Friends, the vacation period is already in full swing, and if you are going to go on vacation abroad, I advise you to definitely familiarize yourself with the list of unusual rules and laws in various countries and cities of the world. Below you will find out some strange and interesting facts that every tourist who goes on vacation should know.
Feeding pigeons in Piazza San Marco is punishable by a fine. A large population of birds after a plentiful and continuous meal greatly spoils historical monuments.
Who would have thought that in Venice you would not even be able to feed the birds?
Tourists in Canada will have to listen to Justin Bieber or Celine Dion most of the time - local radio stations are required to give 35 percent of their airtime to national performers.
But we are still not going to Canada to listen to the radio, right?
In Denmark, before starting the engine, you must look under the car and check if there are any children there. You should also always have a blanket with you. If the horse pulling the cart is frightened by a passing car, the driver must pull over to the side of the road, stop and cover it.
This is so cute! And strange..
Be careful with chewing gum in Singapore! You can carry it in your pocket, but you can't chew it.
Driving in flip-flops on the roads of Spain is a criminal offence.
I wonder what incident was the reason for the introduction of such a severe punishment for "wearing beach shoes" while driving?
In Germany, a motorist needs to be as focused and prudent as possible. If, while driving on the autobahn, the tank runs out of gas, the driver has already violated the law, and if he walked along the road, twice.
Perhaps there in the traffic rules and the commandment is introduced: "refuel prematurely and you will not be punished." Will have to read.
In Japan, the birthplace of sumo, obesity is legally prohibited. The maximum waist for men 40 and older should be 80 centimeters. Violators are put on a strict diet.
It is strange that this law does not apply to women. The more of them, the better?
Incredibly tasty durian is forbidden to bring to public places (buses, subways, hotels and airports) in several countries at once - Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.
It may be delicious, but it's a little hallucinogenic. Here legislators can be understood!
The museum country of Greece forbids high-heeled shoes from entering historical sites such as the Acropolis of Athens. Women in combat uniforms destroy priceless archaeological sites while walking.
Are there really those who deliberately trample into the Acropolis on their heels?
On the longest urban beach in the world - Virginia Beach - since the 1990s it has been forbidden to use foul language.
But it is not clear who and how is monitoring this?
Men with perennial facial hair should stay away from Eureka County, Nevada, USA. You will definitely want to kiss some beauty, and this is prohibited by law. If you want to kiss, shave off your mustache.
Bearded men, have you heard? Not a foot in Eureka County!
In Switzerland, it is better to refuse dinner and even evening tea. It is forbidden to flush the toilet in apartment buildings at night - you can wake up the neighbors.
But what about the ubiquitous "impatient"?
Spitting is condemned by the public in many countries of the world, but in Barcelona you can pay a fine of 120 euros for this.
"Pay" for spitting - that's interesting!
In puritanical France, men are allowed into the water of public pools only in loose trousers. Tight-fitting swimming trunks seem too defiant to the French.
Not everyone knows the full list of traffic rules in their country, and if you have to drive somewhere abroad, you should also take into account quite serious differences. After all, some rules look really strange.
Philippines
In this country, they offer a very interesting way to deal with traffic jams. It's all about the license plates. If your number ends in 1 or 2, then on Monday you will have to take the subway, if your numbers are 3 or 4, then on Tuesday. And so on. But on weekends, all restrictions are lifted.
USA
The American states, as always, surprise us with a variety of laws and rules that are unusual for us. In Pennsylvania, you are required to hide a car if there is a possibility that it might startle a horse. If you decide to drive a car with your eyes closed, then in Alabama you will definitely be issued a fine. And, of course, do not forget that in Alaska you can not ride with a dog on the roof.
Mexico
Some girls will not be as comfortable driving in this country. In Mexico, there is a law that prohibits wearing makeup while driving. For the sake of justice, it should be noted that there is a similar rule for men, they are forbidden to shave in the car.
Thailand
This country is really popular among our tourists, so many people know that the traffic there is very dense and sometimes even seems crazy. Despite the frequent heat in Thailand, there is a rule that prohibits driving without a shirt. Perhaps many people neglect this rule, but if you get caught by the local police, it will be very difficult to avoid a fine.
Austria
Russians as fans of DVRs will not be so comfortable driving in this country. In Austria, their use is prohibited, because according to local rules it is considered an invasion of privacy.
Germany
Many people dream of driving on the German autobahns, but before that we advise you to check the fuel supply. If your car stopped driving due to lack of gasoline, you will have to pay a fine. It is forbidden to stop on the autobahn without a good reason, and as you already understood, the lack of gasoline in Germany is already considered negligence.
