They Do What?: A Cultural Encyclopedia of Extraordinary and Exotic Customs from around the World

About this book

This single-volume work covers many traditions customs and activities Westerners may find unusual or shocking covering everything from the Ashanti peoples funeral celebrations to wife-carrying competitions in Finland. In Maharashtra India a tradition exists to throw newborn babies off the tops of buildings. At the Vegetarian Festival in Phuket Thailand some people ritualistically pierce their cheeks and faces with swords and knives. How did these surprising customs come to be? From camel wrestling to cheese-rolling competitions to a tomato-throwing festival this fascinating single-volume encyclopedia examines more than 100 customs traditions and rituals that may be considered strange and exotic to U.S. readers. This work provides high school and undergraduate students with a compelling and fascinating exploration of world customs and traditions. Comprising entries by anthropologists religious leaders scholars dancers musicians historians and artists from almost every continent in the world this encyclopedia provides readers a truly global and multidisciplinary perspective. The entries explore the origins of the custom explain how it was established as a tradition and describe how and where it is practiced. A thematic guide enables readers to look up entries by the type of tradition or custom such as birth coming of age courtship and wedding funeral daily customs holidays and festivals.