Rare traditions. Interesting customs and traditions of the peoples of the world

Shaking hands as a sign of greeting for the weak
Forget about wiping your nose. Men from some Eskimo tribes line up to greet a stranger. Whereupon the first of them steps forward and gives the stranger a good slap on the top of the head, and expects a similar response from the stranger. Slaps and blows continue until one of the parties (the Eskimos or their unfortunate guest) falls to the ground. Would you like to try this greeting? How would you like a tradition that flourishes among some of the tribes in Papua New Guinea? There it is customary to greet a man by touching the tip of his penis ... men walk there almost naked.

Genus is a relative concept.
For many Indians, Native Americans, the concept of "third kind" was quite common (as a rule, it was applied to men who led a female lifestyle). Anthropologists call them "berdachi", and contemporaries of such people called them more simply - "two-hearted", berdachi played an important role in the life of the community. According to an article by researcher Richard Drexler, published in the journal Social History, double-minded people tended to spend time in the company of women, doing household chores, such as cooking, sewing, or any other social role peculiar to a woman. Moreover, other men from the tribe could take double-hearted wives. Drexler cites in his article evidence that boys, endowed by nature with special beauty, were originally brought up as “berdachi”, because their beauty could subsequently attract potential husbands. Unmarried "berdachi" played the role of "companions" of young warriors, who, if there were no double-hearted people, would turn their sexual energy on young girls from the tribe.

Marry you? Catch me if you can
When people began to unite in clans and tribes, the concept of "courtship" included a raid on the territory of neighbors, ending in the capture of a woman who was forced to marry a valiant kidnapper. And, although "bride kidnapping" subsided with the advent and spread of organized religious beliefs, some of the cultural "atavisms" of this tradition are alive to this day. Among the Arabs living in the Sinai Peninsula, there is a tradition: a girl receives the status of purity and modesty, which is directly proportional to how much she will resist on her wedding day and how many tears she will shed about this. According to Irish tradition, marriage is hardly legal unless the bride makes an attempt to escape and the groom's friends catch her. In Wales, the following tradition exists: the bride's relatives must intercept the bride at the door of the church and try to escape with her, forcing the groom and his relatives to give chase, when the stolen bride is caught, she will be solemnly handed over to the future husband.

A real man
A boy from the South African tribe of Khosa is considered a "thing" and not a person until he undergoes a traditional circumcision ritual called "abakweta". Katherine Stewart writes that the ritual is usually performed after the boy has completed the teenage stage of his life, but it may be performed earlier. To perform the ritual, the surgeon-priest comes at dawn to the family house, as soon as they see him, the women begin to wail. As soon as the priest notices the boy, who is about to undergo the initiation ceremony, he begins to scream, calling the unfortunate "dog" or "thing". The operation is performed with a sharpened blade, the boy should neither burst into tears nor twist in pain. Once the foreskin is severed, the “doctor” proudly declares, “You are now a man,” and flings the cut off skin in front of the boy, who must lift the skin and, clenching his fist tightly, repeat: “I am a man.” The boy must bury his foreskin in an anthill, his wound will be lined with special leaves and smeared with mud. After that, the priest prepares a mixture of water and earth from the anthill, smears this slurry on the face and chest of an accomplished man, and to top it off, makes him drink a whole sip of water-earth slurry. After this stage of execution, the boy is painted head to toe with white clay and wrapped in a new blanket, and the father of the "man" pays the priest 50 cents. Unfortunately, as Stewart testifies, many young people are then taken to hospitals in the Eastern Cape with diagnoses such as severe dehydration, sepsis and gangrene, many of them never fully recover.

