully tossed into water (sea, lake, or river) or doused with water, stemming from an old belief that sleeping late on this day meant laziness for the year. The most famous celebration happens in Naantali where a chosen celebrity, the "Sleepy Head," is ceremoniously thrown into the sea at 8 a.m. by locals.
Robin Roper 20 hours ago
Cherryville, North Carolina, USA – Shooting in the New Year Each New Year Eve people gather and compete a circuit visiting homes and farms to shoot black powder muskets scaring away evil spirits, ghosts, and bad luck, ensuring good fortune and a fresh start for the new year. There’s a traditional chant and the festivities end at the local high school with shooters gathered around the permitter of the football field for a final volley. There are no balls or ammo shot so it’s just loud noise and smoke; however, at least one person left he tamping rod in their musket and what goes in will come out and there was injury. Look this up on YouTube; the tradition goes back many, many years.
Robin Roper 20 hours ago
Triangle (Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill) North Carolina, USA – Krispy Kreme Challenge An annual charity event usually held the first Saturday in February. In an hour’s time, participants run a 2.5 miles (.4 km) road course from the NCSU Belltower to the Raleigh downtown Krispy Kreme. On arrival participants eat 12 Krispy Kreme donuts then run the 2.5 miles (.4 km) course back to the NCSU belltower. Lots of money has been raised for the UNC-CH Children’s Hospital.
Kristiina Männiste 17 hours ago
Fastelavn (Vastlapäev) sledding. All Estonias, both young and old go sledding on Vastlapäev. Or at least try to take a sleigh ride. It is supposed to promote flax growth - the further you slide the longer will your flax grow. No one actually grows flax any more but we love sledding. The after sledding dinner is split pea soup, boiled pig trotters (optional) and Vastlakukklid (sweet buns with heaps of whipped cream)
Tara Noe 18 hours ago (edited)
South Korean 'Hahm' - was lucky enough to see this one. Loud, noisy procession of groom and friends before a wedding as they head to the bride's house. One man is the 'pack horse' (in my case, the guy was wearing a dried squid as a mask) bearing gifts. When they get there, there's a silly negotiation, asking for money/bribes for the pack horse to get him further to the door. It's nutty and loads of fun to watch.
anoukkataleya 2 hours ago
I get paid over 220 Bucks per hour working from home with 2 kids at home. i never thought i'd be able to do it but my best friend earns over 15k a month doing this and she convinced me to try. the potential with this is endless..., COPY HERE➤➤ 𝗟𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗝𝗼𝗯𝟭.𝗰𝗼𝗺
Load More Replies... Norfolk and good 20 hours ago (edited)
We have a day dedicated to pancakes in the UK. It takes place on Shrove Tuesday. It comes from the 15th century when pancakes were a good way to use up eggs, flour and milk before the start of Lent. Many people will also take part in a pancake race as well, where they run with a frying pan while flipping a pancake. Then in the evening we'll eat pancakes for tea.
Huddo's sister 16 hours ago
We do this in Australia too. If it's an official Pancake Day event, there is usually a gold coin donation on entry, with all the money going to charity. My old church used to have both sweet and savory pancakes and toppings.
Load More Replies... Huddo's sister 16 hours ago
In Australia we have a Nutbush dancing event every year, with many years getting the record for most people dancing to the nutbush at one time.
Apatheist 13 hours ago
I thought "nutbush" was referred to as "intersex" now...
Load More Replies... Lazy Panda 2 9 hours ago
I'll name what I think really is a stupid UK tradition. And it's sadly stupid, because it's racist and people keep doing it. It's the Bacup Coconut Dancers. People say it's not racist, but I (and many others) disagree. I leave it for you to search and decide!
Apatheist 13 hours ago
The World Gurning Championships at the Egremont Crab Fair in Cumbria, UK, involve contestants pulling the most grotesque faces possible, traditionally by sticking their heads through a horse collar (a "braffin"). This centuries-old rural tradition, part of the historic Egremont Crab Fair (established 1267), sees participants distort their features to create ugly expressions, with no hands touching the face once in the collar.
Ronja Oksanen 16 hours ago
Unikeonpäivä, or National Sleepy Head Day, is a Finnish tradition celebrated on July 27th where the last person to wake up is playfully tossed into water (sea, lake, or river) or doused with water, stemming from an old belief that sleeping late on this day meant laziness for the year. The most famous celebration happens in Naantali where a chosen celebrity, the "Sleepy Head," is ceremoniously thrown into the sea at 8 a.m. by locals.
Robin Roper 20 hours ago
Cherryville, North Carolina, USA – Shooting in the New Year Each New Year Eve people gather and compete a circuit visiting homes and farms to shoot black powder muskets scaring away evil spirits, ghosts, and bad luck, ensuring good fortune and a fresh start for the new year. There’s a traditional chant and the festivities end at the local high school with shooters gathered around the permitter of the football field for a final volley. There are no balls or ammo shot so it’s just loud noise and smoke; however, at least one person left he tamping rod in their musket and what goes in will come out and there was injury. Look this up on YouTube; the tradition goes back many, many years.
Robin Roper 20 hours ago
Triangle (Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill) North Carolina, USA – Krispy Kreme Challenge An annual charity event usually held the first Saturday in February. In an hour’s time, participants run a 2.5 miles (.4 km) road course from the NCSU Belltower to the Raleigh downtown Krispy Kreme. On arrival participants eat 12 Krispy Kreme donuts then run the 2.5 miles (.4 km) course back to the NCSU belltower. Lots of money has been raised for the UNC-CH Children’s Hospital.
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