What are some weirdest customs and traditions in your country and what do you think about that?

In the north Vietnam, we have a quite bizarre traditions. After death, the dead bodies are buried in a grave deeply underground then after 3-5 years normally they are digged out. All the bones are collected and washed carefully by hands with water mixed some kind of herbs and white wine then put all into a stone box . And the stone box are reburied forever, of course in another place. The process is like the second funeral. In almost all Vietnamese traditional village cemeteries in the Red river delta, there are separated regions to bury dead bodies: one for the temporary burial and another for forever rest. We do that to make the dead bodies clean and pure and believe the process is needed for forever rest, also to show our love and care for the dead persons.

I've joined some reburial process and honestly speaking, it's quite terrible. Just imagine you have to go to a cemetery at 2 am in almost darkness and see a dead body, even it's your relatives...not mention to the hygiene and health of those who are involved in.

Nowadays though cremation is chosen by many families in cities and towns, in villages such ritual reburials are still popular.

Well, there’re lots of traditions in Russia and some of them may seem to be odd to foreigners. So you might be interested in a custom, known to every Russian, I'd like to tell about. It's a very ancient tradition of sitting silently for a little while (usually less than a minute) just before leaving home for somewhere, as rule another city. In Russian, that sounds like "posidet' na dorozhku" literally sit for a while for a jorney. For example. You're leaving, say, to call in on your friends in another city or on your business trip or somewhere else, it doesn't matter. Anyway your family and friends've met at your home to say goodbye to you. Your luggage's already packed and you are just about to come out. At that moment, according to the custom, someone usually suggest to sit down before you've come out of home. After that, you and the others ought to sit down for a short time. By now, everyone has already forgotten what the custom really means, although, it exists for more than a thousand years. Originally, it was started a long while before the Russians became Christians. At that time, the Russian people believed there lived a good spirit in their houses called "Domovoi",a "Brownie" who was guarding the house and providing the family with wealth and healthful. As it was thought, the mystic creature didn't like it if someone in the family was going to leave the house, even for a short time, so it would try as hard as it could to everything possible, even very bad things, to make the people remain at home anyway. And the people were certain that sitting just before setting off would make "Domovoy" believe no one was going to leave the house to make him eventually calm down. Of course, nowdays, the people left all that behind and they just think following the tradition can help them have a good trip.

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romik December 5, 2017 7:13

Well, there’re lots of traditions in Russia and some of them may seem to be odd to foreigners. So you might be interested in a custom, known to every Russian, I'd like to tell about. It's a very ancient tradition of sitting silently for a little while (usually less than a minute) just before leaving home for somewhere, as rule another city. In Russian, that sounds like "posidet' na dorozhku" literally sit for a while for a jorney. For example. You're leaving, say, to call in on your friends in another city or on your business trip or somewhere else, it doesn't matter. Anyway your family and friends've met at your home to say goodbye to you. Your luggage's already packed and you are just about to come out. At that moment, according to the custom, someone usually suggest to sit down before you've come out of home. After that, you and the others ought to sit down for a short time. By now, everyone has already forgotten what the custom really means, although, it exists for more than a thousand years. Originally, it was started a long while before the Russians became Christians. At that time, the Russian people believed there lived a good spirit in their houses called "Domovoi",a "Brownie" who was guarding the house and providing the family with wealth and healthful. As it was thought, the mystic creature didn't like it if someone in the family was going to leave the house, even for a short time, so it would try as hard as it could to everything possible, even very bad things, to make the people remain at home anyway. And the people were certain that sitting just before setting off would make "Domovoy" believe no one was going to leave the house to make him eventually calm down. Of course, nowdays, the people left all that behind and they just think following the tradition can help them have a good trip.
MARY December 1, 2017 1:52

Oh, woah! Yeah, I get it's like a bit sinister tradition but also kind of cool!
I'm glad to read that the bones are reburied forever... for a moment I thought you'd make a soup with them *Bad dum tsss*

Okay, okay, I shut up... :X

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