2 years, 2 months ago
Is this a celebration... or a punishment?
I found this picture today and am puzzled beyond belief.
Does anyone know the origins of this picture?
Is this a spiritual celebration?
A traditional punishment?
If answers cannot be found... please feel free to explain in your own words!
(picture is at link below)
Does anyone know the origins of this picture?
Is this a spiritual celebration?
A traditional punishment?
If answers cannot be found... please feel free to explain in your own words!
(picture is at link below)
images:
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M$3 Answers
The ancient Sudanian custom of cucumber benediction is essential to every aspect of life, and the continuation of the rich and beautiful culture of the CuCu people.
The CuCu people of Sudan have always relied on the wild cucumber as a convenient energy and moisture source on long hunting or gathering trips. This intimate relationship with cucumbers has, over time, ascribed magical powers to the cucumber - such as its ability to bless a bread roll with increased carbohydrates and nutritional value, if the bread roll is placed on a man's stomach, while he is held by two other men wearing back-to-front bras while they balance an extremely large block of cheese on their heads, while all three hold a cucumber in their mouth as the man is swung back and forth, as all chant "Mmmmmf, Mmmmmmf".
Life is difficult in this part of the world, and it is absolutely essential that each bread roll is blessed with additional value in this way. The cucumber benediction ceremony can be used to give blessing to almost any kind of food item. Particular difficulty is experienced when it is time to lay blessing in this way on a live goat, before the goat is killed and eaten. (Inconveniently, it is believed that the magical properties of the cucumber are given more completely to a meat food source in its raw, live state.)
One of the biggest issues that the CuCu people face is a shortage of men to perform the ritual of cucumber benediction. It is a time-consuming and difficult process, and requires considerable skill. Just look at the concentration and dedication on the faces of the men. If any of the cucumbers, stomach-held food items, or balanced blocks of cheese are dropped during the ceremony, the whole process must begin again. This has led to a customary marking on a home where the cucumber benediction ceremony is being held - a small cucumber-sized hole is cut into every door of each room in each house, so that a cucumber can be placed in it to warn others that the benediction ceremony is being performed within, and distractions and interruptions must be prevented. A customary way of declining a social invitation, due to being needed to work on the ceremony, is to place the front of a fist into the mouth and say "Mmmmmf, Mmmmmf". It will immediately be understood that your time and skill is required elsewhere, and considerable respect and admiration will be bestowed upon whoever uses this gesture.
It is hoped that this rich, ancient culture will be preserved through the efforts of the Cucumber Benediction Preservation Society, which enables Westerners to volunteer thousands of hours per year to hunt and gather in place of a skilled CuCu cucumber benediction ceremony expert, so that this time-consuming and difficult custom is not lost. The Cucumber Benediction Preservation Society has worked tirelessly to educate the Western world about this issue and raise funds for more Western volunteers, blocks of cheese, and cucumbers to be available to the beautiful CuCu people. The Cucumber Benediction Preservation Society also works against the destructive effects of cheese that is too soft, overuse of cucumbers in salads, and the trend of removing the Cucumber Hole in houses in favour of "If Mama Ain't Happy, Ain't Nobody Happy!" signs.
The CuCu people of Sudan have always relied on the wild cucumber as a convenient energy and moisture source on long hunting or gathering trips. This intimate relationship with cucumbers has, over time, ascribed magical powers to the cucumber - such as its ability to bless a bread roll with increased carbohydrates and nutritional value, if the bread roll is placed on a man's stomach, while he is held by two other men wearing back-to-front bras while they balance an extremely large block of cheese on their heads, while all three hold a cucumber in their mouth as the man is swung back and forth, as all chant "Mmmmmf, Mmmmmmf".
Life is difficult in this part of the world, and it is absolutely essential that each bread roll is blessed with additional value in this way. The cucumber benediction ceremony can be used to give blessing to almost any kind of food item. Particular difficulty is experienced when it is time to lay blessing in this way on a live goat, before the goat is killed and eaten. (Inconveniently, it is believed that the magical properties of the cucumber are given more completely to a meat food source in its raw, live state.)
One of the biggest issues that the CuCu people face is a shortage of men to perform the ritual of cucumber benediction. It is a time-consuming and difficult process, and requires considerable skill. Just look at the concentration and dedication on the faces of the men. If any of the cucumbers, stomach-held food items, or balanced blocks of cheese are dropped during the ceremony, the whole process must begin again. This has led to a customary marking on a home where the cucumber benediction ceremony is being held - a small cucumber-sized hole is cut into every door of each room in each house, so that a cucumber can be placed in it to warn others that the benediction ceremony is being performed within, and distractions and interruptions must be prevented. A customary way of declining a social invitation, due to being needed to work on the ceremony, is to place the front of a fist into the mouth and say "Mmmmmf, Mmmmmf". It will immediately be understood that your time and skill is required elsewhere, and considerable respect and admiration will be bestowed upon whoever uses this gesture.
It is hoped that this rich, ancient culture will be preserved through the efforts of the Cucumber Benediction Preservation Society, which enables Westerners to volunteer thousands of hours per year to hunt and gather in place of a skilled CuCu cucumber benediction ceremony expert, so that this time-consuming and difficult custom is not lost. The Cucumber Benediction Preservation Society has worked tirelessly to educate the Western world about this issue and raise funds for more Western volunteers, blocks of cheese, and cucumbers to be available to the beautiful CuCu people. The Cucumber Benediction Preservation Society also works against the destructive effects of cheese that is too soft, overuse of cucumbers in salads, and the trend of removing the Cucumber Hole in houses in favour of "If Mama Ain't Happy, Ain't Nobody Happy!" signs.
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M$
Its a 419 scammer photo - like you find all over the internet. When trying to scam someone a Nigerian falls for the "send me a photo of you doing such and such and I'll wire you the money" trick....since they are trying to scam I think its only fair to get them to do something stupid to show the world how really dumb they are!
It's called scambaiting and I'd love to try it :)
My favorite site for checking on the scammers is this one! http://www.419eater.com/ - check out the Hall of Shame for more photos...
And this one for videos!!! yaay!
http://www.thescambaiter.com/
what about these ?? Don't you just love them!
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.switched.com/media/2008/09/2008.05.05_scammer_switched.jpg
http://bigmentaldisease.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/scammer2.jpg
http://www.bookscape.co.uk/images/scam_story.jpg
http://www.419hell.com/Nigerian_Scam_Baiting/Scam_Baiting_FAQ/IMAG000.JPG
It's called scambaiting and I'd love to try it :)
My favorite site for checking on the scammers is this one! http://www.419eater.com/ - check out the Hall of Shame for more photos...
And this one for videos!!! yaay!
http://www.thescambaiter.com/
what about these ?? Don't you just love them!
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
It looks like the beginning of ancient bris ceremony.
source(s):
My own funnybone.
My own funnybone.
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
Hahaha... that was one of the best fictions I've read on Mahalo! Keep it up!
Your story was so good @derosajohanna... I was looking for sources at the end!
You rock!
I just thought I would add.... this is completely, ridiculously, incredibly fictitious and I don't hold an idea that most African communities are hunter-gatherers or uneducated or something, or that any traditions or spiritual beliefs that they do have are silly or anything, etc etc. Definitely didn't mean any of the above in any kind of racist way or something. Just a disclaimer. :)
It's just... the photo IS silly.
Aw, thanks you guys. Bunny, I really hope you don't find any sources backing this up. If you did I'd be deeply disturbed.
Oh, wait! I AM deeply disturbed!