Laws and Customs trivia

Laws and Customs

» The Kentucky Supreme Court has ruled that the prosecution must throw its files wide open to the defense if the accused is suffering from amnesia.

» Jaguar images and costumes were outlawed by the Catholic church in the seventeenth century because of their association with Indian religion, militia, and politics.

» The minimum age for marriage of Italian girls was raised by law to 12 years in 1892.

» Japanese bowing carries different meanings at different angles.
- A bow at an angle of five degrees means "Good day" (simple greeting).
- A bow at an angle of fifteen degrees is also a common salutation, a bit more formal it means "Good morning."
- A bow at an angle of thirty degrees is a respectful bow to indicate appreciation for a kind gesture.
- A bow at a forty-five-degree angle is used to convey deep respect or an apology.

» The New York Board of Education barred the whipping of children in its schools on March 4, 1908.

» Japanese rules for the proper use of chopsticks are many. Improper use includes wandering the chopsticks over several foods without decision, and is called mayoibashi. The unforgivable act of licking the ends of chopsticks is called neburibashi. Lack of chopstick etiquette is strictly taboo.

» King James VI and the Privy Council issued an edict in 1603 banning the use of the surname MacGregor.

» The penalty for conviction of smuggling in Bangladesh is the death penalty.