Check out 5 cultural events beyond curious

When traveling to faraway countries - whether physically, through books or TV shows - it is quite common to come across traditions that to us are super-strange and seem to make no sense at all. However, these customs are nevertheless surprising. By the way, these cultural manifestations help make the world more interesting, don't you think?

So, dear reader, we invite you to embark on this trip with us to learn a little more about some cultural customs beyond the curious that exist - or have existed - around the world. Prepared?

1 - Chanzú

Origin: China.

Chanzú - which literally means "tied feet" - was a custom followed by Chinese women for over a thousand years. The practice consisted of bandaging the feet to prevent them from growing so that they could fit in little shoes over four inches. And to achieve the expected result, the Chinese women had to start holding their feet very early, usually when they were still between 4 and 6 years old.

The procedure involved soaking the feet in warm water, and after a few hours moistened bandages — which shrunk after drying — were tied tightly to hold the toes. These were bent toward the sole and during the process the bones of the arches of the feet were fractured. The ritual was repeated every two days and basically boiled down to bone breaking as the feet grew.

In addition to being extremely painful, many things could go wrong. If the nails were not well trimmed, they could injure the skin and cause infections. Another problem was gangrene, which could set in if the bandages were too tight. Not to mention that fractures often caused severe swelling and inflammation. Chanzú was banned in 1949, but there are still Chinese with tiny feet from the time when the custom was popular.

2 - Satí

Origin: India.

Abolished by the British Empire in 1829, as the practice was considered terrifying, today Sati is considered a serious criminal act in India, although the ritual still occurs on rare occasions. The practice consists of the voluntary sacrifice of widows who throw themselves into the funeral pyre where their husbands are being cremated to burn with them. In other words, it is suicide by women who have just lost their spouses.

According to witness reports, Satí was committed in a variety of ways, although it was common practice for the widow to lie down next to the deceased or to sit beside her body before the pyre was lit. However, the problem is that the act should be spontaneous - and most of the time apparently it was - but in some communities the rituals may have occurred due to social pressure, leading widows to feel forced to perform them.

3 - Automumification

Origin: Japan.

Practiced by the Buddhist Sokushinbutsu monks, self-humiliation consisted of a ritual in which these men took their own lives through a long and painful process that at the same time caused their bodies to mummify. Thus, over a period of a thousand days - or about three years - the monks underwent a strict diet during which they ate only seeds and nuts and followed a harsh exercise routine.

The goal was to eliminate all possible body fat, and after this first step the monks spent another thousand days consuming a toxic tea made from the sap of a tree called Urushi. This preparation caused vomiting and thus resulted in the loss of body fluids. In addition, such tea supposedly prevented the body from being corrupted by worms after death.

Finally, the monks adopted the lotus position within tombs and waited for death. These graves had only one airway and a bell, which was rung daily to inform them that the occupant was still alive. Although hundreds of monks tried to perform the ritual, only a number between 16 and 24 self-healing bodies have been found to date.

4 - Famadihana

Origin: Madagascar.

Famadihana is the name of a funerary tradition of bringing the dead to dance. According to the belief of the Malagasy people, the spirits of the dead only reunite with their ancestors after their bodies finally decompose completely. Then, every seven years or so, relatives head to the cemetery, dig up their loved ones, and exchange the tissues surrounding the corpses.

Afterwards, the exhumed bodies are taken to dance around the graves by relatives, and the ceremony is animated by a cheerful music band, as you can see in the video above. In addition, family members also make offerings in cash, alcohol, and even take pictures of their dead before burying them again. The ritual is repeated periodically until the bones finally disintegrate.

5 - Made Snana

Origin: India.

This strange ritual has been taking place annually for hundreds of years, and is performed by people who belong to the Dalit caste, also known as "untouchables". The ceremony consists of these discriminated poor rolling over the remains of food left by the brahmins - that is, monks and upper caste members - outside the Kukke Subramanya temple.

With this, devotees believe that all their evils will be healed and problems solved. Thousands of Dalits participate in Made Snana every year, and although this practice is considered humiliating and has been condemned by various organizations, the “untouchables” refuse to abandon the practice out of pure faith in the ritual.

* Originally posted on 22/05/2014.