Culture

Satere Mawe Tribe Initiation - At age 13, the boys of the Satere Mawe Tribe become men but must prove their worth through the initiation ceremony. The boys head off into the jungle to harvest the angry bullet ants. One sting from the inch-long ant is said to be 30-times more painful than a bee sting, or about as painful as a gunshot, giving them their name. Back in the village, the chief elder intoxicates the ants in an herbal mixture, knocking them out just long enough to weave them into a special pair of gloves, with the stingers pointing inwards. When the ants wake up, the ceremony begins. The boys show courage by placing their hands in the gloves for 10 minutes each while being led in a traditional dance. The ceremony repeats 19 more times before the young boys can call themselves men.

• South Africa

• Brazil

• India

• Afghanistan

El Colacho - As a way to cleanse a new baby’s soul, every year, on the Sunday after the Feast of Corpus Christi, this event, which is now a mix of both pagan and Catholic traditions, begins with a procession through town and at the end of the walk, babies born in the previous year are laid on a mat. Men dressed as the devil run between and jump over the babies. Next, the leaders of the Catholic Church in the Burgos Region cleanse them with holy water.

• Italy

• Spain

• Paris

• France

In this country, red ink was only used to note the names of the dead on the family register. If the name of a living person was written in red ink, it was considered a sign that the person who wrote the name wished harm upon the other. Now, using red ink is a huge ‘no’ throughout the country, especially to write down a name. It’s considered rude and a sign of ill-will against the person whose name is noted, so it’s best to simply avoid the color altogether.

• North Korea

• Japan

• South Korea

• China

Every New Year, people in this country throw the broken dishware at the homes of friends and family as a way to wish them good luck for the new year. A less aggressive way to wish good luck is to simply leave a pile of broken plates on the doorstep of a loved one. The tradition dates back centuries and is one of the more unique ways to ring in the new year.

• Germany

• Sweden

• United Kingdom

• Denmark

The Amish Church is certainly unique and one interesting aspect is the traditional coming of age “Rumspringa.” At age 16, the Amish children are allowed to experience life outside the community for the first time. Rumspringa is meant to be a time for the kids to fully explore their faith and the real world, in order to be able to come to a decision on their own whether they want to return to the Amish Church or not. Whether the teens decide to return or not after Rumspringa, the time spent in the outside world is never put to waste. Teens can live on their own or live with their families, buy cars, go to wild parties, try alcohol for the first time, get an education (as Amish schooling only goes through 8th grade), and much more.

• Germany

• Poland

• United Kingdom

• USA

In America, a thumbs up is a common way of showing approval, whereas in the ____________ it's like giving the middle finger.

• Middle East, Russia, Greece, Latin America & West Africa

• Poland, UK, Ireland, Spain & Italy

• Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia & Singapore

• South Africa, Maldives, Taiwan & Hongkong

In the UK, not leaving a tip for the staff who looked after you in a restaurant is considered stingy, but, in _____________, workers feel insulted if they receive a tip. They take pride in their job and feel they don't need an extra incentive.

• USA & Australia

• Japan & South Korea

• Thailand & Cambodia

• Malaysia & Singapore

In certain parts of these countries, it is considered disgusting and rude to use your left hand in eating, accepting gifts, shake hands and doing other things. This is because the left hand is often used in place of toilet paper.

• Africa, India, Middle East & Sri Lanka

• Nepal, Maldives, Lesotho and Afghanistan

• Pakistan, India, Indonesia & Tajikistan

• Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore & Hongkong

In ____________, being fashionably late is polite because it ensures the host does not feel rushed and because not everybody has a car, it is rude to insist people to arrive on time.

• Tajikistan and Maldives

• Nepal & Lesotho

• Pakistan and India

• Mexico & Tanzania

In this country, bad timekeeping can be taken to mean that you consider your own time more valuable than other people's time.

• Poland

• Switzerland

• Germany

• Dominican Republic