Bath twice a year, but why more often?
Due to prejudice and excessive church dissatisfaction with the sight of the naked human body, medieval Europe practically forgot about regular bathing and personal hygiene. Even wealthy families gave themselves a “full wash” no more than a couple of times a year, in May and October. Twice a year people took a bath in a huge tub filled with hot water. The head of the family or the owner of the house was the first to climb into the clean hot water, followed by his sons in order of priority, immediately after them all male relatives or guests who are currently on the estate. As soon as the men somehow scraped off the dirt from themselves, it was the turn of the women, the mistress of the house went first, after which the female children, the babies had to be dipped into the already pretty dirty water last. By the time it was the turn of the babies, the water in the tub was already so black that medieval matrons were strongly advised not to let the baby out of their hands while bathing. So it's actually not surprising that women covered their hair, and men shaved their heads bald and wore wigs. But not everyone, not everyone could afford good quality wigs. Instead of being washed, wigs were stuffed into a loaf of bread gutted from the inside and baked in an oven. The heat of the stove fluffed up the wig, making it lush, and lush hair was considered a sign of human health.

Seven times a year for success
Seven times a year, at a festival called Pon, Indonesians go on a pilgrimage to the holy mountain on the island of Java in order to perform a ritual that brings good luck. In order to be blessed with good fortune, they must spend a night of love with someone other than their own spouse. According to the belief, wishes will come true only if the Indonesian lies all seven times with the same person.

Burning with love
Despite the fact that in 1829 the rite of "sati" was banned, India could not easily and quickly abandon this part of its ancient culture. When a man died, his body was transported to the place of cremation, accompanied by his wife, dressed in the best outfit, her friends and relatives. Arriving at the place of cremation, the wife had to go around the funeral pyre 7 times and sit next to the body of her husband, rejoicing that she could go to another world with him. After that, the relatives tied the unfortunate woman and threw dry branches into the fire after it was kindled. Even girls of 10 years old had to perform the ritual "sati" if the man to whom they were given in marriage "played in the box."

Author of sadism
The Marquis de Sade, perhaps the most infamous author in French literature, is not so much known for his handwritten writings as for his penchant for violent play. The term "sadism", meaning a sexual perversion in which pleasure is felt from inflicting physical or mental pain on other people, first appeared in dictionaries in 1834, 20 years after de Sade's death. In 1768, the Marquis de Sal rented a prostitute named Rose Keller, whom he kept in captivity for a long time, mocking her in every possible way. In the following years, he was found guilty of many sex crimes, for which he was imprisoned for three decades, which may have brought some kind of pleasure to his twisted brain.

creative greetings
According to Betty and Franz Baumley's Gesture Dictionary, the world uses different parts of the body in the most amusing way in the process of communication. For example, in Tibet it is customary to greet a familiar person by showing him the thumb of his right hand and at the same time sticking out his tongue. In Tahiti, you can show your joy at the arrival of your friend in a completely creepy way: cut yourself with shark teeth and howl in pain. Filipinos as a sign of greeting should rub the palm (or foot of the guest, depending on its importance) on their face.

Alternative to "thank you"
In Thailand, it is considered absolutely normal to burp loudly after a hearty meal, but in the same Thailand it is considered impolite to step on food, point at something with the toe of a shoe, or touch the head of another person.

Although for many years politicians and sociologists have been talking about the inevitable globalization and unity of cultures and civilizations, the states of the globe still retain their bright individuality, originality and historical flavor. The customs of the peoples of the world are an integral part of this individuality, because in every country people look at the same phenomena through the prism of their own culture. The traveler will certainly need basic knowledge about the peculiarities of life abroad.

Canada

Canadians adhere to strict rules of formal courtesy even when it comes to small gaffes. If you step on someone's foot or push another person, you should immediately apologize briefly. Although such behavior is also expected in Russia, in Canada even the "victim" apologizes. Therefore, if you accidentally stepped on your foot, do not neglect the politeness formula "I'm sorry" - this will show that you are an intelligent person who does not want to cause trouble to others (for example, stand in someone's way and "force" others to push you).
Smoking is prohibited in public areas, including restaurants. Smoking at a party is only allowed if the host has given express permission to do so.
Many customs of the peoples of the world dictate specific rules of conduct when meeting. In Quebec, for example, shaking a woman's hand (even if it's another woman's handshake) means establishing a certain detachment and showing that you're in a purely formal relationship. As a sign of friendliness, one should hug each other at a meeting and kiss lightly on both cheeks.
In Canada, you must take off your shoes when visiting someone else's home.
If you are offered coffee late in the evening at a party, it means that the hosts expect you to go home soon.

