One from Hong Kong:
Lam Tsuen Wishing Tree is the focus of a tradition where people from all over the modern metropolis gather during the Chinese New Year to throw oranges with wishes ties to them onto the tree. If the orange is caught in one of the branches then the wish is destined to come true.
Unfortunately because of the annual abuse, the tree was effectively being strangled to death. The HK government in its infinite wisdom had relocated the real tree and replaced it with an artificial one and, to prevent injuries caused by heavy real oranges, only permit light fake plastic oranges.
And so now every Chinese New Year we will have thousand of people gathering in Lam Tsuen to throw plastic oranges at a fake tree, hoping their wishes will come true while the real tree are ignored and left unmolested it the background...
Interesting! I am assuming you're from HK?
Isn't there some custom where dead are showered with high street brands fakes at the time of cremation?
Kind of like that. Effigies of items and valuable are incinerated and it is belief that the destruction of such things, turning them to ash will transport them to the afterlife where they can be enjoys by the deceased.
wow, amazing