Night Hunting In Bhutan
Bhutan is a small landlocked Buddhist nation surrounded by the Himalayan mountain range. It's widely regarded to be the world's least westernized country.
One of Bhutan's strangest traditions is Bomena, or night hunting. On Bomena, young men walk out at night in search of marriage. They break into the rooms of single women, and if they get caught, they have to marry the girl.
Bathroom Ban In Indonesia
Indonesia is home to over 1,300 ethnic groups, so it was bound to appear at least once on this list! The Tidong community, which inhabits the island of Borneo, is famous for this particular reason.
Newlywed couples aren't allowed to use the bathroom for three days after their marriage. What happens if they break the rule? Supposedly, their future as a couple will be doomed and the bride will most likely suffer miscarriages.
Wooden Bathtubs In Japan
Anywhere in the world, bathtubs are made out of fiberglass, acrylic, and/or ceramic. However, Japan proves to be a curious exception.
This country is famous for its bathtubs made out of wood. Known as ofuro, they're meant for people to sit on and soak in hot water.
Nepal's Non-Rectangular Flag
It's a widely known fact that all of the world's flags are either square or rectangular shaped. Well, actually, all except one!
Nepal is the only country with a non-quadrilateral flag, and although historians argue over its origin, the most accepted theory is that it derives from Hindu symbolism.
Lamborghini Police Cars In Italy
Italians are famous for their crazy-rich sports cars, but did you know that the Italian police recently added a Lamborghini to its vehicle fleet?
It actually came in quite handy, since the State Police recently had to rush a donor kidney from Padua to Rome in only 2 hours. The journey normally takes 6 hours, so they wouldn't have made it without their Lamborghinis!
Blue Traffic Lights In Japan
One would think that traffic lights and their red, yellow and green colors are one of the most universal things in the whole world, but they actually are not.
Japan has blue lights instead of green, and it's all because of a linguistic quirk. Since the word green didn't originally exist in their language and they used 'blue' to refer to both green and blue, they use the bluest shade of green legally permitted.
Hot Chocolate Cheese In Colombia
Hot chocolate has been one of Latin America's most popular drinks even before the European conquest. In fact, did you know that the Mayans and Aztecs used to drink it?
Colombians, however, have the unusual habit of drinking hot chocolate together with a few slices of cheese. If chocolate tastes great and cheese tastes even better, why not combine the two?
People Cool Their Drinks Outside In Iceland
Try picturing how hard life would be if refrigerators hadn't been invented. How did people ever manage to preserve food in the olden days? But above all, how did people manage to keep their beer ice-cold?
Funnily enough, people in Iceland cool their drinks outside, so they could easily live without fridges! Since the island is so near the Arctic, it's basically cold year-round.
Place With An Endless Name In New Zealand
New Zealand holds the Guinness World Record for the place with the longest name on earth. Try pronouncing this 85-letter name!
Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu is the name of a hill located south of Hawke's Bay. There's actually a longer version of this name, which is 105 letters long!
Rituals For Bachelors In Denmark
Denmark is home to the most random tradition anyone has ever come up with: unmarried men get covered in cinnamon once they turn 25.
It is believed that this tradition dates back to the 16th century when single men were often called "pepper men". Even though it's a waste of food, it sounds fun!
Face Masks Before COVID Pandemic In East Asia
Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, face masks have probably become the most purchased item worldwide. However, did you know that they were a common item in some countries even before 2019?
In places like Korea, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, many people would wear face masks even before the pandemic, mainly as a way of protecting themselves from air pollution. While it doesn't come off as strange now, it definitely would have a couple of years ago!
Tune Of Trash Trucks In Ecuador
Every American is probably familiar with the unique tune of ice cream trucks. Even if you never saw one in person, you've probably seen them in Hollywood films. However, here's something Americans should know if they ever travel to Ecuador.
As funny as it sounds, the garbage trucks' tune in Ecuador is nearly identical to what ice cream trucks sound like in the US. Imagine a tourist's disappointment after hearing this melody in the middle of the night, only to find himself with trash!
Short Distances In Monaco
Most of the world's population used to live in city-states back in the Middle Ages, but this has changed over the past six centuries. However, did you know that there are three existing city-states nowadays?
One of these three cases is Monaco, and as hard as it is to believe, it only takes an hour to walk from the country's southernmost tip to its northernmost point. Isn't that insane?
Bra Studies In Hong Kong
Business studies, nursing, and psychology are the three most popular college majors worldwide. But what about the least common ones? Hong Kong definitely tops the list in this category.
If you study at Hong Kong Polytechnic University, you can choose to major in Bra Studies. We can't think of anything more specific than that.
Restaurants Include Service Charge In Italy
You know when you order the bill in a restaurant and people start arguing over how much to tip the waiter or waitress? Well, this would never happen in Italy, and here's why.
