The Dani people of Papua, Indonesia🇮🇩, took "losing a loved one" quite literally—they'd chop off a finger to show their grief! This finger-snipping tradition, called "Ikipalin," was their way of mourning, using sharp stones to remove a fingertip or two. It was believed to keep the ghosts happy and away, proving that nothing says "I miss you" like a little DIY amputation. Luckily, this bizarre practice has mostly been phased out, because, well, who needs fewer fingers to mourn?
A fun fact about the Ikipalin ritual is that, even though it’s a serious way to mourn, some Dani people would keep the chopped-off finger stubs as souvenirs! It’s like turning a sad event into a really unusual kind of keepsake collection.
A fun fact about the Ikipalin ritual is that, even though it’s a serious way to mourn, some Dani people would keep the chopped-off finger stubs as souvenirs! It’s like turning a sad event into a really unusual kind of keepsake collection.
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