Standing Room Only
It's illegal to spontaneously dance in a bar or restaurant in Sweden. Owners must adhere to a bygone law and get a dance licence. The Swedish parliament announced its intention to repeal it in 2016, yet a restaurant owner in the province of Härjedalen was prosecuted as recently as 2020.
Lights Out
No light must be visible within five kilometres of the king's bedroom in the Palace of Versailles in France. This 18th-century law means the Versailles football club doesn't have floodlights and, as a result, can't host all of its home games including one against Toulouse in January 2022. It had to move the match to its opponent's pitch nearly 700 kilometres away.
Rodent Repellent
Rats aren't allowed to enter the province of Alberta in Canada, not even as pets. They're considered a pest that destroys crops and spreads disease, and a rat-control programme has kept them at bay since the 1950s.
Fishing Rights
All beached whales and sturgeons in the United Kingdom must be offered to the reigning monarch, according to a decree from 1322. Nevertheless, as recently as 2004, the late Queen Elizabeth II waived her right to a 120-kilogram sturgeon caught by fisherman Robert Davies in Wales.
Wedding Wakeup Call
Being unconscious at your own wedding is verboten in Germany. The marriage can be annulled if one of the parties wasn't aware that they were getting hitched.
Weather Warning
In Texas in the United States, you must make an announcement if you want to mess with the climate. Anyone wishing to engage in cloud seeding to generate rain must publish a notice in a local newspaper once a week for three consecutive weeks.
Creatures Great and Small
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة February 2023 من Reader's Digest India.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة February 2023 من Reader's Digest India.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
Next Stop: Who Knows?
We wanted to do a once-in-a-lifetime trek in northern Laos. Just getting there became the adventure
ME & MY SHELF
Former director-general of the Delhi Policy Group, Radha Kumar is an academic, author and policy analyst. Her most recent book, The Republic Relearnt: Renewing Indian Democracy (1947-2024), explores the triumphs and the democratic decay of the Indian Republic.
The Journey Of The Kon-Tiki
Is it possible to cross the Pacific on a wooden raft? Natural scientist Thor Heyerdahl risks everything to prove it
Hot and (Un)bothered
Not that anyone in India needs to be reminded, but summer is here, and the collective energy dissipated by people complaining about the heat is making climate change even worse.
GOTCHA!
We asked for it: What’s the best prank you ever pulled?
Do More With Your Tech
You're undoubtedly missing out on cool features that can help make life easier, safer and even more fun
Why Water Workouts Work
Swimming and other aquatic exercises have special benefits
Surf's Up... Again
A Hawaiian helps victims of a devastating fire in the most Hawaiian way possible
HUMOUR in UNIFORM
I got sloppy with my shaving one morning and nicked my skin.
Leave the WILD Things Be
Wild animals have been made to serve a variety of human needs, including recreational ones. It’s up to everyday folk to decry the use of animals for entertainment