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Motherhood Life Balance

People Talk About Their 15 Most Odd Family Traditions

ByVictoria Cornell December 2, 2023December 2, 2023
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Every family has its own special quirks and traditions that contribute to their special charm. Among these cherished customs, some stand out as particularly memorable due to their peculiar nature. Today, we’ll talk about some of these delightfully unusual family traditions, and we will discuss the thought-provoking question: “What is the strangest tradition your family has?” So, get ready to unravel the fascinating world of fun family customs!

Unique Holiday Rituals

Easy Ground Turkey and Rice Recipes - family cooking together
Image credit: Depositphotos EdZbarzhyvetsky.

To start, a Redditor commented, “I honestly don’t know how it all started, but every time we cooked up a turkey for a holiday, my grandfather would always give it a slap on its way into the oven. He passed several years ago, but we still slap the turkey on his behalf.”

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A second Redditor replied, “IDk if it’s the strangest, but certainly the whitest thing I do. Every year on easter after church, we go to the front lawn in our Sundays best and play croquet.”

Bizarre Mealtime Customs

Woman shrugging her shoulders questioning while holding a mug
Image credit: Depositphotos AsierRomeroCarballo.

A user replied, “Whenever we eat buns/cupcakes, you have to ask for them by pretending your arm is an elephant’s trunk and asking in a gruff voice, “Please, can I have a bun?”

Unconventional Gift-Giving Practices

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Image Credit: Dean Drobot From Canva.com

One Redditor wrote, “My wife’s maiden name is “Moos” (pronounced like “moose”), so for years, Christmas gifts in her family were moose-themed. As people joined the family, and not everyone had animal homonym names, they would get assigned animals. I thought it was weird when I celebrated my first Thanksgiving with them, and people asked what my favorite animal was. I answered, “Um, I like bears, I guess.” I now own bear towels, salt and pepper shakers, t-shirts, and even boxer shorts. There could be worse things. At least Christmas is fun and personal. My sister-in-law’s girlfriend got assigned “sheep.”

Quirky Vacation Traditions

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Image credits: Depositphotos enivivo.

One user wrote, “Anytime we went on a trip, my mother insisted on emptying an entire can of Lysol in the hotel room upon our arrival. Then, any socks worn on the hotel carpet were placed in a separate dirty clothes bag and given their own load of laundry when we got home.”

Strange Superstitions

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Image credit: Depositphotos Vadymvdrobot.

A Redditor shared, “On August 15, we must always have spaghetti. None of us remembers when or why this tradition started. But on Aug. 15, BY GOD, spaghetti will be for dinner. Always.”

Unusual Methods of Saying Hello/Good-Bye

Man waving bye
Image credit: Depositphotos Vadymvdrobot.

One user replied, “Whenever someone at a family gathering is leaving to head back home, we do the usual hugs, kisses, etc., inside. We then all file out to the driveway and get ready. As soon as that person starts pulling out, we all start screaming GOODBYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYE as loud as we can. The person/family leaving then responds by yelling GOODBYYYYYYYYYYYYYE out the windows of the car. This continues back and forth until we can’t hear each other anymore.”

Offbeat Family Competitions or Games

Woman scrunching her face with her arms at her hips
Image credit: Depositphotos Vadymvdrobot.

A comment was, “I don’t know if it is a ‘tradition’ per se, but my whole life, my family has always sprinted through parking lots. The moment the car goes into park, my parents have already bolted, and we’re scrambling to keep up. They always said parking lots were too boring to waste time on.”

Eccentric Family Rules

Woman shrugging wearing a trendy straw hat
Image credit: Depositphotos IgorVetushko.

One user replied, “If one person is sick from school, everyone else gets to stay home too.”

A second user added, “We have a whistle when we come into my parents’ house. So, someone in the family walks through the door, and we let out this specific whistle, almost like how you whistle to call a dog. You hear it, and you know someone has come in. We don’t do this in our house, but it’s automatic when we visit my parents.”

Weird Household Chores or Responsibilities

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Image credit: Depositphotos kues.

A Redditor commented, “In my family, one person washes the dishes, one person dries them, and one person saves them.” 

Uncommon Ways of Celebrating Birthdays

Huge Holiday Parties: large group of men and woman huddled together with a little girl and celebrating an older woman’s birthday.
Image Credit: Depositphotos halfpoint.

One Redditor wrote, “When someone in the family turns 16, they have to sign underneath my grandmother’s kitchen table. It has to be something witty/funny/personal and then their name and the date. Of course, those who “join” the family late (by marriage/long-term relationship or even just very good friends who have been to a family function or two) sign whenever they’re inducted.”

Another Redditor added, “We skip 99.9% of the Birthday Song at parties and get right to the best part, “YOUUUUUUUU!” No joke. Mom lights the candle, everyone holds their arms out toward the birthday boy/girl, and we all sing “YOUUU,” and then the candle gets blown out.”

Surprising Family Holiday Traditions

Woman looking surprised and shocked
Image credit: Depositphotos alanpoulson.

A fun comment read, “My family goes to the zoo on Thanksgiving because it’s usually empty, but still a nice day. It’s great.”

A second comment was, “Every Easter, my family does a pinata. I have no idea why considering were 100% Irish.”

Strangely Specific Family Rituals

Woman wearing yellow covering her face scared
Image credit: Depositphotos AntonLozovoy.

A user replied, “Every time someone has predicted the end of the world (The Rapture, December 21, 2012, etc.), my family has a get-together and a tea party.”

A second user added, “Turn 18 older siblings take you to a s**** shop and embarrass the hell out of you. Also, you must blindly pick a DVD from the discount bin to be watched and added to the family collection of cheap horrible p***. I got “Wow, what a ri****b,” and my sister got “fat beach patrol 6”. Ya…fun?”

Odd Family Heirlooms or Traditions Related to Objects

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Images credits: Depositphotos Envivo.

One comment was, “My wife and I got married on New Year’s Eve. Every NYE, we get one of those tacky little candles with the red glass and the white plastic net on the outside and go to Taco Bell for our anniversary dinner.”

Unique Ways of Commemorating Milestones

Woman looking shocked holding her phone
Image credit: Depositphotos IgorVetushko.

One Redditor replied, “Every wedding, we force the DJ to play the remix to Ignition, and every single member of the family meets on the dance floor, and we all do a choreographed dance. 10 years strong.”

A second Redditor added, “When someone in my family loses a baby tooth, we have to chuck it onto the roof after reciting a chant. Something to the effect of “take this rotten tooth and bestow me with a healthy one,” but in Portuguese. I don’t understand it myself. Cultural superstitions, I suppose.”

Unusual Family Outings or Adventures

Woman looking excited with her fists in front of her
Image credit: Depositphotos Krakenimages.com.

One fun comment was, “We have a couple, but my favorite is “ice cream runs.” On a school night, my mom would tuck me into bed, turn out the lights and pretend to go to bed too. Then, ten minutes later she’d come barreling into my room, flick the lights and scream “ice cream run!” The whole house would get up and go for sundaes in our pajamas. I’m definitely going to keep this up when I have kids!” Source: Reddit

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Victoria Cornell
Website |  + postsBio

As a full-time working mom of three, I know what it’s like to feel like life is out of balance and out of control.

While I don’t have it all figured out, I am committed to sharing helpful tips and tricks with other mommas who are ready to break free from negativity, ditch mom guilt, & finally, live life on their own terms.

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