Buzz
Traditions often evoke images of comforting rituals passed down through generations, symbolizing nostalgia for a simpler time and the affection of loved ones. However, some traditions, though initially well-meaning, now appear shockingly brutal, leaving us questioning their relevance in the modern era.
10. Mingi
Similar to how Lord Voldemort is referred to as 'He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named' in the Harry Potter series, the practice of mingi is a taboo subject among the Kara, Hamar, and Banna tribes in Ethiopia's Omo Valley. These tribes, numbering around 225,000, live in secluded, primitive villages and guard this ancient ritual closely.
Mingi refers to the belief that a child is cursed and must be sacrificed to safeguard the tribe. (While we use male pronouns, this applies to both genders.) A child is deemed mingi if their upper teeth emerge before their lower teeth, if they lose a tooth or sustain genital injuries, if born to unmarried parents, or if their parents lack the elders' ceremonial approval for childbirth. Adults who defy these customs are also labeled mingi and exiled from the community.
If a child is declared mingi, tribal elders forcibly remove them from their parents and subject them to horrific fates, such as drowning in a river, abandonment to starve or be devoured by wild animals, or being thrown off a cliff to meet their demise. In some cases, the child may also be suffocated by filling their mouth with dirt.
The tribes of the Omo Valley firmly believe that a mingi child attracts malevolent spirits, which can lead to devastating consequences like drought, famine, and disease for the entire community. Estimates suggest that between 200 and 300 mingi children may lose their lives each year, though the exact number remains unknown.
Even within the tribe, mingi is a deeply forbidden topic. Children under 15 are kept entirely unaware of the ritual killings, and discussing it with outsiders is strictly prohibited. However, Lale Labuko, an Omo Valley native and the first in his tribe to attend a boarding school 105 kilometers (65 miles) away, bravely shared this secret with an outsider. Their collaboration has since led to efforts to rescue mingi children. In some instances, the government has jailed those who carry out mingi executions. Despite these efforts, the tradition persists, albeit in a more concealed manner.
9. Pig Slaughter Festival
Every year, the village of Nem Thuong in northern Vietnam hosts a ritual where two well-nourished pigs are slaughtered to bring good fortune for the upcoming year. Held on the sixth day of the first lunar month, the Pig Slaughter Festival pays homage to Doan Thuong, a revered local guardian deity. Hundreds gather to witness this event, which is deeply rooted in the village's cultural and spiritual practices.
Legend has it that Doan Thuong, a general from the Ly Dynasty, protected the villagers by repelling invaders. To feed his starving troops, he slaughtered pigs, an act believed to have inspired the festival. The pigs' blood symbolizes prosperity, including bountiful harvests, fertility, financial success, and overall well-being.
Accompanied by music, the villagers lead the live pigs in a procession around the village. During the ritual, the pigs are restrained on their backs, their legs tied apart, and swords are used to cleave the squealing pigs in two before the onlookers. Villagers then hurry to dip banknotes in the pigs' blood, placing them on household altars to attract good fortune.
Animal rights activists have urged the government to halt the festival. While Vietnamese officials have encouraged village elders to reduce the public display of animal cruelty, they have declined to ban the festival. Authorities appear less troubled by the ethical concerns and more worried about the global perception of their traditions, especially in an era where images can spread rapidly online.
8. La Esperanza Rain Ceremony
Droughts are universally dreaded, particularly by farmers, prompting many cultures to develop rituals to summon rain. Even today, some Native American communities perform rain dances. In Takhatpur, India, villagers organize intricate frog weddings to appeal to rain deities during dry spells. The frogs are adorned for the ceremony and even share a symbolic kiss after exchanging vows.
In La Esperanza, Guerrero, Mexico, the village women take a unique approach to ensure a bountiful harvest. Every May, as men prepare the fields for planting, the women cook a grand feast featuring traditional dishes like chicken, turkey, mole, boiled eggs, rice, and tortillas. They gather at a ceremonial site to share the meal with fellow villagers, offering it to their deities to invoke sufficient rainfall for their crops.
Following prayers and the presentation of food and flowers to their gods, the women form a large circle and await the arrival of visitors from nearby villages. Children eagerly prepare their cell phones to capture photos and videos of the event. Then, the celebration truly begins.
Within the circle of onlookers, the women—both young and old—engage in fierce hand-to-hand combat with opponents from neighboring villages. Occasionally, men and children join in. This day-long battle is a spectacle of female warriors, with the aim of drawing as much blood as possible. There are no winners or losers, no grudges held. At the end, the participants embrace one another.
The blood shed during the fights is collected in buckets as a sacrifice to the gods and later mixed into the soil of the fields. The battles continue until nightfall, after which the women, proud and bloodied, return home, confident that their sacrifice will secure the village's food supply for the coming year.
