The United Nations (UN) has designated August 9 as World Indigenous Peoples Day. This celebration is intended to make us aware of the importance of indigenous peoples as cultural heirs and practitioners.
Despite the differences in each group or tribe, this is the most unique tradition in the world.
- Lengthening the neck, Karen Tribe – Thailand
This tradition of elongating the neck occurs in the Karen people who come from the Tibetan plateau. Today, they live in Baan Tong Luang with seven other tribes in northern Thailand. There are also those who live in the Pet Pan area, Myanmar.
Women in the Karen tribe believe that the longer the neck, the more beautiful the appearance. They use a lot of brass rings around their necks, the longer they are the more prominent they look.
2. Dancing with corpses, Madagascar
Dancing with corpses or Famadihana is a hereditary tradition in some areas of Madagascar. This ritual is usually performed from June to September. Not only dancing, they also changed the cloth that covered the corpse.
3. Thaipusam Day, Tamil Tribe
Thaipusam Day is celebrated by Hindu communities in India, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, and so on. The majority of the people are descendants of the Tamil Tribe of the Dravidian Nation originating from South Asia.
Thaipusam is held in honor of the Hindu god of war, Muragan. As a token of respect and penance, some people will stab the skin on the chest and back. This ritual takes place in the 10th month of the Hindu calendar.
4. Hanami, Japan
In Japan, there is a tradition called Hanami when the cherry trees begin to bloom. Initially, this activity came from a noble family, then spread to the samurai circle to the wider community.
Unlike now, Japanese people used to gather under cherry blossom trees to compose classic poems. There are only a few locations for Hanami, namely Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Hiroshima, Kyoto, and others.
Body tattoo, Kalinga Tribe – Philippines
Like the Dayak tribe in Kalimantan, the Kalinga tribe in the Philippines also has a tradition of tattooing their bodies. Tattoos are engraved by hitting with a wooden bat, the ink is made of sugar and soot.
The tattoo is not just an image, there is a meaning behind it all. For the women of the Kalinga tribe, tattoos are like jewelry. More specifically, those with tattoos indicate that they are ripe and ready to be wooed.
6. Sculpting teeth, Mentawai Tribe – Indonesia
This terrible tradition comes from Indonesia, namely the Mentawai tribe in the Mentawai islands off the west coast of Sumatra. The tradition that is still maintained by the inhabitants of this tribe is to carve the teeth of women so that they become pointed.
They believe that women with pointed teeth will look more attractive and have a good relationship between body and soul. The teeth of each woman will be sanded using a rough knife and they will not receive any medication or anesthetic during the procession.
7. Putting the plate on the lips, Mursi Tribe – Ethiopia
Another story for the women of the Mursi Tribe in Ethiopia. For them, the wider one’s lips, the more beautiful eating will look. Usually, they use plates made of clay or wood measuring 4 to 25 centimeters.
Before being placed on the lips, they must be willing to remove two to four teeth. To the horror, they also cut the lower lip to fit the size of the plate.
According to the United Nations, the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples also has a role to play in the development of their traditions according to their needs and aspirations. If you go on vacation to the countries above, don’t forget to know the local customs.
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