AIBU to ask for you to pick any country and share an interesting fun fact about it?

[1person100names]

I love learning about countries around the world, i am unable to explore physically due to covid so I would love to learn more fun interesting facts that you would kindly share!

Heres mine!

In Vietnam it is offensive to cross your fingers in a certain way, it is seen as an obscene gesture, akin to raising your middle finger and saying“F* You! It is also used to call people a derogatory name! Photo attached !

I will add more shortly =)

Whats yours?

NZ - put beetroot ( yes beetroot) in their burgers ......to get a normal one you have to say ‘no beetroot’ and they get slightly offended.

I believe even McDonalds has a special burger with this in it.

Also never sit on tables, tabletops etc etc as it is seen as highly offensive and unclean in Maori culture.

I wonder if some low-paid employees fall foul of nasty UC rules, because of having received two payments in one calendar month

Yes they do. It was pointed out when it was launched but they went ahead anyway.

Does the school thing differ by region Havana? We were certainly told there is no option to not send kids to school. We were also told we could not plan a home birth. If you accidentally have one that’s different of course...

I cannot find anything that suggests homeschooling is allowed in Germany, Havana. Outside very select expat conditions that is. All sources I can find say that School is obligatory in Germany.

The official alphabet used in Somalia is the Latin English alphabet, despite most Somalis speaking Arabic and local dialects. It only became the official alphabet in the mid 1970's.

In Massachussets there is a place called Satan's Kingdom, there are some other strange place names like Buttzville in New Jersey and Hooker in South Dakota. Imagine having to give your address to someone

Greenland is roughly the size of western Europe; so France, UK, Germany, Spain, Italy, Austria, Switzerland and Belgium combined. But around 80% of it is permanently covered by an ice cap.

You can go to the following places without either leaving or entering the UK:

Jericho, Gibraltar, Bermuda, Petty France, Holland, Columbia, California, New York, Philadelphia and Egypt.

In Bali is it considered the height of rudeness to touch somebody's head.

The first born child is always called Wayan which means eldest. I think there is only one female name. The three children born after that all have set names as well.

Also when women go to Bali you will be harassed by men wanting to date/marry you. Quite a contrast to Thailand where it can be the men who are hassled.

@Manolin

You can go to the following places without either leaving or entering the UK:

Jericho, Gibraltar, Bermuda, Petty France, Holland, Columbia, California, New York, Philadelphia and Egypt.

Can you explain please?

In Catalonia they add two figures to the Christmas Nativity. One having a wee the other a poo. Something about giving back to the earth

@ludothedog

If I live in Truro, U.K. I can drive to Gibraltar, Lincolnshire U.K.

If I live in Spain I can drive to Gibraltar, the British Overseas Territory.

Those places all exist both in and outside the U.K.

There's a Cuba in Portugal. It's the subject of a few jokes.

The original meaning of 'Portugal' in the ancient Greek actually derives from the Sumerian for sponge

The first born child is always called Wayan which means eldest.

ALL children in Glasgow are called that

You can also go to Pennsylvania and Calgary without leaving the UK.

@KayakingOnDown

There's a part of remote Canada (Newfoundland?) where people speak in a distinctly Irish accent.

In Newfoundland they have a sort of hybrid accent. There's Irish heritage and there's like a West country twang.

St John's was fine but driving around the small towns further out it was a bit more unique.

Voting in Australia is compulsory for council, state and federal elections. You are fined if you do not vote or don't have a valid excuse. Elections are held on Saturday s often at schools which use them as fundraisers. So you walk up to school to vote and buy a sausage in bread. Known as a democracy sausage.

@MrsMoastyToasty

You can also go to Pennsylvania and Calgary without leaving the UK.

Ooh Yes, I forgot Pensylvania. I actually used to drive through it years ago, somewhere near Stroud or Bath if I remember correctly. Near Petty France I think.

The worlds largest traffic roundabout is in Trinidad, its called the savannah.

@Havanananana

Homeschooling is not allowed in Germany. Neither are homebirths

Neither of these statements are true.

Looks like homeschooling isn't allowed, but homebirths are.

Across the border in Czech Republic though, homeschooling is allowed, but homebirths aren't. That is to say, the conditions required for health professionals to attend a birth (equipment available, time to theatre in an emergency, etc) effectively excludes anywhere that isn't a hospital. Homebirths do happen, but the midwives who attend them risk being struck off.

Speaking of Czech Republic, they have the largest consumption of beer per capita in the world, more than Germany and Austria!

It's also the world's biggest producer of poppy seeds - making more than 30% of global production. It's mostly for export though!

@Miggymoggymugwumps

There are no roundabouts on roads in the USA

There's one near my house!

In Britain, it is illegal to handle salmon in suspicious circumstances. (Salmon Act 1986) This is designed to reduce poaching.

Winter's Son, Age 10

The fine for killing European hornets in Germany is EUR 50 000