USA

When talking with another person, it is advisable to look into his eyes - otherwise you will be considered secretive and unworthy of trust. This rule contrasts sharply with most other states, where eye contact is considered rude.
Modern customs of the peoples of the world dictate respect for the service personnel. So, in an American restaurant, you should always leave a tip to the waiter - if you do not, your guests will feel extremely uncomfortable. Waiters are paid a lot of tips, so your guests will also feel embarrassed if you leave too little money on the table. Traditionally, visitors leave 15 percent of the order to the waiters; 10 percent is considered a complaint of poor service, and 20 percent is an award for satisfactory or excellent service. Tips above 20 percent are considered ostentatious generosity, but the waiter will no doubt be pleased.
Tipping isn't just for restaurants - extra money is given to taxi drivers, hairdressers and stylists, food delivery couriers, and random handymen (even if you've hired neighborhood teens to mow your lawn). So, for pizza delivery they give from two to five dollars, regardless of the amount of the order.
National - countries with the greatest diversity of cultures and peoples - provide due respect to all categories of the population. When meeting a new person, he should not be asked about his marital status or the presence of a romantic relationship, as well as about his political views. It is impolite to ask a woman her age or weight.
Most traditions in America are based on the principle of mutual respect. It is impossible to violate the personal space of a person, that is, to be closer to him than at arm's length. Exceptions to the rule are being in a crowd or crush, as well as friendly relations.
If you are invited to visit, bring a bottle of wine with you. You can also buy a cake or other sweets, but in this case it is advisable to find out in advance if the hosts have prepared a special dessert themselves.

Italy

If you are interested in European customs, you can take a closer look at the traditions of Italy. An interesting fact: in this country it is not customary to take off coats and other outerwear immediately upon entering the premises. You need to wait for a special invitation or ask if you can leave your raincoat or jacket.
You should not put hats on the bed, as there is an ominous superstition on this topic.
When visiting stores, you should always greet the sellers, even if you just came to look at the goods and are not going to talk to the consultants.
It is undesirable to ask for a check immediately after finishing dinner in a restaurant. It is better to spend a couple of minutes relaxing and enjoying the atmosphere and a cup of cappuccino.
Men should not wear white socks in public, because, according to popular belief, only "mama's boys" do this.
It is not recommended to bite off bread with your teeth. It is customary for Italians to tear off small pieces with their hands, put butter or pate on them, served in special segments in a separate dish, and immediately send them to the mouth in this form. Do not use a knife or other cutlery. Such specific traditions of Italy originate in the Middle Ages, when the peasants, exhausted by hunger, having barely received bread from the masters for food, ate it right on the spot, stuffing their cheeks. Noble intelligent townspeople were always full, and therefore they were expected to have appropriate calm behavior.

Spain

Unlike the customs of many European countries, the traditions of Spain are mostly based on the supremacy of local culture. Arguments about which country and which language is better should always be avoided, especially when comparing Spanish with English. The inhabitants of this state speak English relatively poorly and often require tourists to know their language. If you do not speak Spanish, it is better to try to explain yourself with gestures - local citizens will perceive such communication more favorably than the persistent use of English expressions.
Some traditional topics are best not discussed at all. These include fighting bulls (toro), religion, fascism and nationalism. Regarding the latter, even the Spaniards themselves still cannot come to an agreement.
Always try to look calm and relaxed. You can talk loudly, gesticulate emotionally, joke with your hosts, and use forms of physical contact without any embarrassment.
It is customary to say hello to all neighbors, even if you do not know them.
When greeting, men shake hands, and women wait for kisses on both cheeks.
Many Spanish traditions are associated with active sports. So, for example, even a practically stranger can be invited to watch a football match together. If you received such an invitation, in no case do not criticize the team that the owner of the house is rooting for.

