Every ethnicity has its own specific culture and way of life, which to others may look fascinating, unusual and quite often strange. Entering into holy matrimony is an important event in every person's life but in some areas of the world, the rituals, customs and ceremony itself are exceptionally bizarre. Here are a few examples.
Premarital Sex Huts in Cambodia
In some of the more remote provinces of Cambodia, locals build specialized love huts. In them, teenage girls have sex with a different boy every night. The goal is for the girl to find a suitable partner with whom to spend her life because divorce is strictly forbidden in the Asian country.
Unusual Pre-Wedding Gifts in Papua New Guinea
Even though not a very large island, Papua New Guinea is home to over 42 ethnic groups, with nearly all of them having traditions to make any Westerner's hair stand up on the back of their neck.
Boys from the Sambia tribe are kept far away from any women, until the elders decide that they've finally become men. One week before they marry, the boys have to ingest the semen from the strongest warriors of the tribe. The Sambia people see this as an important stage in the boy becoming a man.
Married to a Tree
In India, women born under the Hindu sign Manglik are forced to marry... a tree. Yes, we're actually talking about the plant, not a person without any sense of humor. Among the beliefs on the subcontinent is that women born under this sign are cursed.
But there is hope for them after all. Having entered into this bizarre marriage, that doesn't mean they will have to live their life among the branches like a bird. Once the wedding is over, the tree is cut down. With this the Indian people believe the curse is lifted and the young woman is free to remarry.
To Shoot a Bride
Grooms from the Yugur people, today living in Northwest China, have to shoot their brides 3 times with a bow and arrow. The arrows aren't sharp, so as not to be deadly, but do still hurt upon impact. After he shoots his future bride 3 times, the groom breaks each arrow in front of her, pledging his eternal love in this manner.
Awkward Moments During the First Wedding Night
In some African villages, the 1st wedding night isn't as intimate as other places around the world. Instead of the bride and groom simply sharing their wedding bed, an older woman comes to them, to explain and often show, what exactly they need to do. Typically, the mother of the bride comes to share her experience.
