10 Surprising Jewish Traditions You’ve Never Heard Of | Explained

From waving a chicken over your head for atonement to baking key-shaped challah, Jewish traditions are as surprising as they are meaningful. These customs, passed down for centuries, are more than just rituals — they reflect deep spiritual and cultural ties. Despite their ancient origins, many traditions continue to thrive in modern Jewish life, uniting communities through shared history, heritage, and cultural identity. Chapters 00:00 Intro 00:30 Kapparot 01:26 Mimouna 02:15 Sigd 03:24 Henna ceremony 04:10 Lag BaOmer bonfires 06:05 Upsherin 06:52 Schlissel challah 07:27 Tu BiShvat seder 08:19 Visiting graves of righteous people 09:22 Pidyon HaBen 11:47 Outro Subscribe and turn on your notifications so you don’t miss future uploads! https://www.youtube.com/UNPACKED?sub_confirmation=1 Recommended video—5 Surprising Locations Jews Live Today https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32FmFkU8F-U&list=PL-DNOnmKkUabBNl0Aee06VGSKbeJkrI6F&index=17 We have merch! – http://shop.jewishunpacked.com/?utm_medium=youtube&utm_source=video-description&utm_campaign=merch Let’s connect: Website — https://www.jewishunpacked.com Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/jewishunpacked Twitter — https://twitter.com/jewishunpacked TikTok — https://www.tiktok.com/@jewishunpacked Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/jewishunpacked ----------- Image and footage credits: Photos used with permission of AAEJ Archives Online Maurice Mamane Tom Avni Levi Ustinov Yehuda Landsman הערוץ הרשמי של כבוד מורנו ורבנו הגאון המקובל הרב רפאל מאמו Wellcome Collection ----------- Executive Producer: — Barry Skolnick Co-Executive Producer: — Shmuel Katz ----------- Translation credits: Portuguese: Saymon Pires, www.livrariasafra.com.br, @safralivraria About Explainers: From ancient Jewish traditions to the modern State of Israel, we explain it all. Diving into anything and everything related to Jewish culture, history, and even religion. Understand Jewish holidays, Israeli politics, Jewish diasporic communities, and more. Learn about Judaism in pop culture, debunking myths about Jews, and explore obscure Israeli landmarks. We’re asking questions as basic as “What is the Talmud?”, and as obscure as “How did hip-hop boost Kosher wine sales?”, and everything in between. About Unpacked: We provide nuanced insights by unpacking all things Jewish. People are complex and complicated — yet we’re constantly being pushed to oversimplify our world. At Unpacked we know that being complex makes us more interesting. Because of this, we break the world down with nuance and insight to drive your curiosity and challenge your thinking. #china #secret #resilience