People Share Traditions That Don't Make Sense

From Redditor u/rastamancometh:

People release balloons for any reason. It is pointless.

From Redditor u/racergirl2000:

This is bad for wildlife.

From Redditor u/BearTitan3:

People smash people's faces into birthday cakes.

From Redditor u/SwollenLeftThumb:

Someone smashes a cake into the groom's or bride's face. I have seen many where they really smash them with the cake.

From Redditor u/Tetrisoverlord:

I have seen people get dolled up, then have their makeup ruined by a cake smash. I also saw others miss the cake and smash their heads into the table, causing a concussion. One time, the birthday girl was blinded by her cousin because the cousin did not take out the toothpicks, and it went straight into the birthday girl's eye.

From Redditor u/lawhozaher78:

People rush to stores to buy junk the same day they celebrate Thanksgiving. They cut family time short to collect things.

From Redditor u/dezzalzik:

Spanish bull runs, bullfighting. That is all nonsense.

From Redditor u/Maltedmilksteak:

People go into debt buying everyone in their family's Christmas presents because they have to.have to.

From Redditor u/EvieAsPi:

I never understood being forced to get a 'gift' for someone you dislike with something they probably won't want. That is not gifting; I do not believe in doing it just because it is 'that day.'

From Redditor u/Exertheria:

People vote a certain way because their parents vote that way.

From Redditor u/Bloody096:

I think the same applies to believing in a religion because my parents believe in that religion too.

From Redditor u/Trueloveis4u:

The whole three paychecks go toward buying an engagement ring.

From Redditor u/macaronsforeveryone:

Diamond engagement rings.

From Redditor u/charlie_wonka:

Pearl symbolizes tears and sorrow!

Diamond holds my blood.

From Redditor u/Equivalent_Parking_8:

Funerals involve spending a fortune on a coffin or casket just to bury or burn it. They embalm a body and do the same thing.

From Redditor u/IOnlyDateAnimeGirls:

People have to spend money on funerals. Caskets take up ground space, and I am happy to just rot in the ground.

From Redditor u/LtLabcoat:

The worst part about funerals—in other countries—is that they are boring. In Ireland, we have a church meeting that takes an hour, then a burial, maybe half an hour, and then a party!

You do this because that is what you are meant to do. You have a party, you talk stories with them, you meet your relatives, you joke, and you celebrate their life. This shows 'don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened.'

Basically, other cultures do not do this. Everywhere else, funerals are somber and depressing. People think, 'Someone just died; this is no time for jokes.' That annoys me because that is not how you end someone's life.

From Redditor u/chocolatecakeslicee:

White wedding dresses look unflattering and do not outline your body. The day is about you and your S.O.; you do not pick your favorite color dress? That is lame. I wear a black and peach pink dress to my wedding.

From Redditor u/Keri2816:

If I marry, I will not wear white. I certainly will not spend thousands of dollars on a dress I wear once.

From Redditor u/nachobitxh:

I am glad that little bastard came along after my kids were grown.

From Redditor u/Inafray19:

Big brother and blackmail. No, not at my house.

From Redditor u/Ghost_Leb:

Some parts of Lebanon have a tradition. After the wedding, the bride's male relatives supposedly "kidnap" the groom. The bride stays with her parents for two nights after the wedding.

From Redditor u/caitycc:

Weddings have garter and bouquet tosses. I hate them. I always have. I think they are old-fashioned, and most of my clients (I work in the wedding industry) avoid them. Seriously, who wants their husband to go up their skirt in front of their parents?

From Redditor u/Stradoverius:

That creepy garter thing they do at weddings.

From Redditor u/King_Dagda:

The false kindness rules involve refusing a gift, expecting it to be offered again, and other rules like this.

These rules are usually local, often only for a specific village, and clash with rules in other areas. Imagine this: in your area, being offered a gift means you are highly respected, so rejecting it is rude. In some other area, being offered a gift means you must refuse twice and only accept if the offer comes a third time.

The result is this: you meet someone. She offers you a gift. You dislike chocolate, but you accept to avoid seeming rude. Then she makes a strange face, acting like you stole it from her.

From Redditor u/tangcameo:

Until he died (though someone else likely continues the tradition), a Canadian weekly agriculture newspaper published the yearly findings of a man who forecast the weather.forecasted the weatherby reading the entrails (spleen) of a slaughtered pig.

From Redditor u/TLuther133:

People throw food and drinks on the floor before eating to appease the ancestors.

From Redditor u/TLuther133:

People leave doors open in the evening so the ghosts can leave your home.

From Redditor u/NotMyMainName96:

...I prefer ghosts over crickets and mosquitos any day.

From Redditor u/JamieMac81:

Orange Marches.