Japan
In this country, they take special care of pedestrians. Therefore, in rainy weather, they are not afraid to walk along the road. If you doused someone with dirty water from under the wheels, you will have to pay a fine.
South Africa
We all know that there are a lot of wild animals in Africa, so the rules of the road are also actively applied to them. The rule is quite simple: in any situation, animals need to give way.
Cyprus
You can’t drink while driving and everyone knows this, but in Cyprus this should be taken literally, because even for a bottle of plain water you face a fine.
Spain
If you have vision problems and you drive a car with corrective glasses, then be kind enough to have a spare pair in the cabin. On the roads of Spain, they can check this and easily issue a fine.
Denmark
Traffic regulations in this country require the driver to look under the car before driving. This is to make sure that there is no person or animal under the car.
Most of us would never consider forgetting the birthday of our loved ones, or we don't see anything illegal in flushing the toilet at night, but in some parts of the world such situations are considered illegal. The article presents the most bizarre laws and customs of different countries of the world. It's always good to be aware of all the "strangeness" of a foreign country, when customs is in front of you and there is no turning back.
It is forbidden to change light bulbs - Victoria, Australia
In this state, it is illegal for an ordinary person to change a light bulb. Anyone caught doing this will be fined $10. In Victoria, only electricians are allowed to change burnt out light bulbs. Probably, in this place, electricians do not complain about wages and lack of work.
Elderly Law - China
In 2013, China passed a new law requiring all adult children to visit their elderly parents regularly to attend to their spiritual needs. Those who fail to do so may end up in court and proceedings may end in either detention or fines.
Royal Pets - UK
The law was approved while George I was king. The law has not been abolished so far, and it states that the pet of any member of the royal family is prohibited from mating with pets of other members of the royal family without their permission.
You can't frown - Milan, Italy
The Italian government has decreed that you should always smile in the capital of Italy, and this is an official law. The exception is a visit to a hospital or a funeral. Apparently, if you frown, you can easily get a ticket from the police.
Keep Silence - Switzerland
If you live in an apartment building in Switzerland, then there are many things that are illegal to do at certain times of the day, so as not to disturb the peace of your neighbors. So, for example, after 22:00 it is forbidden to flush the toilet, fill the bath and even urinate while standing.
Intermediate Wedding - Montana, America
Those people who serve in the military and cannot attend their own marriage ceremony in person can delegate authority to their friend or relative to replace him. Such a wedding is considered absolutely legal, despite the fact that one of the spouses was not present. In some cases, both the groom and the bride may be absent. Friends-mediators can replace any of the spouses at the wedding.
Autobahn - Germany
In some areas of the German autobahns, a speed limit of 130 km / h is set, but on most roads there is no such speed limit, so drivers are prohibited from getting out of the car and walking on the autobahn.
Duty of Husband - Samoa
In Samoa, a husband is not allowed to forget his wife's birthday. Although, being married, you hope that the husband really knows and never forgets about his wife's birthday. And I really want to hope that the spouse remembers the date of the wedding.
You can't spoil the air - Florida, America
The need to release gases is natural, especially if you have consumed foods that promote gas formation in the body the day before. However, in Florida, this is absolutely impossible to do after 18:00. And if a person is caught doing this obscene activity, then, in addition to the fact that his behavior will cause general discontent, he can also be arrested. You should carefully monitor what you eat during the day.
Talent and more talent - Canada
The Canadian Broadcasting Commission has ruled that by law, at least one in five songs aired on Canadian radio must be performed by a Canadian singer (or singer). In fairness, it should be noted that not only Justin Bieber is from Canada, whose songs appear on the radio with an enviable frequency, but Celine Dion was born in this country, as well as Drake and Michael Bublé and a huge number of great and talented singers.
Who has never heard the joke about “a German, an American and a Russian got together…” and hundreds of variations on the theme? Like it or not, cultural differences have been an ageless joke for more than a thousand years. Laughter is laughter, and some things really make you smile. Or bashfully blush, getting into a mess. After all, what is considered rude and ignorant in our country may turn out to be quite the norm in other countries. See for yourself.
Traveling to other countries and communicating with the locals, you are likely to get not only a lot of amazing experiences, but also a couple of embarrassing situations. After all, even in a world that is striving for globalization, cultural differences are still strong. And sometimes they are completely different from our habits. But we know where they don't go with their own rules. Therefore, we propose to “secure” ourselves from at least nine curiosities by voicing a selection of these strange (from our point of view) rules of etiquette in different parts of the world.