7. Coconut Head Smash
In Tamil Nadu, southern India, thousands of devotees visit the Mahalakshmi temple to partake in a ritual where they seek blessings for success and health or express gratitude for fulfilled wishes. Spectators gather as a priest cracks a large coconut on the head of each seated participant, who must be at least 18 years old to join.
This ceremony occurs annually on the second Tuesday of the Tamil month of Aadi. Legend has it that the tradition began in the 19th century when British officials attempted to construct a railway through the village. The locals resisted, prompting the British to mockingly suggest rerouting the tracks if the villagers could break stones with their heads. When they succeeded, the railway was diverted.
Over time, coconuts replaced stones as the object used in the ritual. However, the practice remains risky, depending on the coconut's size and the force applied during the act.
Neurosurgery professor Anil Kumar Peethambaran explained in an interview with National Geographic, “The skull has a certain tolerance limit. If the coconut breaks, some energy dissipates, reducing potential harm. However, if it doesn’t break, more damage is inflicted on the skull.”
Each year, dozens of participants suffer severe head injuries. Ironically, this ritual, intended to promote good health, can sometimes prove fatal.
6. People Trampled By Cows For Luck
Many cultures have unique rituals to attract good fortune. In the villages near Ujjain, India, one of the most unusual traditions involves men being trampled by cows on Ekadashi, the day following Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights. Remarkably, this practice has persisted for centuries.
Cows hold a sacred status in Hinduism, which might explain why villagers insist no one has ever been injured in this seemingly perilous ritual. Before the trampling, the cows are adorned with henna designs and colorful ornaments. Spectators gather as the men, wearing garlands, lie in the street while their cows run over them. The participants believe this act will earn them divine favor and bring good luck for the year ahead.
5. Easter Rocket War
On the Greek island of Chios, near Turkey, the villagers of Vrontados celebrate Greek Orthodox Easter in a unique way. As Easter Saturday ends, they engage in a traditional rocket war called “Rouketopolemos,” launching thousands of homemade bottle rockets at each other. The mock battle involves followers of the town’s two Orthodox churches, Agios Markos and Panagia Erithiani, and continues into the early hours of Easter morning.
The aim is to strike the rival church’s bell during services, though no clear winner ever emerges. Despite protective wire mesh shielding the churches and nearby homes, significant property damage often occurs. The event has also led to severe injuries and even fatalities caused by the rockets.
While rocket-making is technically illegal in Vrontados, the annual event draws many tourists. As a result, local authorities typically turn a blind eye to the loud and flashy illegal activities that have been a part of the tradition for over 125 years.
The origins of this rocket war remain unclear, but locals share two popular tales. One story suggests that cannons from ships, initially used to fight pirates, were later fired during Easter celebrations. When Ottoman forces confiscated the cannons in the late 19th century, villagers replaced them with rockets.
Another version claims the villagers wanted to celebrate Easter services despite Turkish prohibitions. To deter the Turks, the Greeks staged a mock war between their churches, allowing them to hold Easter mass in secret.
Not all residents support the rocket war. “We feel like prisoners to this tradition,” one villager told the BBC in 2004. “During the event, we struggle to breathe and must remain alert for fires, as even a small mistake could result in losing our homes.”
4. Santhara
To outsiders, santhara (or sallekhana) may appear similar to suicide or euthanasia. However, for followers of Jainism, an ancient Indian religion emphasizing spiritual discipline through a life of simplicity and renunciation of physical pleasures, santhara is a sacred practice. Each year, up to 500 Jains fast to death, believing it liberates their souls from the cycle of reincarnation and helps them achieve nirvana, the ultimate state of peace.
Unlike Christians, who regard the body as a temple for the soul, Jains perceive their bodies as prisons for their souls. For those left behind, santhara is a moment of celebration and pride, as the individual has taken control of their spiritual destiny.
Jains distinguish santhara from suicide, which they consider a violent act. Santhara is nonviolent, though physically painful, and is said to bring moments of euphoria as the soul undergoes transformation. Throughout the process, loved ones constantly touch and support the individual. At the moment of death, the person is seated upright, as divine beings in Jainism are always depicted in a seated or semi-seated posture, never lying down.
Those undertaking santhara are revered as living saints by fellow Jains. Devotees often travel great distances to witness, endure, and receive blessings from the individual’s sacrifice. As the person passes away, onlookers chant the names of divine beings.
The starvation oath is taken by both monks and laypeople, including those who are healthy and those nearing the end of their lives. Interestingly, more women than men participate in this practice. This tradition has sparked debate among the public for many years. On August 10, 2015, the Rajasthan High Court in India ruled that santhara is illegal. As of late August 2015, this decision is under appeal in the Supreme Court.