From Redditor u/notmyprofile23:

This is a tradition from Northern Ireland and Scotland. It is a "celebration" of William of Orange/the Protestant British state keeping its colonial hold on Catholic Ireland through battle, murder, and oppression.

Members of the “Orange Order” march through Catholic areas with flute bands, singing hate songs and looking like giant bell ends. This action provokes division in the community.

In NI, for some reason—maybe the standard UK divide and rule—they let people build huge bonfires and burn flags and effigies right outside Catholic homes near the edge of those communities.

From Redditor u/Aryan_IN:

Valentine’s Day... Why spend one day appreciating your partner? We should respect, love, and appreciate each other daily. Valentine’s Day creates unwanted expectations.

From Redditor u/El_Zoid0:

This one is interesting because my experience changed as I got older.

Elementary school celebrated the holiday equally. Students brought treats, candy, and cards for all classmates.

Middle and high school showed favoritism and romance. People sent Candygrams, usually a lollipop with a note, to friends for about $1 or to anyone.Mean Girls, helloooo).

Adulthood brings the expectation of gifts from a partner or planned romantic activities.

From Redditor u/Negative-Net-9455:

The dumbest tradition we Brits have is a monarchy. Giving prestige, respect, and wealth based only on bloodline to people who do nothing is ridiculous. This keeps the idea that some genes are better and worth more.

From Redditor u/Baconator08:

Tar barrel runs in Ottery St Mary, England.

Yes, hot tar coming out of a barrel runs down a street with spectators watching.

Evenlisted as an attraction! Come down to South Devon and get yourself burnt! Have fun.

From Redditor u/TeamNathanFTW:

In Russia, cosmonauts have a tradition at the launch pad. The bus stops halfway so cosmonauts can get out and urinate on the tires.

From Redditor u/Harvard-23:

People ask for permission to marry their daughter.

From Redditor u/PlywoodStation:

I never thought about asking my parents when I proposed to my wife... I only cared about my wife's opinion.

From Redditor u/LateBoomerKY:

Groundhog Day and Punxsutawney Phil.

From Redditor u/Affectionate-Feed538:

Where I am from, we roll cheese wheels down a steep hill to see which one hits the bottom first.

From Redditor u/notmyprofile23:

...The hill is very steep, and people chase the cheese down it. Broken limbs and serious injuries happen every year...

From Redditor u/isotaco:

Where I live in Catalunya, kids hit a log with sticks and sing a song to make the log 'sh*t' presents. It is fun and great, but it is dumb.

From Redditor u/rgardner143:

Lawns.

From Redditor u/StormRider2407:

Wild flowers and letting wildlife live there serves the environment better and feels nicer than a perfect lawn.

From Redditor u/bearhaas:

...It has a lot to do withwealth in early nobility. With so much money, food, and shelter, you can dedicate part of your lawn to manicured grass. That shows off to the Duke next door.

From Redditor u/VarjaMeinikava:

You have to ask your teacher if you can go out to the toilet.

From Redditor u/DannyDetito:

I never understood people who watch the ball drop on New Year's. But I am in a different time zone, so it does not even sync up.

From Redditor u/NotMyMainName96:

It is not even a drop. It is just a slow lowering. I was always disappointed as a kid; now I ignore it.

From Redditor u/gylliana:

Fireworks on July 4th. We celebrate freedom with explosions, causing panic in animals. This includes ex-military with PTSD. It is a waste of money.

From Redditor u/rastamancometh:

Fourth of July fireworks in America. We celebrate wars by making the sounds of them.

From Redditor u/Blue_Dog_Democracy:

The pledge of allegiance. Having to keep reaffirming your loyalty to your birth country feels creepy.

From Redditor u/FifthDimensionzone:

Making students stand, cover their heart, and pray to a flag.

From Redditor u/KieselguhrKid143:

Saying "bless you" or similar when someone sneezes. There is no need to say anything, but because it is everywhere, it feels strange if you skip it.

From Redditor u/BlottomanTurk:

The social pressure to say "bless you" when someone sneezes. Perhaps it is stupider to say "bless you" when someone coughs.

From Redditor u/thorpie88:

Turkey at Christmas. I will eat a f*cking curry or at least a decent roast dinner.

From Redditor u/listerine990:

Shaking hands. I never liked it. The pandemic can still go away.

From Redditor u/DeathSpiral321:

Family reunions. With texting and social media, staying in touch with people you care about should be simple. Making awkward conversation with a group who do not know if you are alive 364 days a year feels pointless.

From Redditor u/Mr-Resnikoff:

Putting a lit tree in your house so a fat stranger can use your chimney for free stuff.

From Redditor u/HoneyB68:

Putting a dead or fake tree in your house and decorating it once a year.

From Redditor u/lastSaiyan369:

Am I the only one who thinks about birthdays? I do not know. It just makes me feel like people celebrate getting closer to death.