Tradition can be a beautiful thing--they can keep us connected to our cultures and histories.
But they can just as easily be antiquated holdovers that don't serve a real purpose.
Let's talk about that stuff. Reddit user Alicia-XTC asked:
What tradition should stop and just go away?
And here's the thing... a lot of this stuff is just flat out predatory. Like a lot.
The Funeral Industry
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"Stupidly expensive funeral everything. Why the f*ck is a casket like 846374846 dollars?" - -slinxthefox-
"The real scam is the fact that it's illegal to be disposed of how you wish. I'd like to be buried in the dirt on my farm with no coffin no plot on a funeral home, and no headstone."
"Apparently this is a crime." - chupacabruhhh
"Because what are you going to do, not die? They have the most captive market possible" - boots-n-bows
"Costco for caskets, my friend."
"Lost my dad at the beginning of the pandemic, he passed away in a small town with one funeral home. Their prices were ridiculous, so we bought the casket from Costco and had it shipped to the funeral home. It was gorgeous and it was about a third of the price." - ADiestlTrain
What Marriage Looks Like
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"Child marriage is still legal in most of the US with parent permission (more like force vs permission.) Its definitely still a thing in most of the world 🤢 even when it's illegal people get away with it" - theflooflord
"Forced marriage" - anderogenus
"There's a difference between an arranged and forced marriage. A forced marriage is when you have absolutely no say in the matter and have to go along with it."
"An arranged marriage is more like your family is playing slightly aggressive matchmaker until you find the one." - GammaRayGreg
"Arranged marriages are despicable. It's NOT two consenting adults, no matter how you phrase it."
"It's two young adults who are pressured by society and family and cultural norms into the most important decision of their life. And the societies that have those kinds of marriages have deep seeded racism and misogyny issues."
"People will say that the 'new' way to arrange marriage is fine because it's two adults dating normally after their parents introduce them. But it's not. It's two adults dating with the added pressure of not disappointing their families. As well as it being forbidden for them to date normally."
"And how often do the families select someone outside their race?" - thegoatisoldngnarly
Calm Down, It's Just Gender
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"Gender reveals that involve fire works or confetti can go f*ck themselves. I don't care if a gender reveal is done through a cake or party decor because they're ultimately harmless, but gender reveals that use fireworks and confetti just suck." - Allustar1
"The woman who invented them wants the tradition to end, I've heard." - GenericEschotologist
"It's also not really a gender reveal. It's a genital reveal."
"There is no guarantee that your child will be cisgender, but even if they are cis, you won't fully know until they start developing a sense of self."
"So, basically, it's creating a hazard to announce to the world that your child has a penis." - murrimabutterfly
"It's especially sad when one of the parents is really hoping for a particular gender and doesn't bother to hide their disappointment." - whysweetpea
"It's gone from a cheesy way to announce what you're having to setting forest fires and killing people. Instead of people just having fun, it's becoming a game of one-upsmanship and people feel obligated to do one now." - permalink_save
Hazing
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"Hazing. It can be dangerous and serves no reasonable purpose."
"If a group is forcing you to do something very risky or something you're uncomfortable doing, you should rethink your decision to join. There are tons of other safe activities that you could make into initiation rituals, but people always choose the most dangerous ones." - RDEnergizer7000
"A family friend died during hazing."
"Got super drunk because that was the ritual. Was encouraged to go into the dark basement and stay there as long as possible."
"He tripped, hit his head, and died after two days due to the hemorrhage in his brain. He was 19." - murrimabutterfly
"Though I agree with you that hazing is stupid, there is a purpose to hazing which is to bond you closer to those you were hazed with through a shared experience." - Cheeseish
"I don't see how drinking a gallon of liquor and pouring chocolate sauce down your butt crack is a bonding moment."
"In computer lab, we just bonded by solving each other's coding problems." - PotatoProfessor
"If someone asks you to harm yourself so you can "bond with the group", you need to leave. Immediately." - The_Louster
Back To Black
"Black Fridays" - purplealchemist
"I worked at Best Buy for a year, one Black Friday under my belt. That was enough."
"I was dating a coworkers sister at the time and was having Thanksgiving dinner with them and their family. My friend/coworker and I sat there in our blue polos and quickly ate as we had to leave at like 3pm to be there in time to prepare for black Friday, which of course started Thanksgiving evening."
