5 Weird Things Our Ancestors Did

 If you believe that people were less eccentric in the past than they are today, think of their fashions and traditions. Maybe you’ll change your opinion.Bright Side has gathered a few things that our ancestors thought normal. We found out we’re not so odd after all. 

                                                       5. First and second sleep

 

Europeans who lived in the Middle Ages practiced what we now call biphasic sleep. The first sleep started at sunset and lasted until about midnight; then people would wake up and stay awake for 2-3 hours. Some used that time to pray or read, and some spent it with their family or neighbors. Then came the time of the second sleep, which lasted until sunrise.

                                                               4. Dresses for boys

  From the 16th century and until around 1920, it was customary for little boys up until a certain age (4-8 years) to wear dresses. The main reason was perhaps the high cost of clothing: dresses were easier to make "to grow into." The tradition didn’t bypass even royal families: this photo depicts Alexei, the son of the Russian Emperor Nicholas II, in a dress similar to those worn by his sisters.

                                                             3. Chopines

 

Chopines, also known as zoccoli or pianelle, are a kind of platform shoe up to 50 cm (20 in) high. Small wonder that those who wore them required the help of servants in order not to literally fall victim to fashion. Admittedly, chopines were worn not just out of style consciousness but also so as not to stain the wearer’s clothes in street mud.

                                                      2. Post-mortem photos

 Another custom that today seems very bizarre. However, in the 19th century, it was a way to preserve the memory of deceased loved ones. As a rule, the dead bodies were fashioned to appear alive in the photograph: they were seated in natural poses, and eyes were drawn on their closed eyelids, as in the image above.

                                                           1. Rocks as toilet paper

 

The list of things people used before the invention of toilet paper could go on and on. It includes plant leaves, corn cobs, coconut shells, sheep wool and cloth (for those who could afford them), sponge on a stick, or just water. But the Ancient Greeks surprised us the most: for certain hygienic purposes, they used rocks, pebbles, or shards of pottery.