The coolest traditions in the world

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Kava Ceremony

Christmas is one of the most important traditions in the West (and beyond), and regardless of one’s religious beliefs it is next to impossible to escape the holiday hype. Holidays necessarily involve tradition, and that’s what makes them so much fun. But no matter how big the Christmas celebration is, there are tons of other fascinating traditions that receive less attention.

So here are a couple of lesser known or less important traditions that are nonetheless really cool. A short list of the coolest traditions in the world:

Hookah Pipe

The hookah is becoming the darling of the hip youth, but this  tradition has a long history behind it. Although it is associated with the Middle East and the Arabian world in general, the hookah has originated from India.

The water pipe has many names: hookah, shisha, nargeela, and there are some subtle differences between them, but the basic idea is the same. Hookah is a bug part of the Arabian coffee culture, and if you wander into a coffee shop in Bangladesh or Morocco, you’ll definitely see some hookahs.

Japanese Tea Ceremony

The British Isles might be known for their devotion to tea, but their tea-addiction is nothing compared to what you can see in parts of Asia. The Japanese have developed an intricate way to serve tea, so complicated that it takes years to learn the proper way to do it.

It’s all about decorum, elegance and precision, and it’s difficult not to be amazed by sheer coolness of those performing it. The preparation of the matcha (green tea) is often accompanied by snacks, dance and music.

Buzkashi

Variations on Buzkashi can be encountered in several countries in Central Asia, but the jist is the same: you play polo with a dead animal, most of the time a sheep. The descendants of the Turkic tribes in Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan still play this rough polo-like game, and instead of a ball, the headless carcass of an innocent sheep is used. The game usually ends when the poor animal disintegrates.

Kava Ceremony

Traditions from the Pacific Islands tend to be as exotic as you can imagine, and when it comes to the Kava Ceremony, they involve strange and possibly narcotic substances too. The kava drink is made from the roots of the kava plant, and it has mild sedative properties. Kava is completely legal, so not to worry, and it gives the drinker a nice and harmless buzz. Kava is often served to welcome visitors and to begin peace talks.

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Comments on The coolest traditions in the world

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Peter wrote on January 6, 2011:

My favorite is actually Thanksgiving. The idea itself is nice, but besides that you get to meet your family have a beautiful dinner and all without the annoying presents

 

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