Ireland

Ireland is a very distinctive state, in which even Christian holidays are observed in their own way, such as, for example, Easter and Palm Sunday. The customs of this country, however, partially reflect the practices adopted in Great Britain (although Ireland is a sovereign republic). You should not, however, publicly attribute this state to the United Kingdom - the natives will instantly be offended, since only part of the UK remains. Avoid talking about topics related to the sovereignty of the country.
In bars and pubs, do not speak to the bartender until he has served the customer who came before you.
If a guest comes to you, you must definitely offer him coffee or tea.
It is not recommended to ask other people about their income and business success. Colleagues are not interested in salary. In some companies, such questions are officially prohibited.
If people celebrate Easter or Palm Sunday, customs and religious rituals are best observed from the outside. In no case do not ask people what religion they adhere to - Catholicism or Protestantism.

Arab countries

It is customary to perform personal hygiene rituals on the left hand - therefore it is considered dirty. Shaking hands with the left hand is considered an insult. There are also taken only right.
Do not expose the soles of your feet or touch anyone with your shod foot.
In Iraq, the "thumbs up" gesture is taken as a serious insult.
The customs of the peoples of the world living in Arab countries dictate honor and respect for elders. This means standing up as soon as the elders enter the room and greet them first if they are already in the room.
In most Arab countries, holding hands while walking is a sign of politeness and a symbol of friendship. Unlike Western states, here such a gesture does not carry any hints of romance.
If a person puts all five fingers of his hand together and points upward with his fingertips, this means that he needs to meditate for five minutes. This sign should not be confused with a fist and threatening gestures.
Greetings of the peoples of Africa are always associated with a demonstration of the sincerity of emotions. In Morocco, for example, after shaking hands, the right hand is placed over the heart. It is impossible to shake hands with each other (for example, if acquaintances are separated by a highway), it is enough just to put your right hand to your heart.
Strangers you meet for the first time may invite you to lunch or dinner at their home. If such an invitation bothers you, do not refuse - refusal will be considered rude. Instead, ask to postpone the visit until an indefinite time in the near future.
The traditions of the peoples of the Arab countries require plentiful treats, so do not be surprised if you are offered food endlessly at a party, over and over again. You can constantly refuse, but the main thing is not to take the persistence of the owners for a manifestation of tactlessness. It is better to eat little and take a little from the dishes offered in the first rounds, and only then refuse with a clear conscience.

China and Taiwan

Eastern culture is very distinctive and diverse, so you should not mention in a conversation with Asians that for you the Chinese, Koreans, Thais and Japanese are "all the same." It's just impolite.
You only need to eat with your right hand.
Avoid using the American "thumbs up" gesture - here it is considered indecent.
If you were invited to visit, and the hosts prepared lunch or dinner on their own, they will certainly report that something is wrong with the food - for example, that it is too salty. To such a remark, it should be answered that all the dishes are excellent and not at all oversalted.
Interesting traditions are associated with the holidays. If you are given a gift, refuse it. It is customary for the Chinese to offer gifts several times. They should not be opened in the presence of the donor.
Hats should not be given to married men. The Chinese expression "wearing a green hat" means that the wife is cheating on her husband. Such a gift will be regarded as an insult to the spouses.
It is also impossible to give another person a watch - an ancient superstition, which people adhere to even in the modern world, says: such a donor counts the moments before the death of the donee. Umbrellas (a sign of parting) and white flowers (a ritual symbol of a funeral) should also not be presented as a gift.
Traditions suggest that others will look after you when visiting. Therefore, you, in turn, will have to pour drinks into the glasses of your neighbors.
Pregnant women should not attend funerals - this is a sign that promises misfortune.