"For a couple of years after that I used to go to that Best Buy on Thanksgiving evening with a big bag of candy for everyone. I don't do it anymore because I don't know anyone who works there anymore, but Black Friday is a sh*t tradition for anyone working retail, though" - BreezyGoose
"Those big name brand companies, specifically make cheaper-material, low-end versions of the "full price" stuff, JUST to stock on the shelves on Black Friday."
"You are not getting any kind of deal, whatsoever. You are buying a cheap knock-off, packaged by the major company."
"SONY, VIZIO, Dell, etc., are not giving away free money, or taking a hit on profits." - tauntonlake
People Explain Which Expensive Purchases Paid For Itself In The Long Run | George Takei’s Oh Myyy
Garter Grossness
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"The whole removal of the bride's garter and tossing of it at weddings. Cringe and creepy AF." - junkyarddog
"Brides used to be considered lucky, so people would sometimes rip off part of their dress to keep as a lucky charm."
"Obviously, women were not pleased with the idea of their fancy dresses being ripped off their bodies over the course of the day, so the bouquet toss and garter toss are a way to give the guests a piece of that good luck without the destructiveness."
"I looked up a lot of wedding traditions for my own wedding, specifically to cut out the patriarchal BS, that was one I decided was okay." - Lexicological
"Wanna hear something even worse? At One of my cousins' weddings, her uncle was an auctioneer and he auctioned off the garter at the reception."
"The idea was like to raise money for the couple kind of like how the dollar dance works, but holy f*ck it was creepy as hell." - shrimpsauce91
Unnecessary Surgery
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"Infant circumcision" - MushyFry
"Ive heard people say its gross and unhealthy/unclean to have foreskin."
"To those people I always ask who failed to teach them how to care for themselves. And why did you have sex with someone who cannot care for themselves in that way?"
"They never have a real answer." - GazelleEconomyOf87
"Hospitals make a lot of money off of selling the foreskins for use in cosmetics, there's basically a whole industry built around keeping that "tradition" alive despite multiple risks and it being unnecessary 99% of the time." - Kipper246
"Virginity"
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"Losing your virginity. Virginity is not a thing." - Queen6Cat
"It's literally nothing. You now have an experience you didn't before. Unless the experience was traumatizing you are no different afterward than before. You're still exactly the same person." - Respect4All_512
"I have a friend who just turned 24 and she's never had sex before. She feels like some sort of freak because she's "still a virgin" to the point that she wants to have sex with a random person just to get it over with. It's dumb that we place so much weight on having sex for the first time." - treeplanter98
"My 29 year-old sister just asked my sixteen-year-old brother "So have you done the DEED yet?" Last week at a family function."
"This made him visibly uncomfortable but he said no."
"Seriously what even is the point of asking such questions? Why does it matter? I felt so bad for him and she was acting like the damn teenager even though she's almost thirty." - DarkDan3
Balloon Battle
"Letting balloons go at memorial services. It's so terrible for the environment/animal/everything." - Kate9616
"Pisses me off so much. What dead person would want to be remembered in a tribute that kills wildlife and pollutes the planet." - Jessflyc
"When I was a kid, we used to have "balloon day" at school - every kid would get a balloon, write their name and contact info on a tag attached to it, and we'd go outside and release them. Who had a tag returned from the furthest away won a prize."
"Half of the balloons would never make it off school grounds, getting caught in trees and whatnot." - theshoegazer
It's Bull
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"Bull fighting. Not sure why this tradition still goes on."
"Nothing like having a bull that is tortured and tormented for days so it is weak and disoriented, thrown into a ring to be stabbed and harassed until it bleeds to death all while a crowd cheers it on."
"What is even the point? The matador isn't doing a whole lot seeing how the bull is already so weak from its treatment before and then the pikadors stab it half a dozen times before the matador does anything." - Stitchmidda2
The "War" On Christmas
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"People saying each year that there is an attack on Christmas while everyone says Merry Christmas, decorates, and listens to radio stations that play nothing but Christmas songs for two months." - madeyedog
Graduation Day
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"Graduations for every single year of school from preschool and kindergarten to high school. IMHO this is just to get people to buy more stuff like gifts, cards, have celebrations, etc. Forced consumerism."
"I think it is ok to have a celebration without calling it a 'graduation' because by the time high school graduation happens it is not a special event. College Graduation becomes a not so special event because it has been watered down." - Rapunzel111
Ruined By Cake
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"Smashing the birthday person's head into the cake. Seriously makes me angry cause first of all, what a waste of cake, and second of all what if that person got hurt." - AceButNotAtLove
"Couples smashing wedding cake all over each other's faces after spending all that money on an expensive cake, dress, tux, getting makeup and hair done only to get it ruined by cake." - Rapunzel111
Diamonds Are Disasters
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"Diamond engagement rings."
