Customs, traditions and holidays of different countries (part 2) (21 photos)

We continue to talk about interesting traditions, competitions and festivals of countries around the world, since we managed to cover only a small part at a time. Knowledgeable people came to the comments and reminded us about the Finnish wife-carrying championship. Yes, the list would definitely be incomplete without him! Well, let's add one more thing.





1. Battle of the Rocket (Rouketopolemos), Greece



In a small village called Vrontados on the Greek island of Chios, 400 meters away opposite each other in a gorge, there are two churches (the Church of St. Mark and Panaghia Ereithian). On Easter, parishioners launch rockets to reach the bell tower and ring the bell of a rival church. The winner is reported to be determined by counting direct hits on each bell tower the next day, but each community is sure to claim victory. A spectacular festival that many people gather to watch every year.

2. Caber Toss, Scotland, UK





Caber Toss is the national sport of the north of Scotland. Men in kilts throw a large pole called a caber. It should be thrown with the thin end away from the athlete and land with the thick end. Log throwing is one of the main disciplines at the Highlander Games.

3. Giant omelette, France



The southern French city of Bessieres has a wonderful tradition to welcome spring: the day after Easter celebrations, a huge omelet consisting of more than 4,500 eggs, which can feed up to 1,000 people, is prepared in the city's central square. According to legend, this tradition has existed since the time of Napoleon and at his instigation.

4. World Wife Carrying Championships (Eukonkanto), Finland



To test their strength, Finnish men participate in sports known as wife-carrying. The history of this competition in Finland is a bit murky. It dates back to the 19th century, when a thief was said to carry everything he stole, including women, on his back.

5. National Hollerin Competition, North Carolina



Telephones are a fairly new invention, so the art of yelling loudly, especially in the United States, is still not forgotten. Hollerin' is a method of communication over long distances that was especially popular in the American southeast. It is a combination of yodeling and hunting call. The National Hollerin' Contest was established in 1969 in Spivey Corner, North Carolina to continue this fun tradition and has been held every year since.

6. Walking on hot coals, China



Babies are born all over the world, but in China there is a special emphasis on this event. The birth of a newborn is surrounded by numerous customs and rules. The strangest custom is that the husband carries the pregnant woman over hot coals before they enter their home. Naturally, he must perform this attraction without shoes.

7. Championship for guessing when the ice will melt (Nenana Ice Classic), Alaska



This is an annual ice pool competition held in Nenana, Alaska. People are trying to guess the exact time when the ice on the Tanana River will melt. Tickets for the championship are sold from February 1 to April 5 each year throughout Alaska.

8. Maypole (Maibaum), Austria



On May 1st, the Austrians usually erect and protect special May poles, with a nearby rival village traditionally attempting to steal them overnight. Some people even succeed.

9Throwing Babies From Temple Walls, India



In India, it is customary to throw babies from temple walls as part of a ritual. The newborn is brought to the Sri Santeswar temple (15 meters high) and then thrown from there onto a stretched cloth held by both Muslims and Hindus below.

10. Flag throwing festival, Tuscany, Italy



Although the Tuscan region is known for its wine, olives, pasta and Tuscan sun, the flag throwing festival is a particularly important custom. Young men and women synchronously toss the flag and perform acrobatic acts. This is a tradition dating back to medieval guilds: the guild's banner or flag was considered a symbol of purity and was therefore not allowed to touch the ground.

11. Ostrich racing, Arizona, USA



When ostriches were first introduced to the United States in the 1880s, several states began holding ostrich riding competitions. And in some places they are still carried out. The last major race was in 2019 at the Chandler Ostrich Festival in Arizona.

12. Tradition of plunging the birthday person's face into the cake, Mexico



In Mexico, to celebrate a birthday, the birthday person's hands are tied behind his back, and when he goes to take the first bite of the cake, he is pushed into it with his face. You need to understand that in Mexico they make cakes with a huge amount of cream. In general, the tradition was originally Spanish, but it was in Mexico that it gained particular popularity.

13. Pumpkin chunkin championship, Delaware, USA



Each year, Delaware hosts Punkin Chunkin, the first and largest pumpkin tossing competition in the United States. Participants use slingshots, trebuchets, catapults, centrifuges and air cannons to launch pumpkins. The longest distance was 1.4 kilometers.

14.



The Danes have a strange way of bringing good luck to themselves. They keep broken plates, bowls, cups or dishes throughout the year. And on the first day of the New Year they throw broken dishes into their homes.

15. Blackening the Bride, Scotland



The Scots have a strange way of congratulating newlyweds. The bride's friends and family gather around her to get her as dirty as possible with everything they can. Rotten milk, dirt, sauces, and so on are used. The idea is that if a couple can endure such “humiliation,” then they will be able to cope with all the hardships that life can throw at them.

16. Washing door handles for your 30th birthday, Germany



Germany is home to weird and quirky traditions, and they're proud of it. For example, women are expected to polish the doorknobs at their best friends' house if they are still single on their 30th birthday. The men will be assigned various cleaning tasks. The only way to avoid this strange custom is to kiss members of the opposite sex.

17. Breaking a coconut on your head, India



When the gods sitting above look down, you want to thank them somehow. South Indians have an interesting way of doing this. Followers of Hinduism gather in temples and break coconuts on their heads. Perhaps the gods are blessing them because there have been few reported injuries so far.

18. Ursul (Bear Dance), Romania and Moldova



The period between Christmas and New Year is usually a boring period as preparations for the coming year take place. In Romania and Moldova, at this time performers appear on the streets dressed in real bear skins and dancing a special dance to the rhythm of a drum and the sounds of a flute. The culmination of the dance is the resurrection of the bear after death, and this is a symbol of rebirth.

19. Sinska Alka (Knight Tournament), Dalmatia, Croatia



While knights and chivalry are associated with the Middle Ages, the people of Croatia, and especially the people of the city of Dalmatia, still celebrate these times. Knights on horseback at full gallop try to hit an iron target consisting of two rings with their spears. However, only men born in the Xin region are allowed to compete.

20. Month of Torri (Þorrablót), Iceland



The most disgusting food in the world - sour sheep's testicles, boiled sheep's skulls, blood sausage, liver sausage and fermented shark - is eaten by many Icelanders during the "Torri holiday" in January. In medieval texts, Torri is depicted as the personification of winter. This tradition is a great opportunity to try unusual dishes.