Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Debate Which Traditions Should Have Never Existed

People Debate Which Traditions Should Have Never Existed
Andre Jackson on Unsplash

People like to say that there is nothing wrong with routine or tradition and generally there isn't... until there is, of course. The truth is there are myriad traditions out there actually inhumane and antithetical to human life.

Meanwhile, other traditions (like public proposals) are much more innocent but pretty annoying depending on who you ask.

Why not toss them all out and start over again, eh?


People shared their thoughts with us after Redditor bewarethechameleon asked the online community:

"What traditions should have never existed?"

"Those pricks..."

"Those pricks that slam a birthday cake in someone’s face."

Lumbers33

If I paid good money for a wedding cake, I'd be so, so annoyed if someone did this to me. Especially on a suit!

"Brilliant marketing..."

"Diamond engagement ring being X months' salary. Brilliant marketing, but utterly ridiculous. I say this as a girl who isn't inherently against sparkly rocks."

usuyukisou

Yeah... there's no reason why they should be expensive. Going in debt for an engagement and/or a wedding sounds absurd to me.

"Every bride..."

"Wedding industry. Every bride is a princess all of a sudden."

baloneycologne

Even those who aren't necessarily trying to be fancy find that it ends up costing a fortune anyway. Backyard weddings are the way to go.

"Removing..."

"Removing a woman's clitoris in some African countries."

PrimaryTry5326

Female genital humiliation is horrible. A horrendous practice that traumatizes young women the world over.

"Those ass backward cultures..."

"Those ass-backward cultures where it's 'tradition' for a bride-to-be's in-laws (usually male in-laws) check her for 'purity 'That needs to stop."

cullymama

A few years ago, the rapper T.I. revealed that he would go to gynecologist appointments with his then-18-year-old daughter to "check her hymen," an admission that exposed him to immediate criticism.

"Honor killings."

"Honor killings."

"The concept of honor killing doesn’t add up. Someone does something that smears your family name so you decide to off them. And this achieves…what? Now you’ve got a murderer in your family."

EveryStranger9696

The idea behind it is that if your family or family's name has been desecrated in any way, it is the honorable thing to do to defend your family in retaliation. If nobody in the family fought back, it is seen as being weak.

"Over the top..."

"Over the top public proposals."

Selinakyle91

I think I would be mortified. Putting someone on the spot like that is like giving them no other option BUT to say yes.

"Foot binding."

"Foot binding. One of the few things the Chinese communists did right was exterminating that practice."

tripwire7

When I was a child, I read Homesick: My Own Story, a memoir by the author Jean Fritz, who spent the first twelve years of her life in China. At multiple points, she spoke about her amah, a woman by the name Lin Nai-Nai.

The descriptions of Lin Nai-Nai's bound feet have stayed with me all these years later.

"No one on the internet..."

"Over-the-top baby gender reveals. No one on the internet cares about your baby's gender, so stop trying to overdo it to go viral."

JVHazard

I have never met anyone who has actually done one of these and I don't think I want to.

"I predict..."

"Influencers putting their kids on social media for entertainment's sake without their consent. I predict 10-15 years from now there will be a ton of court cases of grown up kids of influencers suing their parents."

carissadraws

Data privacy is going to be next major technological revolution, mark my words.

What a world we live in. While some traditions are humorous, even harmless, others are detrimental, even cruel to human life. What would it take to change them? The answer is undoubtedly complex.

Have some observations of your own? Feel free to tell us more in the comments below!

Want to "know" more?

Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.

Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again.

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

dog and cat snuggling together
Krista Mangulsone on Unsplash

Times Pet Owners 'Severely Underestimated' Their Pets' Intelligence

I've lived with cats—because no one owns a feline—most of my life. Some have been very clever creatures while others were real dingbats.

Family members have owned dogs whose talents also ran the gamut.

Keep ReadingShow less
Scott Bessent
Meet the Press/NBC News

Scott Bessent Blasted Over His Bonkers Suggestion For How To Bring Your Own Inflation Rate Down

Continuing to follow the example of MAGA Republican President Donald Trump, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent appeared on Meet the Press Sunday to blame Democratic President Joe Biden for the financial downturn caused by Trump's tariff fiasco, then lied repeatedly about the state of the economy.

Meet the Press host Kristen Welker played a clip of MAGA Republican Vice President JD Vance telling a conservative audience at a Breitbart News event that Americans owe the Trump administration "a little bit of patience"—apparently while they figure out what tariffs are and how they work since they're rolling back more of them to lower consumer prices despite claiming Trump's tariffs don't affect consumer prices.

Keep ReadingShow less
Lindsay Lohan attends the men's final during day fifteen of the 2025 US Open Tennis Championships at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
Elsa/Getty Images

Lindsay Lohan Is Now Sporting A New Accent—And Fans Aren't Sure What To Make Of It

In a twist freakier than a sequel to Freaky Friday, Lindsay Lohan has debuted yet another new accent—this time at the Fashion Trust Arabia Awards in Doha, Qatar.

Draped in a maroon, jewel-trimmed gown by The New Arrivals Ilkyaz Ozel and accompanied by her husband, Bader Shammas, and their 2-year-old son, Luai, the actress looked serene, elegant, and completely unbothered by the collective whiplash she was about to inflict on the internet.

Keep ReadingShow less
Jameela Jamil
Gilbert Flores/Variety/Getty Images

Jameela Jamil Speaks Out Against The Rise Of The 'Aesthetic Of Emaciation' Among Women In Hollywood

Content Warning: eating disorders, thinness as an aesthetic, emaciation in Hollywood

There's no denying that we've been gifted with some incredible music, television shows, and films this year.

Keep ReadingShow less
Donald Trump; Screenshot of Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker in "Rush Hour 2"
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images; New Line Cinema

Trump Is Now Using His Presidential Sway To Pressure Studio Into Making 'Rush Hour 4'—And, Huh?

President Trump has reportedly pressured Paramount head Larry Ellison to make another sequel to Rush Hour, his favorite buddy-cop movie, as the company looks to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery.

The first Rush Hour film, starring Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker, was released in 1998, received positive reviews, and made $245 million worldwide. Chan and Tucker returned for two sequels released in 2001 and 2007 respectively.

Keep ReadingShow less