"Campaigns like "a diamond is forever" contributed to the notion that a diamond is the perfect representation of an indestructible love and marriage. We've been told that an engagement ring should cost a minimum of two months salary. Much like a new car, a diamond is devalued as soon as it leaves the store."
"The diamond trade is an 81 billion dollar industry, fraught with slave labor, violence and corruption. The mining of diamonds has a negative environmental impact, causing soil erosion and deforestation. Science has enabled us to create gems in a lab with a composition identical to naturally formed gems for a fraction of the price."
"The stigma remains, however, that those who would choose a cubic zirconium or other lab-created engagement ring are cheap, or even deceitful if they choose not to disclose that it wasn't mined."
"This needs to change. There are numerous options for those who still wish for a ring as a representation of their eternal love."
"In addition to lab-created diamonds and gems, there is the option to purchase a pre-owned or vintage ring. Already, there are companies capitalizing on this niche, but still overcharging for their product."
"There are many avenues creative consumers can pursue to circumvent this, ranging from consumer to consumer platforms, antique stores, and pawnshops, to local artisans. Given that the tradition of buying and wearing engagement and wedding rings will likely remain, it's time to consider ethical, environmentally friendly options to perpetuating the diamond trade." - CouldBeUrMom
I Don't Need A Blessing
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"Blessing people who sneeze."
"After one sneeze , while working toward a second, I'm required to somehow reply "thank you" to the person or persons who blessed me."
"And after the second sneeze, reply again."
"It is just sneezing. It is allergies or my nose trying to expel something that doesn't belong (such as pepper or dust.)"
"I don't need a blessing. I sneeze. I cover my face. Let me be." - ranouttanameideas
What "traditions" are you just over?
When we're intoxicated, or even the slightest bit tipsy from having a little too much to drink, our immediate perspective on things is hazy.
But there's nothing like a bit of alarming news or a jarring incident to snap us out of the fog and focus on the moment.
Sometimes alcohol isn't always to blame for our impairment.
It can be a state of mind, like a perpetual numbness from being complacent in life, and all it takes is one shocking moment to rattle us back to our senses.
Curious to hear from strangers online about this type of scenario, Redditor Known_Challenge_7150 asked:
"What’s one thing that sobered you up real quick?"
These individuals were witness to shocking events that sobered them up right quick.
Bleeding Out
"Got out of a taxi and found a naked man profusely bleeding from his head crawling up the driveway in my condo. Called him an ambulance completely forgot I was absolutely wasted until 45 minutes later when I'd helped him translate and in to an amublance and stepped in my front door."
"Later a few days later learned he'd slipped in the tub and literally crawled out for help. Poor dude. He was fine but I genuinely thought he was going to die there."
– DongLaiCha
Tragic News
"At a bachelor party and we got a phone call that the groom’s father had suddenly passed."
– accountnameredacted
Bottom Of The Barrel
"I went to visit my parents back in July. I was homeless and deep into fentanyl addiction so I lost a lot of weight. My folks could see it. They knew something was up. Anyway, I spent the night and I was getting ready to leave in the morning and I looked at myself in the mirror for a good long time. I finally had enough and told them everything. They took me to detox, from there I went to rehab. Graduated in August and been living with them ever since then. I have 160 days clean and sober."
– Crotch-Monster
A reality check can be enough for some people to snap out of it.
Like Father, Like Son
"Was driving a drunk friend home, he had been on a bender again and was smart enough to call me for a lift rather than try and drive. As I helped in to his house his mother came down the stairs and said 'your as drunk as your father' and went back upstairs. I haven't seen him drunk since then, he still drinks but the thought of turning into his dad scared him out of hard drinking."
– psycospaz
Busted
"Flashing blue lights."
– FiddleOfGold
"This sobered me up just thinking about it."
– redmaple_syrup
Losing Sight
"Woke up to no sight in one eye. I had cataract surgery so just thought one of the lenses had slipped and it was an easy fix. Eye doc says nope, you had a stroke. I loved soy sauce, teriyaki sauce and salty food, which caused high blood pressure, which caused retina damage. Over six months was able to get most of my eyesight back with medication, and all back within a year. Trying to navigate life with one eye was very sobering. Started taking HBP much more seriously."
– MissHibernia
Quitting The Bottle
"Looked up someone I went to highschool with who was an awesome guy. Found out he had been dead for 3 years from alcoholism, at age 33. I made an overnight change. I hadn't started drinking that night yet, 10 months ago. Haven't touched it again since."
