In Russia they say: "They don't go to someone else's monastery with their own charter." Knowing the traditions of other peoples is necessary not only in order not to break the law, but also so as not to accidentally break one of the prohibitions that still exist there.
Taboo in Siberia
The modern Buryats, Evenks and Khakass have preserved many archaic taboos, often associated with totemism and the old way of life. So, in South Yakutia, a small group of Evenks is forbidden to kill wolves, since he is the group's totem, that is, the progenitor of this people. Other Evenki do not touch the bear, since in totemic terminology he is their "amikan", that is, their grandfather. If, nevertheless, the bear has to be killed, they say: “It was not me who killed it - this is this man who is depicted in the tree”, drawing a schematic image on the tree, or simply “It was not we who killed - it was the Russians”.
It should be noted that the Russian population of Siberia also often observe the same Evenki taboos: when eating bear meat, hunters say the word "kuk", which in its meaning resembles the Russian "chur me". Evenki taboos are often associated with fear of accepting, and therefore they do not take eggs with them on a trip, and until recently they did not eat pigs and chickens, as they walk on the ground.
Among the Buryats, taboo strongly depends on spatial magic. It is believed that the mountains are holy, and because of this, women are forbidden to climb the highest of them, since in religious beliefs the female personifies the earth, and the male person - the sky. Likewise, some places are becoming taboo for Buryat men to visit. The symbolic top and bottom also systematize the food prohibitions of the Buryats. For example, a man always gets the top of an animal's carcass, and a woman gets the bottom.
Bushman laws
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The Bushmen tribes living in Africa are considered one of the most ancient people in the world - it is no coincidence that they are the closest in DNA composition to the original Homo Sapiens.
Modern Bushmen continue to honor the prohibitions of their fathers - for example, the names of deceased people cannot be named. Obviously, the Bushmen were afraid of the influence of a kind of sympathetic magic - that is, in this case, the transfer of the properties of the deceased to the pronouncing his name. The same logic lends itself to a possible explanation of another taboo - on eating the heart of a jackal, which was considered by the Bushmen to be a cowardly animal.
Another food taboo is the ban on throwing away food, associated with the poverty of the Bushmen. The taboo on endogamous marriages looks quite common - however, an alliance not only between members of the same family, but also, for example, with a woman named after the groom's sister or mother, is considered incestuous.
Thus, the carriers of one name are identified and symbolically become one person. In Africa, as in India, it is considered indecent and even forbidden to transmit anything with the left hand, since it is thought to be impure. When transferring money with his left hand, the bushman may ask to transfer it to his right.
The unspoken law of the Jews
Not only religion can give rise to prohibitions - one of the important reasons for the emergence of taboos can be war. It is the consequences of Kristallnacht, World War II and the Holocaust that explain the unspoken rule of the Jews, the ban on the playing of Wagner's music.
There are several reasons for this: it is believed that Wagner was an anti-Semite, and Hitler also greatly revered his music, seeing in it an expression of the true Aryan spirit. Wagner's music was often played in concentration camps. The first attempt by an Israeli conductor to perform Wagner's music in 1981 generated a flurry of threats and unrest, and the case ended in legal action. Further attempts to play Wagner's music in Israeli theaters and Jewish orchestras led to negative reactions from the Jewish public and public.
No kissing
France is known for its freedom-loving laws, most of which were adopted after the Great French Revolution. However, even in the most democratic society, prohibitions can exist, and France is no exception.
Strange, but in one of the most romantic countries in the world, it is forbidden to kiss on the platforms of railway stations. The history of this taboo is as follows: back in 1910, passengers in France were often late for their trains. In order to avoid annoying delays, often due to too long sentimental goodbyes characteristic of loving French and French women, a law was passed according to which kissing at French train stations is strictly prohibited.
Alas, the taboo is still in effect, but over time the letter of the law has become a little softer: those who kiss are no longer expected to be fined, and they will only be politely asked to stop the illegal action.
A similar ban has recently existed at the Warrington train station in England: kissing couples can create congestion in the movement of passengers. For those who kiss, special areas were allocated, similar to the already existing smoking areas, and in other places signs prohibiting kissing were hung. In Dubai, Malaysia and Indonesia, as in countries with more strict morals, one kiss can lead to a substantial fine or even a prison term.
Prohibition of unusual names
Recently, Orthodox activists in Russia outraged that a young Russian couple called their child Lucifer, and even offered to deprive them of parental rights. Despite the absurdity of the situation, the name Lucifer would have been banned in many countries around the world at the legislative level.
For example, in New Zealand, this name is included in a list of more than a hundred taboo names, including Hitler and names from numbers. There is a similar law in Spain: you will not find people named Cain or Judas in this country. German children should have such a name, which necessarily indicates their gender, and in China names are completely limited by the capabilities of identification technology: if the name is not recognized by a special reading scanner, you will have to think about changing it.
They want to introduce a law banning complex names “consisting of the names of inanimate objects, fictional characters, geographical names, designations of flora and fauna, titles, diseases” in Ukraine this year, and in Azerbaijan there is an unwritten rule not to call children Ataturk in order to make the only and unique name of the great Turkish ruler. Despite this, there are about twenty Ataturks in the country.
Product bans
Taboos in the modern world are often regulated at the legislative level - and quite successfully. For example, in China, imports of game consoles are prohibited for security reasons. The purpose of this law is to protect adolescents from the harmful effects of video games.
Also in China after the jasmine revolution in Tunisia, symbols using this flower are prohibited. Chewing gum is illegal in Singapore, as it often gets stuck in the doors of subway cars and sticks to the soles of passers-by. It is forbidden not only to chew gum if you are not a tourist, but simply to buy or sell it. Since 2004, Singapore has allowed gum to be sold in pharmacies.
In Iran, parents cannot buy Barbie dolls for their children - these toys that do not correspond to traditional Islamic dress were recently banned from sale. Despite the fact that soon Barbies appeared in stores in closed clothes and a scarf, the doll has lost its former popularity.
Azerbaijan recently introduced a semi-official taboo prohibiting the wearing of caps and T-shirts with the names of national minorities, as well as the very popular caps in the country with the abbreviation FBI, which stands for the US Federal Bureau of Investigation. According to some Azerbaijanis, these products can inspire national discrimination. Even democratic Western countries show a tendency to taboo the sale of certain products: for example, in France, it is forbidden to serve dishes with ketchup in canteens in order to promote a healthy lifestyle and national cuisine.