India

Eastern culture differs from Western culture in the priority of modesty over external beauties. Both men and women in India wear closed clothing. Shorts are highly undesirable for both sexes; women should not wear bikinis, short skirts and off-the-shoulder dresses. Plain white dresses and saris should also be avoided, as these garments are considered a symbol of widow's mourning.
In most Indian homes, it is customary to take off your shoes in the hallway. Although the hosts may favor the ignorance of foreign guests, it is better to ask in advance if it is possible to enter the house without taking off your shoes.
Unusual are associated with spiritual beliefs. If you accidentally touch another person with your feet or step on objects of veneration (coins, banknotes, books, paper, etc.), you will be expected to apologize. The generally accepted form of apology in this case is to touch the person or object with the right hand, which then needs to be placed on one's forehead.
While you are visiting an Indian house, you will be offered food several times - you can safely refuse if you are already full.

The strangest national customs

In Greece, it is customary to throw a child's lost baby tooth onto the roof - according to a common superstition, this action brings good luck.
One of the peoples of Iran has a calendar of nineteen months, each of which has only nineteen days.
In Sweden, gold and silver coins are placed inside the bride's elegant shoes at the wedding ceremony.
At a traditional wedding in Norway, the bride wears a silver crown from which hang long amulets designed to ward off evil spirits.

For the New Year

In Brazil, a bowl of lentil soup is a must for New Year's Eve, as lentils are considered a symbol of prosperity.
The traditional life and customs of Latvia at Christmas necessarily involve the preparation of stewed brown beans with pork and cabbage sauce.
In the Netherlands, Santa Claus has a helper named Black Pete.
On December 5th, Austria celebrates Krampus Night. This event is dedicated to Santa's evil twin brother.

Some festive customs of the peoples of the world can plunge into a state of shock any person who is uninitiated in the subtleties of their national culture. What is worth only a crowd of people in costumes of the devil, jumping over babies during the Spanish festival "El Colacho", or old sofas flying from the windows of the houses of the South African city of Johannesburg on New Year's Eve! Native customs will seem to you just a childish prank compared to what people in other countries do. Today we will remember the strangest traditions from around the world and find out how they appeared.

Ukrainian Christmas and web

In most countries, one kind of spider or web will become a good reason to panic and run out of the house screaming in horror. But this does not apply to Ukraine, where the multi-legged "monster" will only be welcome. Especially at Christmas! After all, spiders, according to Ukrainians, bring happiness and good luck. According to an ancient legend, it was these creatures who helped save the Christmas of a certain poor widow with children. They decorated the pinecone that served as her Christmas tree with their silvery cobwebs and returned the atmosphere of the holiday to the house.

The legend, unequivocally, brought a couple of notes of Halloween horror to the Ukrainian version of the Christmas tale. Indeed, in memory of the miracle performed by spiders, the inhabitants of this country began to decorate the festive tree with artificial cobwebs.

New Year's chaos in South Africa

There are hundreds of ways to celebrate the New Year in an original way. You can, for example, watch the descent of the crystal ball in Times Square or set off giant fireworks. Have you heard that not so long ago, on the eve of this holiday, South Africans threw old furniture out of the windows of their own houses?

This tradition became widespread in one of the criminal districts of Johannesburg in the 90s of the XX century after the end of the apartheid era. However, it was not given to exist for a long time for objective reasons. A few years ago, a refrigerator flying from the upper floors caused serious injuries to an innocent pedestrian.

Police officers joined the fight against the dangerous tradition. To maintain law and order, they cruised the streets of the troubled area in armored vehicles. The police action met with some success. In 2013, not a single piece of furniture flew out of the windows of local houses, although an incredible number of fights took place on New Year's Eve, fireworks were launched everywhere, and a peaceful pedestrian could fall under a flurry of glass bottles.

Fast food at Christmas in Japan

There are strange traditions in Japan as well. And they concern the Christmas menu of its inhabitants. The Japanese do not want to see traditional dishes like turkey or goose on their festive table. They prefer trivial fried chicken from the KFC fast food chain to all culinary delights of the world. How did it happen that a banal fast food originally from America became a local national tradition?

