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Ever spilled salt and tossed a pinch over your left shoulder? This peculiar custom is believed to fend off the Devil, who supposedly hovers nearby if salt is spilled. Many famous daemonologists have suggested that spilled salt is considered a favorite of the Devil, possibly even his preferred snack.
This odd superstition is just the tip of the iceberg compared to the strange practices around the globe. From tossing babies from great heights to attempting to high-five dangerous snakes, people still engage in extreme and disturbing rituals simply because these practices have been passed down through generations. Faith, often a powerful motivator, sometimes leads to the most bizarre behavior.
10. Snake Handling – Evangelical Christianity, Southern US States.
Moe Syzlak’s chosen faith is a real, live movement. Snake handlers believe that if you love Jesus enough, you won’t be harmed by venomous snakes. This is not a metaphor—these people handle dangerous, venomous snakes. The Bible seems to support this practice if you interpret certain passages, like those from Mark (16: 17-18) and Luke (10: 19), with a bit of faith and a disregard for theological debates about its validity.
Practiced mainly by offshoots of Holiness, Pentecostal, Charismatic, and other smaller evangelical churches in the Appalachian Mountains, these communities engage in rituals like laying hands on the sick to heal them, speaking in tongues, and even drinking strychnine, trusting their faith to protect them from the poison's deadly effects (although many have died from this practice). However, it’s snake handling that has caused the most fatalities, with as many as 120 deaths since 1910, and about 35 between 1936 and 1973. Even when snake handlers survive bites, many suffer from atrophied hands or missing fingers.
At least when a snake handler dies, believers don’t see it as a lack of faith—they view it as part of God’s plan.
9. Crucifixions – Christianity, The Philippines.
This practice can be found in the Bible (though it’s likely near the back). Whether it’s something Christians should do, however, remains uncertain. Some Filipino Christians disagree, arguing that it’s perfectly valid—and they put their faith into action by undergoing actual crucifixions. This is not some symbolic ritual with faux leather straps for a brief period, but a true nailing to wooden planks.
Catholic leaders have denounced the practice, concerned about the dangers involved. While it’s undeniably risky, it’s also a powerful testament to faith, as well as remarkable endurance in the face of unbearable pain. In 2019, nine people were nailed to crosses at three separate locations in the Philippines to observe Easter. As for me, I’ll stick to hunting Easter eggs and enjoying hot cross buns. Meanwhile, in Greece…
8. Red Eggs – Greek Orthodox Christianity, Greece.
Let’s take a break from the more intense rituals and enjoy this fun tradition. The ‘Red Egg Game’ is a beloved Easter activity, played at dinner tables across Greece and the Greek Diaspora. Eggs are dyed red to symbolize the blood Christ shed on the cross, and then the game begins.
According to Select Bakery, a traditional Greek bakery in Toronto, Canada, here are the rules of the game: 1. Each player selects a red egg and finds an opponent (typically someone sitting next to them). 2. One person says, “Christos Anesti” (Christ has risen), and the other replies, “Alithos Anesti” (Indeed He has risen). 3. The person who said “Christos Anesti” lightly taps the end of their egg against the opponent’s egg. The goal is to crack the opponent’s egg. 4. When one end of the egg cracks, the winner uses that same end to try to crack the other end of their opponent’s egg. 5. The last person remaining with an unbroken egg is crowned the winner, and it is believed they will have good luck throughout the year.
Wow, that game sounds intense and a bit messy!
7. Baby Throwing – Multi-Faith, India.
From egg-cracking to (hopefully) avoiding baby-cracking. In parts of Karnataka and Maharashtra states in India, it’s considered a sign of great luck if a newborn survives a 30-foot drop from a roof. This unusual ritual is still practiced today.
In Solapur, the tradition is carried out from the top of the Baba Umer Dargha, an Islamic shrine. Babies are thrown from a platform 15 meters above the ground, with the hope that they’ll be caught by a cloth held below. The ritual is said to originate from a suggestion by a Sufi mystic, who, upon hearing of the high infant mortality rate, proposed that babies be thrown to demonstrate “their trust in the Almighty.” He claimed the babies would be miraculously caught by a hammock-like sheet that would appear in mid-air. Today, the cloth is placed at the base of the shrine, held by both Muslim and Hindu men.
6. Burning The Guy – Secular (Historically, Protestant), Britain.
“Remember, remember the fifth of November. Gunpowder, treason, and plot” is a popular rhyme heard across Britain on Bonfire Night, just before the fireworks start. One tradition on this day involves children going door-to-door with a crudely made effigy and asking for a ‘Penny for the Guy’ (the ‘Guy’ is the effigy, not some random person lurking behind them). The community then gathers at a designated spot, places the Guy on a pile of wood, and sets it on fire. It sounds a bit grim when you break it down.