– omgtater
These disturbing moments were enough for Redditors to immediately come to their senses.
Unplanned House Guests
"Me and a buddy Woke up in someone’s living room, realized neither one of us knew the people, they were just nice and let 2 drunk guys sleep on their living room floor. We didn’t even say goodbye."
– Oneinsevenbillion75
Serious Health Warning
"Elevated liver enzymes."
"And the knowledge that this sh** was gonna kill me and I just couldn't orphan my family over it."
"So I opted for recovery, instead."
"Clean and sober since June 5, 2009."
– Far_Meal8674
The Joyride
"Grew up in a rural area. The little town hosted dances at the hockey arena, everyone (adults and kids) went and they overserved everyone, regardless of age. I was maybe 16 or 17 and was absolutely sh*tfaced, and jumped in the back of someone's truck with about 8 other people to go back to someone's cottage for after dance drinking. The driver (still don't know who it was) started racing one of his buddies and we whipped around small dirt roads, flying around blind corners on the wrong side of the road, going god knows how fast. It was basically a disaster waiting to happen. It was crazy scary and I was sober and thankful to be alive when we finally arrived."
– foxfood9116
The human psyche is a fascinating thing, isn't it?
How we can automatically focus on something urgent at a crucial time, even after getting buzzed from drinking too much alcohol.
But as we're in the thick of the holidays, it's a good reminder to drink responsibly and stay off the roads if you drive to your celebratory destination.
Cheers. Stay safe. And happy holidays.
We've all complained or vented about something in our lives which, in the grand scheme of things, wasn't exactly a problem, or is very easily solved.
Then there are those who complain about things that others almost hope will happen to them at some point in their lives.
These are known as "first world problems", as they are problems that pretty much only the world's one percent faces.
From having to fly business class instead of first class, or being served Roederer instead of Dom Pérignon, these complaints are often met with amusement, bewilderment, or even anger.
Redditor jennimackenzie was curious to hear the most absurd "first world problems" anyone ever complained about, leading them to ask:
"What’s the most ridiculous 'first world problem' you’ve seen people get worked up over?"
"Tale As Old As Time..."
"I once knew a mom who was legitimately devastated, to the point of tears/grief, because a doctor predicted her 8 year old daughter's final height to be around 5'2","
"Which wasn't tall enough to get cast as Belle at Disney World."
"That was the child's (and her mother's) only dream in life, apparently."
"Didn't appreciate my suggestion that she could be Minnie or Mickey."
"Lol!"
"Only a face character would do!"- TravelLovingMom
"Must Be Funny, In A Rich Man's World..."
"My boss from about a decade ago was this insanely rich dude who always went to the bank to get fresh and crisp currency."
"He'd call the bank in advance to make sure they had some on hand."
"I think he was a germaphobe."
"He had a trash can that he'd throw $1 and $5 bills in that he thought was 'dirty' and regularly just donated it vs spending it."
"I asked him why he did this and he said it was too much trouble and asked if I wanted it."
"I said f*ck yeah dumped it into my bag and when I got home it was close to $400 in singles and fives.
"Another time, he wanted to upgrade all the computers in his studio, so we went to a store and bought 10 PCs."
"They all had $150 mail in rebates and he wasn't bothered to go through the trouble of mailing them in."
"3 weeks later I received $1500 after spending a whole afternoon filling out all those goddamn forms."- azninvasion2000
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Who Wore It Better?
"When I was about 19 years old, I was at my boyfriends family BBQ."
"I was wearing this pretty floral sundress."
"His cousins girlfriend showed up in the same dress and she was SO mad that she went and changed."
"I will never understand being upset when someone is wearing the same thing as you.'
"Did you really think that your shirt you bought off the rack is going to be unique to you?"
"No."- mertsey627
Seeing Red! Or Blue In This Case...
"The blue of the balloons wasn't quite the same as the bridesmaid's sashes."
"Years ago my wife and I attended a wedding."
"It was very low key."
"The dinner was in the dining hall at the university where the couple met, cinder block walls and all."
"It was a Baptist wedding - no booze and very serious."
"The dark blue balloons attempting to liven up the hall were a slightly darker shade of blue than the sashes on the bridesmaid's dresses."
"The bride lost here sh*t and absolutely raved for nearly an hour."
"I can't remember how they finally managed to talk her down."- mechant_papa
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See You In Court!
"Rich neighbors who end up in expensive court battles because they disagree about where a tree can be planted or whether the color of a fence fits in with the street’s 'amenity'."
