Things that appear normal and commonplace to some people may seem very strange to others. This is the beauty of cultural differences. Many of these unusual things have become the basis for tourist attractions. Here are some of the world's most peculiar traditions. starting with Mexico.
Nothing to do with the film of the same name, the Day of the Dead takes place on November 2 in Mexico, where family members come together at cemeteries for grave site reunions. Though this sounds slightly bleak and sombre, it's actually an occasion marked by high festivity. Celebrators bring food and bottles of alcohol to toast their dearly departed, and it's not uncommon to hear mariachi bands play to larger gatherings.
Everybody sits down for a picnic, a feast, made up of the food that their loved ones enjoyed as the remembrance service comes to a close. Very little emphasis is put on diagrammatic family trees, and people instead share genealogical information through poignant and amusing tales. This is a great time to tell stories and anecdotes from Mexican culture.
Starting with 'the breaking of the pomegranate', a couple of unusual traditions happen in Greece. Many Greek people on islands such as Rhodes and Crete, hang pomegranates outside their front doors at the beginning of autumn, due to its symbolism of prosperity, fertility and wealth. Here it stays until midnight on New Year's Eve, when they are removed and broken into pieces.
The next Greek tradition is 'the marrying of fire', which takes place at Christmas in numerous regions of the country. For this ceremonious act, a branch is taken from a feminine tree, such as a cherry tree (kerasia is a feminine word in Greek) - and a branch from a masculine tree, such as a plane. Once alight, the head of the household will then proclaim "I marry thee fire for the sake of the housewife".
Nothing to do with the film of the same name, the Day of the Dead takes place on November 2 in Mexico, where family members come together at cemeteries for grave site reunions. Though this sounds slightly bleak and sombre, it's actually an occasion marked by high festivity. Celebrators bring food and bottles of alcohol to toast their dearly departed, and it's not uncommon to hear mariachi bands play to larger gatherings.
Everybody sits down for a picnic, a feast, made up of the food that their loved ones enjoyed as the remembrance service comes to a close. Very little emphasis is put on diagrammatic family trees, and people instead share genealogical information through poignant and amusing tales. This is a great time to tell stories and anecdotes from Mexican culture.
Starting with 'the breaking of the pomegranate', a couple of unusual traditions happen in Greece. Many Greek people on islands such as Rhodes and Crete, hang pomegranates outside their front doors at the beginning of autumn, due to its symbolism of prosperity, fertility and wealth. Here it stays until midnight on New Year's Eve, when they are removed and broken into pieces.
The next Greek tradition is 'the marrying of fire', which takes place at Christmas in numerous regions of the country. For this ceremonious act, a branch is taken from a feminine tree, such as a cherry tree (kerasia is a feminine word in Greek) - and a branch from a masculine tree, such as a plane. Once alight, the head of the household will then proclaim "I marry thee fire for the sake of the housewife".
About the Author:
Steve Alexander has been writing about Mexico. Find deals on hotels by visiting Hotels4U or go to this link for information on accommodation in Rhodes.