3. Yanshui Beehive Rocket Festival
The annual Beehive Rocket Festival in Yanshui District, Tainan, Taiwan, is an event that defies description, with “insane” barely capturing its intensity. This festival is a segment of the Lantern Festival, which marks the Chinese New Year. Yet, it stands out for its perilous nature. Unlike the Easter Rocket War in Greece, where bottle rockets are aimed at church bells and not intended to strike individuals directly, the Yanshui festival takes a different approach.
At the Yanshui Beehive Rocket Festival, bottle rockets are assembled into massive beehive-like frameworks. Participants eagerly approach the erupting fireworks, aiming to be struck as frequently as possible, believing that each hit brings more luck for the upcoming year. The dense crowds appear to pulsate with the rocket explosions, creating a sound reminiscent of a buzzing beehive at its zenith.
Participants typically don protective attire, such as fire-resistant suits and helmets with face shields. However, some young men opt for minimal protection, wearing just a loincloth and a towel to guard their eyes against the heat and debris. Despite the seemingly carefree atmosphere, injuries do occur, sometimes necessitating medical attention.
Originating around two centuries ago, the festival was initiated to combat a devastating cholera epidemic that swept through the city. Locals believed the disease was caused by malevolent spirits and sought divine intervention by setting off an enormous fireworks display to appease their deity. Following the decline of the epidemic, the rocket festival was established as a yearly tradition to attract good fortune.
2. Gotmar Mela
For over a hundred years, the villages of Pandhurna and Sawargaon in India, separated by the Jam River, have engaged in a unique ritual called Gotmar Mela. During this event, villagers from both sides hurl stones at each other for a single day. The competition centers around a tree trunk planted in the riverbed, adorned with a flag. The first team to seize the flag claims victory.
Retrieving the flag, however, is no easy feat, as participants must dodge a barrage of large rocks hurled by villagers. Hundreds are injured annually, and the festival has tragically claimed at least 17 lives. Authorities have attempted to introduce rubber balls as a safer alternative, but their efforts have been ignored. Even a complete ban was overturned due to strong opposition from the villagers.
The origins of the festival are shrouded in differing tales. One popular account tells of a young man from Pandhurna who fell in love with a girl from Sawargaon. Despite parental objections, the couple decided to elope. As the boy carried his beloved across the river, Sawargaon villagers began pelting him with stones, prompting retaliation from Pandhurna residents. Eventually, the villagers agreed to the marriage, and the stone-throwing tradition was born as an annual commemoration of the event.
An alternate tale recounts that approximately 300 years ago, the king of Pandhurna kidnapped the daughter of Sawargaon’s ruler. Upon discovering the abduction, Sawargaon villagers began hurling stones at the king, who had already fled across the river. In defense of their monarch, Pandhurna villagers retaliated with stones. The king safely reached his palace, and the tradition of stone-throwing during the annual festival is said to symbolize the competition for brides between the two villages.
1. Costa Rica Bullfighting
In contrast to the bullfighting practices in Mexico and Spain, where the bull is often killed, Costa Rican bullfighting adopts a more compassionate approach, treating the bull as a star. While the bull cannot be harmed, it retains the freedom to injure or even kill participants without consequence. This rule may stem more from practical considerations than affection for the animal, as many farming families rely on cattle for their income and cannot afford to lose their bulls. Nonetheless, some animal rights groups argue that the bulls are still subjected to mistreatment.
In Costa Rican bullfighting, each bull is introduced by name as it enters the ring, with details about its weight and lineage, including its father’s bullfighting record. The improvisados, or rodeo clowns, then confront the bull. These clowns are typically untrained young men who either stay near the fence for a quick escape or recklessly provoke the bull to entertain the audience. Their goal is to be as bold and entertaining as possible to earn cash rewards from the event’s organizers and sponsors.
The challenge lies in the bulls’ speed and aggression once they are riled up. Escaping them is nearly impossible unless you can quickly scale the fence. If you can’t, your only hope is that the bull becomes distracted by another target, as participants are not allowed to fight back. Your sole option is to run, and the bulls are exceptionally fast.
As depicted in the video, numerous rear-end collisions occur, with the bull launching men into mid-air flips and occasionally trampling them upon landing. Participants can remain in the ring with the bull indefinitely, but prolonged exposure increases the risk. Each year, hundreds of improvisados sustain injuries during these events.
The origins of this tradition remain unclear, but bullfighting festivals are an annual nationwide event in Costa Rica. For many young men, stepping into the bullfighting ring after turning 18 is considered a cultural milestone. “It’s just the Tico way,” Jon Carlos Cattano, 28, told the Tico Times. “Everyone should experience it at least once in their lifetime.”
