Guns in Cultural Celebrations & Traditions

C

Capt. Charlie

Moderator Emeritus
Here's something a little different for a change. While browsing Youtube, I stumbled on this little goodie.

Yes, it's loaded with tons of safety failures, but that aside, I'm curious as to what's actually going on there? On the surface, it appears to be just another good ol' boy gathering headed for a Darwin award, but I wonder if there's more, perhaps something deeply rooted in Turkish culture happening?

Digging a little further, it seems that guns can play a cultural role in Cambodian and Chinese beliefs as well.

Another case was in 1974, 16 people were killed in Cambodia when soldiers began firing guns at the moon, thinking that the lunar eclipse was actually "a giant monkey eating the moon." As is apparent, traditions or ancient fears can still linger in our cultures today in the form of superstitions.

It is a common practice in several east Asian countries to make as much noise as possible to frighten away the "demon" attacking the Sun or Moon. Even in the 1800s, the Chinese Navy would fire its cannons to frighten the dragon eating the Moon. In other parts of the world, it is common even today to yell, chant, bang pots, shoot bullets into the air and play electronic appliances such as TVs and radios as loudly as possible during an eclipse. This is usually done out of tradition today, rather than out of a sense of fear.
Click to expand...

http://www.mendhak.com/177-the-10-greatest-eclipses-in-history.aspx (#7)

So on to the crux of the matter: Do you know of other examples in which guns play a major role in cultural beliefs or ceremonies?
 
M

MCCALL911

New member
Wow, amazing video. I would think that good sense might prevail over custom or tradition at some point there. Scary!
I would just have to appear rude, but I'd be looking for another party if the one I was attending involved a couple of dozen tipsy guys shooting guns in the air!
 
F

Fox1

New member
Did anyone else notice?
I didn't see one woman in that crowd.

I'd like to show up afterwards to pick up all the brass!

I know the Chinese (originally) used fireworks to ward off evil spirits and I think that now they have switched, somewhat, to firearms mostly because it's easier to make a loud noise.
 
C

Capt. Charlie

Moderator Emeritus
No women, good observation! That could lend credence to the thought that it was some sort of ceremony. I also noticed that several of the shooters appeared solemn. Maybe a memorial service of some sort?

I'm kinda hoping that some of our overseas veterans and citizens of other countries will chime in here with knowledge of this or other examples.
 
E

Evan Thomas

New member
Capt Charlie said:
No women, good observation! That could lend credence to the thought that it was some sort of ceremony.
Click to expand...
Even although Turkey is a secular state, and women have far more equality than in other predominantly Muslim countries, there's still a powerful tradition that women stay home, pretty much... public spaces of all kinds are basically men's spaces, especially once you're outside large urban centers. So whatever those fellows are doing, it's not too surprising that it's "boys only..."

Shooting at a lunar eclipse to keep the monkey from eating the moon? Of course, doesn't everyone do that? Hey -- it always works...

Interesting topic.
 
T

Tuzo

New member
What goes up must come down

In New Orleans the New Years Eve tradition(?) of blasting away at the sky seemed alive and well but illegal. A few years ago a tourist was killed by a downward falling bullet plus another person was injured. This prompted an increase in NOPD vigilance and law enforcement resulting in a noticeable decrease of celebratory gunfire. We still have a high firearms crime rate but at least it is not too related to New Years Eve.
 
D

dawico

New member
Dang, that is crazy. Who would want to get married? J/K I love my wife.

Brings the term "shotgun wedding" to a whole new level, doesn't it?
 
M

Mike Irwin

Staff
Apparently on New Year's it's common in some Latin American countries for people to go out and fire guns into the air.

The Philadelphia Phillies had a catcher back in the 1980s named Bo Diaz, a native of Venezuela.

One year he started off the year injured because on New Years he was hit in the hand or arm by a bullet that had been fired into the air during a New Year's celebration.
 
J

jhenry

New member
Here in the Ozarks it is traditional to fire off guns right at midnight on New Years Eve and on the 4th of July. Midnight on New Years sounds like a hasty ambush gone horribly wrong.

On the 4th we just shoot for fun interspersed throughout the day and to remind us of how our nation was fought for. On New Years we shoot at the stroke of midnight. I like to use good fireball stuff. A Mosin M38, a Tokarev in 7.62x25, and usually a M57 Smith with stout H110 loads. Those make a nice display. Traditionally this is done to scare the devil when the new year starts.

In the city folks generally have lost this. Too bad for them.
 
E

Evan Thomas

New member
Mike Irwin said:
Apparently on New Year's it's common in some Latin American countries for people to go out and fire guns into the air.
Click to expand...
This also happens quite a bit in my urban, very diverse neighborhood. Although I tell myself they're just letting off all those fireworks they saved from the Fourth of July, in my heart I know better. One of many reasons I tend to stay home, or over with friends, on New Year's Eve. :cool:
 
C

Caboclo

New member
Let's hear it for gun rights! :D Those "backwards" countries have some advantages that we have lost in the name of progress.
 
E

Evan Thomas

New member
motorhead0922 said:
Does the 21 Gun Salute count? It's been used all over the world for centuries.
Click to expand...
Yes -- good one. And we should also count the three-volley salute fired at military and police funerals.

And here's another, more cheerful traditional cultural ceremony observed in my state and most others, in which guns play a big role...

Deer opener! :D

My "local" (i.e. up North) hook-and-bullet shop, last year, spoofed those "Welcome Deer Hunters" banners that you see on every bar with one of their own design. It read "Welcome Chipmunk Hunters," and they told me they actually did get some inquiries from flatlanders wanting to know when, exactly, the season started, and how much a license would cost...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top