10 global traditions that leave tourists completely baffled

Travel is the ultimate cure for the narrow-minded, but it’s also a quick way to find yourself in a state of utter confusion. What is considered a standard polite gesture in one corner of the globe might be a grave insult in another. From the night before a German wedding to the dinner tables of Cairo, the world is filled with traditions that might catch a tourist off guard. Here are ten social customs from around the world that prove "normal" is entirely relative.

If you attend a Greek wedding and see guests leaning in toward the bride to make a "ftou ftou ftou" sound, don’t call security. They aren't actually showering her with saliva; they are performing a traditional "dry spit."

In Greek culture, the "evil eye" is a very real concern. It is believed that excessive praise or good fortune can attract the envy of malevolent spirits. By mimicking the act of spitting, guests are essentially tainting the luck just enough to keep the spirits away. It’s a superstitious safety measure intended to ensure the bride’s happiness remains uninterrupted.

In most Western households, reaching for the salt shaker is a mindless habit. In Egypt, it’s a diplomatic incident. If you are a guest in someone’s home or dining at a traditional restaurant, adding salt to your meal is viewed as a direct insult to the chef.

The logic is simple: the chef has seasoned the dish exactly as it was meant to be enjoyed. By adding salt, you are suggesting that the food is bland or that the host failed in their hospitality. To keep the peace, always taste the food and offer a compliment before even thinking about extra seasoning.

In many cultures, eating loudly is the pinnacle of bad manners. In Japan, however, if you aren't slurping your ramen, you aren't doing it right. Slurping your noodles—loudly and with gusto—serves two practical purposes: it draws air into the mouth to cool the piping hot broth, and it is said to enhance the flavor.

More importantly, it is a non-verbal "thank you" to the chef. Silence at a ramen bar can be misinterpreted as boredom or dissatisfaction. If you want to blend in, leave your quiet etiquette at the door and make some noise.

Finland is known for its stoic locals and world-class education, but once a year, it becomes the epicenter of Eukonkanto, or Wife Carrying. Men race through an obstacle course featuring sand, grass, and a deep pool of water, all while carrying a female teammate on their backs.

The custom has its roots in 19th-century legends of wife stealing, but today, it’s a lighthearted international sport. The most outlandish part? The winner traditionally receives the wife’s weight in beer. It’s a grueling test of endurance that celebrates strength, partnership, and a very specific type of hydration.

If you hear the sound of shattering porcelain outside a German house the night before a wedding, don’t worry, it isn't a domestic dispute. It’s a Polterabend. Guests bring old plates, flowerpots, and tiles (but never glass or mirrors, which bring bad luck when broken) to the couple’s home and smash them on the ground.

The Polterabend is intended to drive away evil spirits. The most important part of the ritual comes afterward: the bride and groom must work together to sweep up the shards. This symbolizes their ability to work as a team and handle the messes that life will inevitably throw at them.

In the village of Castrillo de Murcia, northern Spain, people have been practicing a tradition since the 1600s that would give any modern pediatrician a heart attack. During the feast of Corpus Christi, men dressed as "El Colacho" (the Devil) run through the streets, whipping bystanders before leaping over rows of actual infants.

The babies, born within the previous year, are laid out on mattresses in the street. The "Devil" jumps over them to symbolically absorb their sins and protect them from illness and evil spirits. While it looks like a high-stakes stunt, it is a deeply rooted religious rite of passage. If you find yourself in Castrillo de Murcia in June, don’t be alarmed, the "Devils" are quite skilled at their hurdles.

When visiting a village in Fiji, you will likely be invited to a Kava ceremony. Kava is a drink made from the crushed root of a pepper plant, mixed with water in a large wooden bowl called a tanoa. It looks like muddy water and, according to many tourists, tastes somewhat like it, too.

However, the real surprise is the physical effect. Kava contains kavalactones, which act as a mild sedative. Within minutes of drinking, your lips and tongue will go numb, and a sense of calm will wash over you. It is a vital part of Fijian social fabric, used to welcome guests, settle disputes, and mark important milestones. Just remember to clap once before and three times after you drink your bowl.

In South Korea, you should be very careful when choosing a pen to sign a birthday card or write a note. Writing a living person's name in red ink is a massive taboo. Historically, red ink was used on death certificates or to record the names of the deceased in family registers.

Consequently, writing a living person’s name in red implies that they are either dead or that you wish them harm. While the younger generation is less superstitious, it remains a social gesture that can cause genuine discomfort for older Koreans. When in doubt, stick to blue or black.

One of the most intense and jarring customs comes from the Dani tribe in the highlands of Papua, Indonesia. Known as Ikipalin, the tradition involves women cutting off the top segments of their fingers to express grief when a family member dies.

The physical pain is meant to represent the emotional pain of loss and to appease the spirits of the deceased. While the practice has been officially outlawed by the Indonesian government and is rarely practiced by the younger generation, you can still see many elderly Dani women with shortened fingers.

While children in the U.S. or the UK wait for the Tooth Fairy to leave money under a pillow, Greek children have a much more athletic tradition. When a Greek child loses a baby tooth, they make a wish for "strong, healthy teeth" and throw the tooth onto the roof of their house.

This tradition is rooted in the idea that the tooth will be replaced by one as strong as a pig’s or a crow’s. It’s a communal way of celebrating a child’s growth, though it certainly makes for a strange sight for a tourist watching a kid hurl dental remains on the roof.