Rudeness #1: Smack and smack while eating
Our mothers teach their children to “eat with their mouths closed” from the very first years. It would seem that everyone does this. And here it is not. In Japan, China and Taiwan, your unusually quiet meal will be considered rude. After all, here champing, loudly sucking a drink from a straw and other bunch of “anti-etiquette” behavior at the table is considered a compliment to the cook. It's simple: slurp - it means delicious. Keep in mind.
Rudeness #2: Being late for dinner or a date
Accuracy is said to be the courtesy of kings. But leave this wisdom to the British and other Europeans. In India, it is considered normal to arrive 15-30 minutes late for an informal meeting. Even with strangers. And it doesn't make anyone angry. After all, the relationship to time here is a little different. So, if you are going on a date or a friendly lunch in India, do not rush to express dissatisfaction when your counterpart is half an hour late. Culture is like that.
Rudeness #3: Empty a glass of wine in one go
Okay, our man, probably, is difficult to surprise with any peculiarities in relation to alcohol. And yet, emptying a glass of wine in one gulp is somewhat exotic even for us. But going to Georgia, be prepared to drink wine to the bottom and immediately. But only after you listen to the toast!
Rudeness #4: Don't offer to pay for a girl in a cafe or restaurant
It is prosaic, but on the way to great love between girls from our latitudes and European-American princes, it is often not geography that gets up, but a trip to a restaurant. After all, our beauties will easily perceive a logical proposal to split the bill as an insult and stinginess. But in vain. You just have to remember that in most European countries and in the United States, a man's peremptory decision to pay for a woman after eating is perceived as an infringement of her rights or a signal of bad intentions. So the offer to split the bill is a sign of respect and etiquette. And then decide for yourself.
Rudeness #5: Feed the other person with your hands
Fu and fi. Only if you are not a couple in love in the midst of the candy-bouquet period. But in Ethiopia this is not the case. Here the owner is simply obliged to treat guests literally from his own hands. According to the locals, this is the only way to build trust. And to refuse, even politely, is to offend a person in the best of intentions. So decide what is more important: hygiene or politeness?
Rudeness #6: Don't thank the hosts for the warm welcome and dinner
“Thank you” is always good and pleasant, right? It turns out that not always and not everywhere. In many regions of India, if you were invited to visit, then thanking the hosts for a warm welcome is the height of indecency. So you seem to "pay off" from further contacts. Instead, you should invite the host to your place for a visit or for dinner in a cafe. And at the same time, in no case should you try to surpass them in dishes and entertainment.
"Rudeness" No. 7: at a party, do not eat everything that the hosts put on a plate
Everyone knows that you need to visit only after working up an appetite. But in most Asian countries, an absolutely empty plate is a hint to the owner that he treats the guest not enough. So you will impose and impose again. In order not to fall into this vicious circle of gluttony, be sure to leave a small amount of food untouched. This will show that you are full and satisfied. And everyone will breathe a sigh of relief.
Rudeness #8: Don't use a knife at the table
If you go to Germany, order a dish with potatoes in a restaurant and start purposefully cutting it with a knife, everyone will immediately realize that in front of them is a tourist. After all, cutting potatoes here is a hint to the cook that it is not cooked well enough. And to chop food, use a fork.
Rudeness #9: Invite to a celebration or party at the last moment
Yes, we know that you need to prepare in advance for a trip to visit and other “going out to people”. But not in Israel. They don’t really like to plan here, but spontaneity is the second nature of the locals. So do not be particularly surprised if you are invited to a "mesiba" (party) or the birthday of a friend of friends about two hours before the start. This is the norm. Relax and let yourself have a little fun. Even on Monday.
Try to eat soup or noodles in a restaurant, sipping, and immediately notice how other visitors start looking at you askance. And a cook in China and Japan, noticing this, would be pleased. After all, here sipping soup or noodles means that the food is so tasty that you do not have the strength to wait until it cools down. A quiet meal means that you are not satisfied.
“Despite the fact that there is a cult of food here, despite the fact that Chinese cuisine is incredibly diverse and, I would even say, incomprehensible, there is no culture of food here. Perhaps, in some individual metropolitan restaurants, its rudiments can still be found. But in general, it doesn't. The Chinese are very pragmatic about food. For them, this is by no means a process, but only a result. Food is consumed rapidly, recklessly, with concentration, with loud champing, burping and spitting bones on the floor or directly on the tablecloth. At the same time, all those present are talking loudly, shouting over each other, exposing bad teeth and half-chewed food, ”writes Grigory Potemkin, who has been living in China for about eight years, in his blog.