'These disputes get really heated and rack up huge lawyers’ bills."
"The most pathetic part is after the judgement when they are arguing about who should pay the other party’s costs."
"Lots of affidavits filed citing the 'emotional distress' they had to endure, or painting themselves as brave warriors who were forced to take a stand to fight for 'justice'."
"Also lots of pompous litigants insisting that the judge refer to them by their 'Dr' title."
"An absolutely insane dumpster fire of entitled rich people problems."- ElectrocRaisin
It's Always People With Money Who Don't Want To Pay!
"I work in a public library."
"People will get so so mad if they have to be put on a wait list for a book."
"A popular book that just came out."
"Ok our services are not only free but so are the books."
"You’re welcome, a**holes."- Switchbladekitten
A Warm Butt Is A Happy Butt!
"My own."
"We have a bidet toilet seat (Fabulous! Everyone should have one!) and not only does it wash your bum and blow dry it, but the seat's heated!"
"It's shocking how much a heated toilet seat makes the whole process more agreeable."
"Except: We had a power outage and I went to use the toilet and the seat was cold!"
"Unacceptable!"
"This shall not stand!"
"I was really upset because it didn't feel good."
"Then I stopped and thought: This is the most first-world problem anyone's ever had."
"I was really pissed because my heiny was tepid."
"I got over it."- DeathGrover
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Holy Matrimony!
"Weddings are a gold mine for this question."
"People get so hyped up over their 'most important day of their life'."
"They'll destroy friendships, go into debt, and have crazy expectations."
"It's not always the couple who go crazy, either."
"Sometimes, it's the parents or another family member who feels entitled to control the wedding."
"It's just a party."
"Be considerate of guests, have plenty of food and drinks, and enjoy it."- magicrowantree
When Fast Food Isn't Fast Enough...
"Having to pull off to the side to wait for a drive-thru order to be brought out to you because your food isn't ready and there's a line building up behind you."- demanbmore
In Case You Don't Think Customer Service Employees Are Undervalued...
"I was working the return desk at a Target next to a military base so I have so many stories."
"One of my favorites was a lady who had her baby shower before revealing the gender and was livid that she had received floral newborn diapers when she’s having a boy."
"It was a huge box of super expensive, all organic diapers, that we didn’t carry and therefore could not return."
"I cannot accurately express her fury and disgust."
"How dare either suggest her boy could wear feminine diapers."
"I suggested she donate them if she didn’t want to use them and she instead threw away the entire box."
"When she left we pulled it out and threw it in our donate bin."
"There have also been multiple times where mom’s order massive toys and when we bring them out to the car they get furious that they aren’t wrapped."
"We don’t offer wrapping services."
"Here’s the thing, if you don’t want your kids to see the toys you got them for Christmas or their bit to day DON'T BRING THE CHILD WHEN YOU PICK IT UP."
'I’ve had multiple women scream and curse me out that I had ruined their kids Christmas by bringing the toys they ordered out to the car like they requested."- clever-mermaid-mae
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Happiest Place On Earth!
"I used to work for Disney."
"That in itself should tell you everything."
"However for fun I'll give you two specific stories one form our tech department and one from my wife who worked bookings."
"I specifically worked for their call center to help with technical issues with magic band and the website."
"Suddenly got worse huh?"
"A right of passage call everyone has at least one story of is the 'Dome call'."
"Basically there is a subset of Disney Guest (TM) that believes if it rains at Walt Disney world there is someone that will push a button to encapsulate the whole of Disney property in a dome to keep out the rain."
"I'm not kidding."
"If this button is not pushed they call our tech department to angrily ask why."
"My wife worked booking."
"Pretty much everything including Bibbidi Bobbidi boutique and Pirate's league."
"These two things did roughly the same thing difference being price and theme."
"BBB was expensive did more and was focused on princesses, pirates league did a bit less and focused on mermaids and pirates."
"Lady called up my wife, and got pissed about BBB being booked up (It goes FAAAAST)."
"Karen: 'Im going to give the phone to my daughter and I want you to tell her how you are ruining her vacation by not letting her do BBB'."
"Wife proceeds to explain how pirate's league is so much cooler and how she can be a mermaid or pirate and basically gets the kid to start demanding to their parents about how they want to be a mermaid instead of a princess."- trollsong
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The horror!
Being booked into a junior suite at Disney World instead of an executive suite!
It's almost as bad as having no money for groceries, or no food to feed you children...
Said absolutely no one.