Our world is diverse. People from different ethnicities and different cultures inhabit our colorful world. Every culture has distinct customs and traditions. Without knowing their significance, anyone from a different culture cannot truly appreciate these customs and rituals. Hence some traditions integral to a particular culture might appear to be bizarre to the rest of the world.

10. Smashing plates in a German Wedding

Traditional German weddings have a very curious custom indeed. Guests are supposed to bring along plates of any fancy material other than glass for the newly wed couple. The plates are then smashed with much merrymaking. The just married couple is supposed to clean up the mess together. The broken plate pieces signify the several difficulties that are bound to crop up in any marital relationship. By cleaning the mess together the bride and groom pledge to work together to overcome any difficulty that might plague their marriage. A bizarre practice indeed.

9. Geisha- Japan

The geishas have been an integral part of Japanese culture for centuries. Girls from poor families have been bought and trained rigorously in traditional art, dance and music in geisha houses. However the legacy of Geishas is approaching a slow decay. In 1900s, there were over 25,000 geisha in Japan. In the early 1930s, there were 80,000 geisha. Most geisha were in Kyoto, the old capital city of Japan. Nowadays, there are less than 10,000 geisha left. In Tokyo, there are only 100 geisha left. A modern counterpart of the Geisha culture is now raising its head in the country.

8. Hara-Kiri, the honorable death, Japan

The Samurai warriors lived by their honor code Bushido. Bushido dictated a very brutal form of suicide for disgraced Samurai soldiers that would wash them off all dishonor. This was called hara kiri or Seppuku. Hara kiri was also used by warriors to avoid being taken captive by enemy armies or to attenuate shame. The feudal lord Daimyo could also order a samurai to committ hara kiri, The soldier was bathed and dressed in white robes. He was allowed to have his favorite meal and his instrument would be placed on a platter in front of him. Dressed ceremonially, with his sword placed in front of him and sometimes seated on special cloths, the Samurai would prepare for death by writing a death poem. With his selected attendant (kaishakunin, his second) standing by, he would open his kimono and take up his tant (knife), After that he would plunge the weapon into his abdomen, making a left-to-right cut. The kaishakunin would then perform daki-kubi, a cut in which the warrior was all but decapitated leaving just a thin band of flesh attaching the head to the neck.

7. Hanging of Coffins, China

Old Chinese dynasties displayed the coffins of their deceased on high rocks and cliffs. They believed that by placing their dead at a height, the dead could be closer to heaven. Archaeologists have found instances of such coffins among the ruins of the old Chinese civilisations.

6. Famadihana, Funeral practice from Madagascar

In this bizarre tradition, the Malagsy people in Madagascar bring out the bones of their ancestors from the family crypts, rewrap them in fresh cloth and then dance around the tomb with the corpses to the sound of live music. They dig out the remains of their dead one’s body at regular intervals and wrap them in fresh clothes. They bury them again after carrying them around their villages.

5.  Bride in the air, Ireland

  In Ireland, when the bride dances her feet are not supposed to touch the ground. They believe that evil fairies steal anything beautiful away. Thus if the beautiful bride touches the floor, she stands the chance of being stolen away.

4. Shoe Stealing ceremony, India

One of the most fun aspects of an Indian wedding is the stealing of the Bridegroom’s shoes. Everybody on the groom’s side is supposed to take care of the pair while everyone else on the bride’s side tries to sell them. Once the shoes are successfully stolen, the bride’ sisters have the moral right to extort exorbitant sums of money from the groom in lieu of the pair of shoes.

3. Feet Washing, Indonesia

  In an Indonesian wedding, the bride is supposed to wash her husband’s feet before all the guests to prove her love for him and also to vow to take on all adversities as a couple together. Conveniently, the groom has his feet caked in egg yolk before the washing can commence.

2. Blackening of the Bride, Scotland

In a strange wedding custom in Scotland, friends and family of the bride throw disgusting trash on her before the wedding night. After the public humiliation of the bride, she is also tied to a tree ceremonially. All this for good luck!

1. The Sati Custom, India

In one of the most brutal customs known to have been prevalent in India, a bride dressed in all her finery was supposed to burn herself voluntarily in her husband’s funeral pyre. In return she was supposed to earn a place in heaven by her husband’s side. Thankfully this inhuman tradition has been outlawed and is mostly unheard of today.