Holy Hairbrushes and Sacred Spoons: How We Found Meaning in the Most Random Stuff

What if your hairbrush was the key to inner peace? Or your spoon, a gateway to cosmic wisdom? Sounds ridiculous, but that’s exactly the kind of madness we dove into for Crackko’s latest cultural experiment.

Can a stapler teach you the meaning of life? Probably not, but what if you treated it like a sacred artifact for a week? That’s exactly what we asked people to do. Inspired by humanity’s weird ability to turn random objects into symbols of worship (hello, crystal healing and lucky rabbit feet), we decided to flip the script. Our challenge: Could we, for one week, treat everyday objects like they were divine?

What followed was a blend of hilarity, self-discovery, and TikTok-worthy chaos. Spoiler alert: Someone prayed to a microwave and had the audacity to call it “Chef Almighty.” Strap in—it’s about to get weird, deep, and ridiculously entertaining.

When the Ordinary Becomes Sacred

The idea came from ancient cultures that imbue everyday objects with spiritual significance. Think rosary beads, dreamcatchers, or rocks carried for “good vibes.” If humans can turn a crystal into a source of cosmic energy, why not apply the same energy to a hairbrush—or a remote?

The rules were simple:

• Pick one everyday object.
• Treat it like it’s the most important thing in the world.
• Document your rituals, confessions, and any spiritual breakthroughs—or embarrassing fails.

We threw this challenge at participants from Lagos to New York, and let’s just say, the results were as wild as they were weirdly profound.

The Objects, the Rituals, the Chaos

Here’s a roundup of some of the most iconic—and utterly absurd—sacred objects from the experiment:

1. The Lagos Shoe Worshipper: A guy turned his left sneaker into “The Divine Left Foot.” He polished it daily, whispered affirmations to it (“You will always step into success”), and even gave it a seat at the table during meals. By the end of the week, he swore it brought him luck. “Baba Sneaker,” as he fondly called it, even earned a shoutout on Instagram.
2. Chef Almighty (Accra, Ghana): A college student gave her microwave divine status, creating rituals like bowing before every instant noodle session. On day four, she swore the microwave’s “energy” made her ramen taste better. Or maybe she was just hungry. Someone commented, “Chale, na spiritual seasoning dey this microwave?”
3. The Blessed Toothbrush (Birmingham, United Kingdom): A dental hygienist turned her toothbrush into a holy relic. She crafted a mini shrine for it and started chanting, “Bright teeth, bright future,” every morning. Weird flex, but okay.
4. The Spoon of the Ancestors (New York, USA): A foodie elevated her favorite spoon to sacred status, calling it “the chosen utensil.” She made offerings (of peanut butter), and by the end of the week, claimed her meals tasted “spiritually enhanced.”

On TikTok, the hashtag #SacredObjectChallenge trended, with a good number of people turning their random junk into holy treasures. A few highlights:

• A Lagos influencer held a candlelit vigil for her power bank, calling it “the light in dark times.” Her video’s caption: “Nepa fit fail me, but you? Never.”
• A French gamer knighted his controller, dubbing it “The Sword of Victory,” and made dramatic TikTok montages of him bowing to it before gaming marathons.
• One guy in London held daily sermons for his AirPods, preaching, “These blessed pods bring me clarity… and bass.”

The Deeper Revelations

What started as a joke took an unexpectedly profound turn. Participants found that their rituals forced them to slow down and appreciate the small things in life.

• “I never realized how much I rely on my sneakers,” the Lagos Shoe Worshipper admitted. “It’s like I took them for granted.”
• The Accra student claimed her microwave experiment made her more mindful. “I used to rush through meals, but now I actually pause and savor the process.”
• The New York foodie confessed, “I thought it was silly, but treating my spoon like a treasure made me grateful for every bite.”

Even skeptics admitted the experiment shifted their perspectives. By slowing down and treating the mundane as meaningful, they found a sense of wonder in the smallest things.

What’s Your Sacred Object?

So, what’s the takeaway? Maybe it’s that rituals—even absurd ones—can help us find joy in the everyday. Or maybe it’s that we’re all just looking for a little magic, even in a hairbrush.

Now it’s your turn: What random object would you make sacred? Your socks? Your charger? That one pen that always works? Share your ideas in the comments—who knows, we might just make it our next experiment.

Until then, stay curious, stay quirky, and remember: Crackko’s here to make your ordinary, extraordinary.

Ever wondered what happens when you mix ancient traditions with modern social media? Find out in our collection of thought-provoking cultural stories in Cultural Experiments.