In Italy, it's quite common for the service to be included in the bill. Luckily for waiters, many tourists aren't aware of this, so they tip them anyway.
Cheese Slicers In Sweden
It's common for people to link the word 'cheese' with France, mainly since this country is home to over 1,600 different types of cheese. However, did you know that Swedes are also passionate about cheese?
In fact, Swedes have taken their cheese passion to the next level. Instead of using a regular knife to slice cheese, they use a special cheese slicer. Fancy!
You Don't Say "Cheese" In The Netherlands
Practically all English-speaking countries say "cheese" when smiling for a photograph. Obviously, people who speak other languages use different terms… but none is as strange as the Dutch version!
Instead of saying a single world, Dutch say a whole phrase, which translates to "Smile at the little bird". This is because back in the 19th century, photographers used a tiny bird figure to focus people's attention.
Fried Mars Bars In Scotland
Americans are famous for their wide variety of junk food, and that's a fact. However, it seems that the Scottish have taken junk food to a new level.
A few years ago, a fish and chips shop came up with the idea of selling fried Mars bars, and surprisingly, it became a hit in most big cities. Questionable health choice, sure… but it sounds delicious!
Nationwide Water Fight In Thailand
Water fights are probably the most fun thing about summers, and it's impossible not to love them when you're a kid. Can you imagine if someone came up with a national water fight festival?
Well, guess what? There's a genius in Thailand who came up with this decades ago. On the 13th of August, Thais celebrate Songkran, and water fights are part of the celebration.
Bamboo Poles As Drying Rails In Singapore
Bamboo is one of the most commonly grown plants in East Asia, but they're quite a rarity elsewhere. Thus, a foreigner would probably be shocked by the variety of purposes that a bamboo pole can serve in places like Hong Kong or Singapore.
For instance, most Singaporeans use bamboo poles as drying sticks, which can usually be seen hanging from their windows. Now that's quite a sight!
No Street Names In Costa Rica
Can you imagine how hard it would be to find your way across town if there weren't any street names? I wonder how people in Costa Rica manage to do so.
In large cities like San José, most streets have numbers as names, which is difficult enough. However, in smaller towns, streets don't even have numbers, which is why addresses are usually described by local landmarks.
No Speed Limit In Germany
Wouldn't it be a nightmare if there were no speed limits on highways? If you agree, then you should probably steer clear of Germany's Autobahns!
Many highways in Germany have no speed limit. The fact that the country has such a low traffic-related death rate is practically a miracle.
Christmas Rituals In Slovakia
Christmas traditions vary greatly from place to place. In Slovakia, for instance, it's common for people to eat carp on Christmas Eve. This doesn't sound so strange, does it?
The strange part is that families let the carp swim in the bathtub for a few days before Christmas for it to clean its tract. Do they shower with the fish in there, though?
You Can't Write In Red Ink In South Korea
It's pretty common for teachers to mark their students' tests or homework in red ink. However, if you ever set foot in South Korea, doing this is a big no-no.
South Koreans believe that writing in red ink brings bad luck. This is because back in the Middle Ages, writing someone's name in red in the book registry meant that he or she was already deceased.
Sauna Competitions In Finland
Everywhere in the world, saunas are places where people go when they wanna chill. Well, everywhere except Finland!
For some reason, people in Finland hold international sauna endurance competitions. They've become so popular that over 20 countries participate in these championships.
No Curtains In The Netherlands
Curtains are probably one of the most simple yet practical inventions in history. But for some reason, the Dutch don't really care for them.
Historians claim that this weird habit has its roots in Calvinism, which claims that honest people should have nothing to hide.
Chicken For Dessert In Turkey
If you're a foodie, then Turkey should definitely top your bucket list, as it has one of the world's greatest cuisines. However, would you dare order a dessert that has chicken in it?
Tavuk göğsü is a sweet dish that consists of shredded chicken breast dipped in milk. It sounds kind of gross, but would you dare try it anyways?
People Eat Rotten Fish In Sweden
Swedish cuisine is widely known for its rich variety of seafood, but here's something you probably never heard of: the Swedish eat rotten fish, too!
Salted and fermented Baltic sea herring is a popular dish in Swedish cuisine. Famous for its strong taste, it dates back to the 16 century.
Double Passport In Russia
It's been several decades since passports started being used all over the world. You only need it if you want to travel abroad… except in Russia!
Russians have two passports: a compulsory one which is needed to travel internally from province to province, and the "normal" passport which you need if you want to travel abroad.
Kids Nap Out In The Snow In Scandinavia
Scandinavia is one of the world's coldest regions. Bearing this into account, it may come as a shock that many parents leave their kids napping outside, even during winter!
Many Scandinavian parents believe that it's healthier if you expose your kids to as much fresh air as possible… even when it's freezing outside!