Ridiculous and Outdated Traditions that Need To Go Away

Beloved traditions get passed down from generation to generation. They create a culture and offer us a feeling of belonging.

Traditions achieve a status of reverence, and sometimes we continue them only because they’ve been passed on. 

The truth is, just because we’ve always done something doesn’t mean we should continue to do that thing. Some traditions need to be retired. 

While scrolling Reddit, I stumbled upon a thread asking users to share the outdated traditions they wish would end. 

Here are some of the top responses. 

Animal Fighting

Many cultures practiced variations of animal fighting over time. A lot of Redditors wish these savage traditions would end. 

One user responded with “Any variation of “let’s make animals fight,” while another replied, “Or, “Let me fight this animal.”

Dog fighting, bullfighting, cock fighting, and other variations of needless animal fighting should stop. 

Bullfighting was mentioned again in the thread, with one user saying, “90% of the population of Spain has never been to a bullfighting spectacle. If the government stopped subsidizing this barbaric practice, it would disappear in a couple of years because it is economically unsustainable.”

Smashing Cakes

Why do we need to celebrate special events with cruelty? What’s the point of smashing a cake into someone’s face?

Some Redditors think the messy cake-smashing tradition at weddings and birthdays needs to end. 

“This tradition is so bad,” said one user, commenting on the wedding tradition. “The bride perfects her makeup and gets her face slathered with cake and can’t just wash it off like a guy would.”

Others highlighted the hidden dangers of cake smashing. 

“I read about a girl who had this done to her, but the cake had wooden or plastic posts holding it up internally,” said one user, adding that it “ended up blinding her in one eye.”

Expensive Funerals

People pay outrageous sums for funerals. 

“My uncle’s funeral was $15k. Wake, mass, coffin, burial. Nothing fancy,” said one user, lamenting the cost. 

“The funeral parlor recommends a $ 5,000 oak casket especially strong for the cremation. It will show your guests you cared,” quipped another. 

Forced Marriage

In this day and age, no one should be forced to marry against their will. However, forced marriages are too common in many parts of the world and sometimes happen in the US. 

One user shared her story of being forced into marriage. She said her partner’s religious family thought living together without legal marriage would look bad, so they threatened to cut them off unless they wed. 

“It was the most traumatic experience of my life,” she shared.  “I faced narcissistic abuse from them that left me with major depression, anxiety, PTSD, and I developed agoraphobia.”

Another said that parents should stop forcing their kids to get married in cases of accidental pregnancy. 

Extravagant Weddings

Dream wedding marketing tricks blissful couples into forking out ridiculous amounts of cash for a single party. 

“Always told myself this would never happen to me. Tried to do a smaller wedding and keep everything low-cost. We were at $30K before we even blinked an eye. The wedding industry is an absolute sham,” said one user. 

“It’s hard not to have an expensive wedding,” added another.  “My fiancé and I are trying to do do things as cheaply as possible (no showers, no bachelor/ette party, no rehearsal dinner). Just a brunch wedding is still $10,000.”

Family Vloggers

Some Redditors pointed to a new tradition: family vloggers. These folks come to Youtube to showcase the trials and tribulations of parenting. 

That part isn’t so bad, but users think they should leave the children out of it. 

One said it’s akin to “Exploiting their children en putting them on the internet for all the creeps to see.”

“There’s many cases of vloggers being child and animal abusers for views,” stated another. 

Underage Brides

Marrying minors is still legal worldwide, and even in many US states. Politicians have blocked numerous attempts to raise the legal age of marriage

Many think the practice should be forbidden. Marriage is a lifelong commitment with numerous ramifications, and no child has the mental capacity to consent to such an agreement. 

Grass

Green grass looks great, but it’s a water hog and takes a ton of upkeep. 

“I love my lawn but grass that has to be maintained is kinda dumb,” said one user. 

“Having a well kept lawn is one of the worst things we can do for the environment, but most Americans live under some sort of local law or community regulation prohibiting them from rewilding or even switching out their grass for something that naturally stays short like heather,” added another. 

Many said they’d love to ditch the lawn for something more manageable or that produces food but are limited by HOA rules. 

Celebrity Worship

Celebrities are the new royalty. People stalk their Instagrams, follow the tabloids, and obsess about every aspect of celebrity lives. 

Although some users said they’d love to see this tradition end, others pointed out that it’s less of a tradition than we’d like to think.

“It’s human-nature,” they said. “Even people that don’t think they do this do it to some level.”

Tipping

US Redditors said they’d love to see tipping go away as it has in most European countries. 

“Just pay the waiter/waitress a real wage and stop leaving that up to the customer,” stated one. 

“It’s gotten out of control. I’m seeing tipping at automated cashiers when I don’t interact with the person at all. Who am I tipping?!” exclaimed another. 

Tipping culture in the States is highly divisive. Service workers love it, as they make far more in tips than they would make working for minimum wage. 

“I would probably lose about %60 of my gross income if I got a raise to $15/hr and no longer collected tips,” shared one user. 

Black Friday Shopping

The tradition of trampling each other to save money on tvs after a night of thanks is a distinctly American one that some Redditors want to see disappear. 

“It’s stupid, dangerous, selfish, and ruins Thanksgiving. Go spend time with your families while they’re alive,” said one user. 

Others said the tradition is already fading. With online shopping, people no longer flock to the stores on Black Friday, and the deals aren’t as good as they once were. 

What Traditions Do You Want To See Go Away?

Do you agree with Redditors in this thread that these traditions must end? What else would you add to the list?