Every country, every nation has its own traditional customs. But sometimes they seem too strange for a modern person. We will tell you about some of them.

The inhabitants of the Republic of Madagascar are distinguished by exceptional attachment to their relatives. But sometimes such a connection becomes abnormal, especially when it comes to the already deceased. To this day, the Malagasy strictly follow the ancient custom of periodically digging up the dead from their tombs, dressing them in the best clothes and taking photographs with them. This will seem wild to a modern European, and the inhabitants of Madagascar believe that such behavior is nothing more than a manifestation of love and respect for those who are already in another world.

In India, there is a rather shocking custom associated with strengthening the spirit of a newborn. As soon as a child is born, they are thrown from the wall of the temple (10-15 meters high). At the bottom, a newborn is caught, for this a large piece of matter is stretched, which is held by at least 8 people. It is believed that such a procedure from an early age will make the child more successful, and also give him courage.

In Scotland, in some regions, the medieval wedding custom has survived into the 21st century. The bride, dressed in a spotless white dress, adorned with flowers (and rich with jewels) is completely covered in mud. Dirt can be spoiled food, earth, flour, honey. In this form, she must pass along the main street, bypass the central square, and also ride a horse around the city. Today this is done, for the most part, for the sake of entertainment, but earlier people believed that through this the girl cleanses her soul from all sorts of earthly sins.

Most nations have always had an original relationship with death. But in conducting funeral rites, Tibetan monks distinguished themselves most of all. The body of the deceased, according to their belief, should not only return to the earth, but also be useful. And so it was not buried, but divided and carried to the top of the mountain, where wild animals live. Thus, people believed that the spirit of the deceased was again reunited with nature in the most natural way: by being included in the natural circulation of substances.

Walking on kindled coals has been practiced in Japan and Africa since ancient times. But you can meet this custom there today. The fire was called upon to purify a person, instill in him courage, firmness and steadfastness. It was believed that if you walk along the road of fire without fear, then there is nothing more to be afraid of in life.

The Japanese, as observational practice shows, are rather strange in their customs. And the Japanese Spring Fertility Festival is proof of that. At the beginning of spring, the inhabitants of the Land of the Rising Sun gather on the streets of cities (only some cities, since not everyone takes part in the holiday) to contemplate the sacred action. The strongest and healthiest men get the opportunity to carry a wooden male genital organ, weighing 25 kilograms, through the whole city. Such a tradition involves not only ennobling the land and increasing the level of productivity, but also brings “fertility to the family”, increasing the birth rate and strengthening families.

At all times, the attention of researchers studying ethnic formations in the aggregate of their origin, material and spiritual culture, way of life and traditions has been riveted to different peoples of the world, among which there were truly amazing communities. What collectives, united by a common territory, language and customs, can be called the most amazing of all?

The first in the list of the most amazing peoples of the world will be real travelers leading a nomadic lifestyle. People belonging to this group refer to themselves as "Pavies", although they are also known as Irish "wanderers", "wanderers" or shelt (after the name of the unwritten language). They represent an ethnos with an unexplained historical origin. So, some researchers believe that the Irish gypsies are the descendants of the nomadic Celts. Others think they came from the landless peasantry of the 1840s. The latter insist on the version of the appearance of payvies from one, albeit extensive, gypsy clan, which is confirmed by the common traditions of the “wanderers” with their Western European “brothers”.

This is interesting! One thing is known for sure - the representatives of the Shelty have long become native Irish, which was confirmed by a once conducted genetic study.

"Travellers" prefer to live in vans that are easily driven from place to place, and also coexist in communities. The population of Ireland, Great Britain and the USA, where the proportion of such gypsies is 23,000, 15,000 and 7,000 people, respectively, is wary of "wanderers". This is quite justified: payvies can easily cheat or deceive, sneak into the cinema without paying, take a room in a hotel and, violating any rules, call their numerous relatives there. They are very quick-tempered, which is why their disputes often turn into fistfights. At the same time, the gypsies try not to disturb other people.