The ‘Guy’ represents Guy (or Guido) Fawkes, a Catholic conspirator who, along with 12 other men, plotted the Gunpowder Plot to blow up the House of Lords during the Opening of Parliament and kill King James I. This was part of a larger wave of conspiracies against non-Catholic monarchs during that time, as seen in the 1589 assassination of King Henry III by a Catholic fanatic. The plot was foiled before it could be carried out, and the conspirators were executed. That’s why, every year, the people of Britain commemorate the failure by burning an effigy of Guy Fawkes.
That’s quite a long time to hold a grudge!
5. Knot Tying and Untying. And tying. And Untying – Zoroastrianism, worldwide.
The Boy Scouts and the Navy are both well-known for their knot-tying skills. But even they can’t compare to certain Zoroastrians. These individuals elevate the art of knot tying and untying to a whole new level—an almost spiritual one!
The traditional Kushti (previously called a ‘zonnar’) is a sacred belt made from tightly wound white woolen threads. Devout Zoroastrians wear it around their waist, wrapping it three times, tying it twice with double knots at both the front and back, leaving the ends to hang at the back. The 72 strands symbolize the 72 chapters of the ‘Yasna,’ the central liturgical texts found in the ‘Avesta’ (the Zoroastrian equivalent of the Bible). If that doesn’t sound intricate enough, the daily ritual known as Nirang-i Kushti is intense: practitioners must stand in one place, facing the sun or another light source, untie and then re-tie the Kushti in complete silence. If they speak, the ritual must start over. And this must be done at least three times a day! Priests perform it a minimum of five times a day.
I imagine many young Zoroastrians have mothers who shout up from downstairs, “Where did you leave the remote?” in the middle of Nirang-i Kushti, prompting a response. Likely followed by, “Never mind, it was on your dad’s belly!”
4. Finger Cutting – Dani Animism, Papua.
Losing a loved one can feel like losing a part of yourself. For the women of the Dani tribe on the Indonesian island of Papua, this idea is taken quite literally.
Women who experience a loss were once required to amputate the tips of their fingers—not only as a spiritual symbol of their grief but also to protect themselves from the potentially vengeful spirits of the deceased. In the past, even infants had their fingertips removed, often by their mothers biting them off. Older women, by contrast, had their fingers cut off by a relative using a sharp stone blade. Though this practice has been outlawed, rumors still circulate that the tribe may continue it in secret. Many Dani women appear to be conspicuously missing fingers.
3. Jumping Naked Over Castrated Cows – Ethiopia.
Want to prove you’ve got what it takes to be a real man? If you’re part of the Hamer tribe in Ethiopia, you’ll need to find a bull that’s lost its masculinity, strip down, and get ready for some jumping (kangaroo boots, I’m guessing, are a no-go).
But what does it mean to be a man in the Hamer tribe? Simply put, it means you’re ready for marriage. A huge celebration is thrown, with drinking and dancing that continues from dawn until sunset. At the climax, the boy must try to leap over a bull’s back four times without falling. If he fails each time, he has to wait another year before he can try again.
So, if you happen to find yourself adopted into a Hamer family, make sure you pass this tough test. Otherwise, you might end up a permanent bachelor in South-western Ethiopia, that is, if you’re not up for it.
2. Bomena – Traditional, Bhutan.
Meanwhile, in Bhutan...
Bhutan is unique in that it measures national well-being through a ‘happiness index’ instead of GDP, leading one to wonder how happy people are about the continuation of the ‘Night Hunting’ or ‘Bomena’ practice in the country’s eastern regions. According to author and Bhutanese culture expert Dorji Penjore, ‘Bomena’ involves a young man secretly visiting a girl’s home at night for courtship or even sexual activity, often without prior agreement. This practice is part of a tradition where young people find partners and get married. The culmination of the courtship is marked in the morning with what is known locally as 'jai da jong' (‘coming to the surface’), when the boy is found in the girl’s bed, officially marking them as husband and wife.”
With the rise of social media, it seems that this practice may be fading away. Some argue that Bomena has contributed to an increase in STDs, unintended pregnancies, abandonment by fathers, and even rape. Perhaps, in the modern age, Tinder might be a more effective solution for... oh.
1. Penis Power – Hinduism, India.
'Respect the cock!' yelled Tom Cruise’s charismatic motivational speaker character in the film Magnolia. Around the world, some people take this phrase quite literally!
While the Japanese interpret this idea abstractly, with a whole Shinto festival devoted to the penis, the Kanamara Matsuri held annually in Tokyo, in India, a certain holy man earned respect because of the power of his own one-eyed trouser snake.
Well, at least one person did in 2018. The man was a Sadhu, a wandering Hindu holy man who renounces earthly pleasures, viewing life's struggles as a spiritual test. Highly skilled in yoga and meditation, these individuals are known for their minimalist lifestyle, often wearing little to nothing, relying on the charity (and likely awe) of others to survive. And every now and then, they pull off stunts like towing a small truck with a rope tied to their manhood, which is sure to attract some spare change. One wonders if these holy men have ever thought about starting an OnlyFans?