In tribal Kenya, each community has its own rituals, but the custom of spitting at the oncoming one is valid for at least 40 of them. So, in the Akamba tribe, they spit on the oncoming one as a sign of deep respect. Masai, before shaking hands, moisten them with saliva. Children who greet elders may get a ball of saliva in the back. You can’t be offended - this is how they wish a child a long life. For the same reason, it is customary in the tribe to spit on the newborn. However, the Maasai generally love to spit on everything and everyone: a gift that they want to give, a new home in which they are going to live. This is a wonderful amulet. According to a resident of Kenya with the nickname kawira, there are many other tribes (there are 42 in Kenya alone) whose representatives spit. So, members of the Ameru tribe thus bless each other. However, only seniors are allowed to do this.
In Germany, you should not be surprised if a decently dressed German at the next table in a restaurant finishes his dish, puts his fork and knife on a plate, after which he takes out a handkerchief from his pocket and ... blows his nose loudly. “What is natural is not ugly,” the German believes, and blows his nose wherever circumstances require.
“I was very surprised to hear at the lecture how someone, excuse me, blows his nose loudly. Thought it was an isolated case. I asked other fellows. They said it's the same at their universities. Google showed that before me, many people were interested in this issue. They might be chewing on an apple under your ear for the entire lecture or blowing their nose at the table. I'm still getting used to these things. Cultural features,” writes Sabina Serikova, who has been living in Germany for more than a year and studying cognitive science.
In the remote villages of Tibet, the custom, when greeting each other, is still preserved, sticking out the tongue - as a sign of openness of one's intentions. According to one version, a passer-by thus shows that he is not a reincarnated demon.
Another theory is related to the last king of Tibet named Langdarma. He went down in history as a persecutor of Buddhism, a defiler of shrines and a murderer of monks. He was so evil that even his tongue was black. And since reincarnation is quite real for Buddhists, they do not discount the possibility of a monster reappearing.
True, lately Tibetans show their tongue at a meeting less and less. This is evidenced by the responses of travelers.
"I've met a lot of Tibetans, but I rarely see them stick out their tongues when they meet," user Klein notes on the Rattle that Cage Buddhism forum.
In India and Nepal, eating with your hands is often the only possible way to eat. In the cafes of the most remote corners of the country, where no tourist has set foot, there are no cutlery at all. Although in most catering establishments foreigners will still be offered a fork. But the Hindus themselves will eat with their hands, and always with the right, since the left is considered unclean.
“This is because it is customary to wash with the left after using the toilet. Although lately many Indians use cutlery,” explains the Indian Archana.
In other countries, some dishes are also eaten with the hands. For example, tacos are a Mexican flatbread with a spicy filling. If you decide to eat it with cutlery, do not offend anyone, but they will look at you with disapproval. And Italian pizza, the food of the poor, in fact, was also always eaten with their hands.
“A small piece of raw meat is taken along with bread and dipped in chili sauce, then put into the mouth. Ethiopians traditionally feed each other with their hands. The owner of the house feeds me,” writes user Ruslan Maiboroda on Afro-forum, sharing his impressions of the trip.
If you don’t want to be fed endlessly, in the Philippines, China, Cambodia, Thailand and other countries of Southeast Asia, you can forget about the Russian rule of politeness “ate to the end - showed respect”. An empty plate here is a symbol of the fact that the guest has not eaten enough and asks for more. The meal usually begins with a full spoon of ordinary rice - the most important, almost sacred product of the region. Portion on your plate from the serving dish is shifted in parts. Some of the food (but not rice) and drink are left at the end of the meal in your plate. So pay tribute to the generosity of the owners of the house.
In China and Mongolia, the degree of satiety is determined by belching. It means that your stomach is full and you liked everything. The guests are full - the hosts are happy. Especially this rule adheres to the older generation. The young tend to absorb Western norms of behavior.
“I would never have known about this if it had not been for a trip to China and a trip to a restaurant with a Chinese woman who knows the customs and speaks good Russian. The waitress, serving us food, relish burped after her dinner. It was unpleasant, they wanted to go to another place, but our companion explained that such things are not considered bad manners - on the contrary, it means that the person ate very tasty and satisfying, and for the owner this is like a compliment, ”user angren writes on the site“ Big question."
In one gulp, they usually empty a glass of vodka, and in Russia they drink wine, stretching out the pleasure. But, going to Georgia, be prepared to drink wine to the bottom right away. True, only after you finish listening to the toast. It is customary for Georgians to drink to the bottom “For God”, “For the Motherland”, “For those who are no longer with us”. In other cases, you can just sip and put the glass on the table, and finish it with the next toast.
“Defiantly refusing to drink is not accepted. Better just sip a little glass, and everything will be fine. Everyone understands, ”writes user Vytas on the Vinsky Forum in a topic dedicated to the culture of drinking in Georgia.
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