One of the most amazing traditions of Shelta is the organization of the annual fair. All representatives of the ethnic group come here to trade in horses and thoroughbred puppies. There are also informal shows. Young people dressing up for an important occasion get to know each other, as a result of which many weddings take place at the end of the bazaar.

Padaung

The next most amazing people in the world, about which the story will go, will be the Thai ethnic group called "padaung", numbering only 50,000 representatives. Living in highland villages, the men of the collective are engaged in growing rice, keeping and training elephants, reading prayers and slaughtering sacrifices in the name of the supreme female spirit of the tribe. However, this was not at all the reason for the increase in the popularity of padaung.

The women of the community gradually become like giraffes, as many tourists who saw them concluded. The thing is that the fair sex begins to wear copper spiral rings with a diameter of about 1 cm around their necks from the age of 5 - this is the custom of local villages. Over time, the number of turns of the strange “decoration” only increases, and the neck seems to stretch in length. In fact, in women there is a deformation of the shoulder girdle. By adulthood, wearing rings can become more than 2 dozen with a total weight of 4-5 kg. Their accumulation stops only with marriage, however, even then the newly-made spouse does not have the right to remove the spirals from her neck.

Padaung women continue the amazing tradition of their people, passed down to them from their mothers, grandmothers and great-grandmothers since the creation of the world itself, and it seems that they do not even think about its unnatural essence. It is believed that once the rings protected the fairer sex from the bites of tigers. According to another version, this is how families protected their savings - precious metals. However, today these explanations are defeated by an ordinary calculation - an unusual feature of the inhabitants attracts many tourists from all over the world here, and, therefore, allows them to derive practical benefits from the custom.

Berbers

Some associate the African continent exclusively with the Negroid race or the Arabs who appeared on these lands in the 7th-8th centuries AD. What will be the surprise of these people when they learn about the Berbers, once nicknamed by their neighbors because of the incomprehensibility of the language, or the Amazighs (self-name, which translates as “free people”). Many representatives of this group are not only the original and ancient inhabitants of the mainland, but also the owners of fair skin and a European type of appearance! Today, the Berbers are understood as a whole complex of tribes, occupying territories from western Egypt to the Atlantic and from the Niger River to the Mediterranean Sea.

The amazing traditions of this people could not be fully explained by the best ethnographers of the world. For example, it remains unclear why clothes, jewelry, tattoos (harkuzu) and ancient ornaments of this large group use motifs similar to Slavic and Aryan ones: similar embroidery on fabrics, symbols of motherhood and fertility, signs of military success. Scarves tied around the head, flowing scarves, kokoshniks and the predominance of red and white colors in costumes also fit the features of Russian or Ukrainian, and not at all African, historical culture.

Perhaps the reason for the similarities is the common origin, because a number of researchers suggest that many years ago the Berbers left Eurasia, and, in particular, became the descendants of the Gauls.

Who should not be forgotten

In addition to the aforementioned ethnic groups, there are some other nationalities on the planet that can amaze the imagination of modern man with the eccentricity of ways and customs. Here is their listing:

Nenets, Russia. This "frost-resistant" tribe lives on the Yamal Peninsula right next to the Arctic Ocean. Desperate nomadic reindeer herders, migrating 1,000 km a year, have long since adapted to temperatures that would seem prohibitive to others – -50°C in winter and, in rare cases, up to +35°C in summer.

Mustangs, Nepal. This autonomous community tried to stay away from any possibility of contact with the rest of the world until 1991. Mustangs who practice something like early Buddhism are extremely devout. Most of them believe that the earth is flat.

Himba, Namibia. These Africans are distinguished by ingenuity and the ability to adapt to the most difficult conditions. In the places inhabited by them, there is a catastrophic lack of water, so they are forced not to wash themselves, but to smear themselves with a home-made mixture that paints their bodies in a golden-red palette.