Iceland isn’t as cold as its name suggests, with winter temperatures similar to New York City. Full-proof beer was banned until 1989 and TV on Thursdays until 1987. Dogs were banned in 1924 due to a tapeworm, but cats are now popular. Boxing is still banned, and unusual names must be approved by the government.
Despite the name, Iceland isn’t all that cold. It’s not as cold as Siberia or northern Canada, for example. Statistically, winter temperatures in the capital, Reykjavik, are similar to those in New York City. But life in Iceland was difficult in other ways. For example, between 1915 and 1989, you could not buy full-proof beer anywhere in Iceland. And for more than 20 years, from 1966 to 1987, Icelanders couldn’t watch television on Thursdays. The government banned all programming on Thursdays so that residents would spend their time hanging out and socialising. Also, July was considered a holiday month, so nothing aired for an entire month, until the ban was lifted in 1983.
More cats, less crime and no unusual names:
In 1924, dogs were banned in Reykjavik as a way to prevent a type of tapeworm that can be transmitted from dogs to humans. The disease can cause blindness and lead to death. Now you can own a dog in Reykjavik, but cats are much more popular.
A boxing ban from 1956 still exists in Iceland. The ban was imposed on the belief that boxing could lead to an increase in violent crime. In its place, martial arts such as judo, karate and MMA combat have become popular.
The Icelandic government takes an interest in how children are named. Any name that does not appear on the government’s list of 3,565 names must be approved by the Icelandic Naming Committee.
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