The world’s “strangest New Year’s custom” has been awarded to Talca, Chile, where people congregate in a cemetery to be with dead relatives, according to a new poll. But the survey also rounds up some bizarre behaviours involving animals.
Badoo.com, a social networking site for meeting new people, asked 7,200 users in 18 countries about odd ways to ring in the New Year. Taking the second place this year is trying to hear animals talking, which is apparently popular in Romania. If you fail, it’s considered good luck, which we suspect means, there are a lot of lucky people in Romania. In North Carolina, Americans partake in the “possum drop,” which this year ranks Number 6 in the survey. A possum is lowered over a noisy crowd. Seriously, this is a thing. And, it extends beyond North Carolina. Check out the Possum Drop New Year’s Eve extravaganza in Tallapoosa, Georgia. By the way, a judge recently ruled that a North Carolina town could go ahead with the controversial event despite the howls of outrage from PETA and another animal welfare group. And so, the show will go on. Prepare to be dazzled by a captured possum that is placed in a cage and lowered at midnight. Only in America.
Here are the top 10 weird New Year’s Eve rituals:
Here’s the list of 10 strangest customs revealed in the poll:
1. Gathering in a graveyard to be with dead relatives (Talca, Chile)
2. Trying to hear animals talking; if you fail, it’s good luck (Romania)
3. Banging bread on the walls to frighten away bad spirits (Ireland)
4. Throwing furniture out the window (Johannesburg, South Africa)
5. Diving into a frozen lake, carrying a tree (Siberia)
6. A “possum drop”: lowering a possum over a noisy crowd (North Carolina, US)
7. A village punch-up with neighbours to settle old disputes (Peru)
8. Parading the street while swinging balls of fire over your head (Scotland)
9. Watching an old British TV comedy sketch about a lonely dinner (Germany)
10. A giant, three-day water-fight, with water balloons and buckets (Thailand)
– See more at: http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/trying-to-hear-animals-talk-and-more-world-s-bizzare-new-year-s-eve-customs/article1-1166910.aspx#sthash.A8gf3ioV.dpuf
1. Gathering in a graveyard to be with dead relatives (Talca, Chile)
2. Trying to hear animals talking; if you fail, it’s good luck (Romania)
3. Banging bread on the walls to frighten away bad spirits (Ireland)
4. Throwing furniture out the window (Johannesburg, South Africa)
5. Diving into a frozen lake, carrying a tree (Siberia)
6. A “possum drop”: lowering a possum over a noisy crowd (North Carolina, U.S.)
7. A village punch-up with neighbours to settle old disputes (Peru)
8. Parading the street while swinging balls of fire over your head (Scotland)
9. Watching an old British TV comedy sketch about a lonely dinner (Germany)
10. A giant, three-day water-fight, with water balloons and buckets (Thailand)
In case you were wondering, the 18 countries polled were: the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Brazil, Argentina, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Turkey, Switzerland, Sweden, Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Czech Republic, Russia and Poland.
h/t Hindustan Times Photo WSB-TV
he poll was conducted by Badoo, an online social networking platform for
meeting new people – See more at: http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/trying-to-hear-animals-talk-and-more-world-s-bizzare-new-year-s-eve-customs/article1-1166910.aspx#sthash.A8gf3ioV.dpuf
he poll was conducted by Badoo, an online social networking platform for
meeting new people – See more at: http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/trying-to-hear-animals-talk-and-more-world-s-bizzare-new-year-s-eve-customs/article1-1166910.aspx#sthash.A8gf3ioV.dpuf
