Other countries may get a kick out of the fact that America has banned Kinder Eggs, but it turns out we're not the only country with some very strange restrictions.
1. Ol' Blue Eyes
"My Way" is one of Frank Sinatra's best loved classics, but performing it at a karaoke bar in the Philippines could be fatal. As many as 12 people have been killed while singing the crooner's hit song in a spree called the "My Way Killings." Apparently something about the song just sends people into a rage, so karaoke bars around the country have banned it.
2. Dying
You would think that dying is a lot like using the bathroom - when you've got to go, you've got to go. But there are a handful of countries with bans on passing away. In the UK, you can't expire in the Houses of Parliament, because anyone who does is guaranteed a state funeral. In Svalbard, Norway, the ground is too cold to dig up a grave year-round, so you'll have to kick the bucket somewhere else.
Meanwhile, the Italian village of Sellia doesn't have a cemetery, and the town is feuding with the nearest one that does, so meeting your maker is banned within the town's limits.
3. Ketchup
French adults can enjoy as much of this classic topping as they want, but their poor children are deprived. In 2011 France passed a law making school meals healthier, which included restrictions on ketchup and mayonnaise, both to keep kids healthy and to protect the integrity of French cuisine. Ketchup is still on the menu, but only for certain meals - like French fries.
4. Changing a light bulb
How many people from Victoria, Australia does it take to screw in a light bulb? Just one, but they might be charged 10 Australian dollars for their trouble. The city requires all light bulbs to be changed by a licensed electrician, but since the fine is cheaper than a visit from one it's still a DIY project for most people.
5. Scrabble
During the '80s, Romania's President Nicolae Ceausescu spoiled the country's game nights by banning Scrabble. He said the famous word game is "overly intellectual" and "subversive evil," which are the same complaints I make when my aunt Edna gets a Triple World Score on "mizzenmasts."
Click to the next page to find out why China has banned Justin Bieber!
6. Bubble Gum
Like everyone else on the planet, careless Singaporeans love to leave their chewed gum in public, but the tiny Asian country actually did something about it. Since 2004 gum has been banned there, except if you have a prescription for some medicinal chewing gum from your doctor. Singapore is the world's toughest country for litterbugs, where even first time offenders can be fined up to $1,000.
7. Jogging
Jogging in groups used to be a popular way to exercise while staying safe in Burundi, but in 2014 President Pierre Nkurunziza banned the activity so it couldn't be used to plan "subversive" activities. There's no word on whether or not power-walking is also banned.
8. Justin Bieber
China is a little excessive with their bans compared to most countries. The government has banned movies with time travel, living with more than 1 dog, being reincarnated without government permission and even Winnie the Pooh. Their latest restriction is on Canadian pop-singer Justin Bieber, "in order to maintain order in the Chinese market and purify the Chinese performance environment," according to the Bureau of Culture. Is it too late now for Bieber to say sorry?
9. Blue jeans
North Korea's rules about everything are notoriously strict, but the country's real life fashion police are incredibly tough: "foreign" clothing is forbidden, including sunhats and blue jeans (because their color is "associated with America").
10. Weird baby names
We joke that naming your child "Apple" is criminal, but in a few countries it really is. Parents from Denmark have to pick from a list of 33,000 approved names. Strangely, names like Violence and Google are acceptable while Cammmilla with three 'm's is not.
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