Craziest Traditions From Around The World

Tradition of Thaipusam Piercings

Thaipusam Piercings which takes place across India and in other Hindu communities across the world. During the celebration of the religious holiday Thaipusam, Hindus show their devotion to Lord Murugan by piercing various parts of their bodies. Load Murugan, who is one of the earliest Hindu gods dating back to around the third century BC, is said to have killed a vengeful strip, Soorapadman, with a spear and therefore, logically, people stab themselves to celebrate it. As the years have passed, the piercings have become more and more gruesome - often including putting large spears and hooks through their chest or face.

Chinese Hat Hair

This strange tradition sees women wear headdresses made from the hair of their dead ancestors. Instead of throwing away their hair when its cut, women who are part of china's minority community, the Long-horn miao, instead save it and add it to their collection for use when they die. Once they have passed, the hair is made in to spectacular headdresses and worn on special occasions by young women in the family. The evidence of these hats has been found as far back as 6000 years.

The Phuket Vegetarian Festival

It is much more interesting than any PETA rally, is a colorful event held over nine days in October. The event celebrates the belief that abstinence from meat during the ninth mouth of the Chinese calendar will help them to obtain health. The origin of the festival is said to have come from when a Chinese opera group fell ill with Malaria when performing on the Phuket Island in Thailand. They chose to stick to a strictly vegetarian diet and pray to the emperor gods to ensure that their mind and body wore purified. To the surprise of everybody, the group made a full recovery and survived what was, during the 1800s when this took place, an incredibly fatal illness. So far, fairly normal.

Ashura

It is an event recognized by many Muslims around the world for various reasons, for some Shiite Muslims, the day is observed by commemoration of the death of Imam Hussein - a grandson of the Prophet Muhammad. Hussein allegedly died by being repeatedly struck on the head with daggers - an event which took place around the year 680 AD. Today, some men choose to join in a procession and hit themselves on the head with daggers to pay tribute to the fallen prophet. It is also to mourn the fact that they were not alive to save Hussein.