Twitter users share 21 uniquely hilarious family traditions that looked normal but were absolutely not
The Acid King executive producer Nicole Cliff decided to put out a tweet, asking people to share rituals that their families followed which seemed perfectly normal but were not.
Every family follows a tradition that is exclusive to them only. It is not known to many outside the family as they feel keeping the tradition a secret will give it more value and a longer shelf-life. Thinking on these lines, The Acid King executive producer Nicole Cliff decided to put out a tweet, asking people to share rituals that their families followed which seemed perfectly normal but were not. To everyone's surprise, the post led to responses that took everyone by surprise. Though the original tweet has since been deleted, the responses are still up.
In the tweet, Cliff wrote, "Our kids can say, ‘Dad trained us to say, 'Yes sir, how high sir' when he made a harrumphing noise, as a joke, but honestly we always just did what we wanted because he’s a colossal sucker”. The post clearly showcased the ease with which family can convince people that something is normal, even if common logic might reflect something opposite. The responses also reflected some lesser-known cultural practices that were unique, even if not popular.
1. Grandma giving her property away as inheritance
My grandma wrote the name of the person who would inherit each item in her home with felt marker on the bottom of said item. So you'd pick up a tin of buttons and read "to Wendy when I die" written on it. Turns out no one else's family does that.
— Arley McNeney (Cruthers) (@Arley_McNeney) September 7, 2020
2. Cursing is 'Nintendo language'
My parents taught us there were “no bad words, only bad timing,” and curse words were reserved for playing video games and other at-home frustrations, not school or grandma’s house. As such, we called cursing “Nintendo language.”
— Molly Kleinman, PhD 🏳️🌈🚲📚🚍 (@mollyali) September 7, 2020
3. Treasuring a spider
The kitchen spider. There's always at least one spider in the kitchen at all times and the spider is treasured, almost like a pet. Once my mom sent an email with subject "sad news". It was about the current spider's demise.
— Bess Hamilton is on Threads bess_hamilton (@bess_p_hamilton) September 7, 2020
4. Detailed grocery list
Writing your grocery list by aisle. Grandma has a spreadsheet on a clipboard with all the usual things, sorted and numbered by aisle. You highlight what you need, then cross it off as you get it. When the store rearranges, it's grandpa's job to go in and reorganize the sheet.
— Wildcat (@TheSpoonieWitch) September 7, 2020
5. Weird motto
My family “motto” was ‘When You’re Dumb, You Gotta Be Tough’. Because we all did ridic things sometimes, as humans tend to do. However, it took a lot of explaining to my last therapist. The look on her face when I mentioned it...
— bunny knuckles (& knees) (@bibliogrrl) September 7, 2020
6. Unique phrases
My mother had many turns of phrase that I thought were just normal sayings but either completely weren't or were very uncommon outside of our household."Big Bird, what to do?" and "Heavens to Murgatroyd!" are the two that come to mind.
— Valerie Woolard (@valeriecodes) September 7, 2020
7. Excessive attachment to pets
We would take our cat with us to the drive in for family movie night.
— Lisa Cunha (@rosietoescunha) September 7, 2020
8. Sugar ban
We only got “sugar cereal” on our birthdays and the birthday kid got to pick what kind and didn’t have to share if they didn’t want to. I thought kids who had Froot Loops on the reg were cheating or breaking some kind of rule.
— Kate McKean (@kate_mckean) September 7, 2020
9. Talking at the same time
The first time my husband came home for Christmas, he noticed that EVERY person in my large extended family talks at the same time. Like, 14 at a time. I still struggle with this—talking over you doesn’t mean I’m interrupting, it means I’m paying attention, and I love you!
— Tenessa Gemelke (@gemelket) September 7, 2020
10. Being a Cesar Chavez fan is not common
Apparently not everyone's grandmother has a massive poster of Cesar Chavez above the kitchen table? Also, we run around screeching like velociraptors and think it's hilarious, but we know that's weird.
— Medusa Sans Frontières (@OpheliaInWaders) September 7, 2020
11. Taking sins seriously
Each Christmas Eve, each family member had to write down the sin we were repenting of that year on a scrap of paper; those papers were put on a box, which was wrapped like a Christmas gift, & then we would drive to a nativity set & leave the gift for the baby Jesus. BUT ... (1/2)
— Riane Konc (@theillustrious) September 8, 2020
12. "Get wet jeopardy"
My dad used to play a bath game with my sister and I called “Get Wet Jeopardy”, where he’d hold a cup of cold water and a cup of warm water and ask my sister and I trivia questions. If we got it right, we got the warm water. If not, you get the idea. I thought everyone did this.
— i’m the eldest boy 🌈💖💜💙 (@whyangelinawhy) September 8, 2020
13. "The chubby guy"
My family has a Generalissimo Francisco Franco Christmas ornament, and every year when we trim the tree, whoever unpacks that ornament yells "The Chubby Guy!" and puts it on the tree. We also play Twisted Christmas albums and I legit don't know the real words to some carols.
— Ali (@AliSayNew) September 7, 2020
14. Realization that men can also be rabbis
Not so much my family but because our rabbi was a woman I didn’t fully realize men were allowed to be also until pretty late in my childhood.
— shana (@shananaomi) September 7, 2020
15. Parents do take interest in children's grades
my parents took zero interest in my grades or academic performance -- not in a negligent way but in a respectful "that's your personal business" way -- and it took me a long time to stop seeing it as egregiously controlling when other kids' parents, like, made them do homework
— James Frankie Thomas (preorder IDLEWILD) (@james_f_thomas) September 7, 2020
16. Good cuddle from mommy is not the norm
when I was a child my mum used to wrap me in several huge towels after I got out of the bath, then we would lie on the floor and she would snuggle me dry. It was known as ‘log’. V dismayed to discover that adults didn’t get to do this, seems like an oversight
— well loved stories (@ms_peaceweaver) September 7, 2020
17. 'No' is not the answer to everything
My siblings and I answer every mundane request (eg "can I have the salt?") with a deadpan "no." even as we are doing the thing which has caused considerable confusion in my dating life and with unsuspecting friends.
— Lev Mirov (semi-hiatus) (@thelionmachine) September 7, 2020
18. Not everyone had to wear tracksuits
my parents are from Croatia & every time we'd go back to the old country for a visit the whole family would get new tracksuits. The plane was always full of Slavs so I thought everyone had to wear tracksuits while flying until I got to high school
— Rebecks 🐐 (@ozzthegr8) September 7, 2020
19. Napkins should always be on the lap
we had a rule that if you didn't put your napkin on your lap, at dinner, & someone spotted it on the table, you had to stand by front door & hop on one leg 10 times.
— Danielle May B. Here (@Builtahouse) September 7, 2020
it was MASSIVELY popular & the HEIGHT of embarrassment from ages 5-8, which peaked when we caught my Dad out.
20. 'Squoze' is not a word
Really small thing, but my family always used "squoze" as the past-tense of "squeeze" and I typed that in a college term paper. I did not understand why it was circled, showed my friends, and they still have not let me forget it.
— Stacey Kay 💖💜💙 #BLM 🦼 (@heystaceykay) September 7, 2020
21. Gas station does not mean 'fart'
It took me until at least high school to realize that “gas station” isn’t a universally accepted term for “fart”
— Christopher Ingraham🦗 (@_cingraham) September 7, 2020
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