Cleaning is an important part of our lives, regardless of our race, nationality and ethnicity. Having a tidy and well-organised home, a clean body and cleansed spirit are essential if you want to succeed in life. Many cultures have their own unique rituals and beliefs that are equally amazing and peculiar.
Time to Break Some Plates
It is unknown where this strange German tradition originates but it is an important part of the wedding ritual. Celebrated not only by the wedding party but by all family members as well the ritual breaking of plates is almost mandatory in the night before the big day. Only porcelain is being broken as glass and mirrors are actually known to bring happiness. The most fun part of the tradition is te cleaning afterwards as it must be done by the bride and groom as a couple.
Swedish Death Cleaning
Actually is not as morbid as it may sound to you. A lot of people find it to be very useful and practical. It is a way to declutter and feel better about yourself. Once you reach a certain age, you understand that you have accumulated to much stuff that someday will be of no value for your children and grandchildren. It is a way to liberate yourself, and you can even make people smile by donating or selling some of the unwanted items.
Cleanse Your Home from the Negative Energy
This ritual involves the spiritual cleaning of your house more than the physical. Altho in all fairness, it is best performed in a tidy and well-organised home. The smudging ceremony will help you get rid of the build-up negative energy and you and your family will feel much better after it is performed. You can also do it at your workplace as it is known to help relieve stress.
Clean the House and Burn the Devil
This century-old tradition is held every December 7th at 6 pm all across Guatemala. In the beginning, the whole family had to spend the day cleaning and gathering the rubbish for the big bonfires. The devil dolls were sewed at home. Nowadays you can buy them in the form of a paper mache, and people usually use one big fire for the whole ceremony.
Cows Are Important
The Dinka people are a large ethnic group in South Sudan, Africa. They rely mostly on their cattle to survive, and the animals take a big part of their lives. So there should be no surprise that the cows play a major role in their cleaning rituals and traditions. After all, it may sound strange but their cleansing methods have been proven to be successful for hundreds of years.
The Big House Cleaning in Iran
The preparation for the Persian new year is actually quite similar to the spring cleaning that is so popular in London and other western cities. However, it is customary in Iran to tidy your home by yourself and not rely on cleaning services. People wash their carpets and curtains, sweep every centimetre of their home and take pride in the work they do.
Good Vs Evil in Indian Culture
The Diwali Festival symbolises the victory of good over evil, light over darkness. So it is only natural to be celebrated just after the thorough cleaning of the home. In many cultures, before you spiritually cleanse your body, you must physically remove the rubbish and dirt in your home. It is such an important ritual in the Indian culture that it is celebrated all around the world. Every year in London there is a big, light festival that you can visit and enjoy the illuminations.
The Ceremony of Cleaning Corpses
For most westerners, this ritual not only sounds scary but also inappropriate. However, every three years for more than 9 centuries this ceremony is held and for the Torajan people of Sulawesi Island, it is like a family reunion. Losing a loved one isn’t so sad if you can spend some time with them even if they are not breathing. Some people anxiously wait for the time when they can excavate and clean their long-gone grand-grandmother to introduce her to your new child.
Splash Some Water
Water is the symbol of life and fresh beginnings and what a better way to celebrate the new year than to bath everything and everybody in scented water. Nowadays the ritual cleaning of the body and Buddha statues during the Songkran has turned into a major tourist event in Thailand. The water festival gathers millions of people each year.
The Big House Cleaning in China
We all like to clean our homes before the new year comes, granted not all are as diligent as the Chinese people. The preparations include a strict set of rules that must be followed at all cost. After all, everybody wants to have good fortune and lots of luck during the new year.
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