Weird laws lists often mix national laws, local visitor rules and claims that have no identified legal source. This corrected feature checks seven familiar examples and separates documented provisions from an unverified story.
Seven unusual-law claims, with their scope explained
1. Singapore: chewing-gum import restrictions
Singapore Customs lists chewing gum among prohibited imports, with an exception for Health Sciences Authority-approved oral dental and medicinal gum. That import restriction should not be presented as a general offence of chewing gum in public.
The earlier claim of an automatic $700 fine for chewing gum is withdrawn because no applicable primary legal source was established. Check current customs and product rules before travelling with gum.
2. Posthumous marriage in France
Under Article 171 of France’s Civil Code, the President may authorise a posthumous marriage for serious reasons when sufficient facts establish the deceased person’s consent unequivocally. It is an exceptional authorisation, not a general right to marry any deceased person. The article also limits the marriage’s inheritance effects.
3. Greece: a documented venue footwear rule
The Athens Epidaurus Festival’s published rules prohibit entry in heels at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus. This is a documented venue restriction; it should not be described as a ban on wearing high heels throughout Greece. Check the specific site’s current visitor rules.
4. Venice: restrictions on feeding birds
Venice’s municipal rules prohibit feeding pigeons or seagulls. The council lists administrative fines of €25 to €500. This is a rule for Venice, not a nationwide Italian ban on feeding birds.
5. Denmark: approval rules for first names
Parents in Denmark can choose from approved first names and can apply for approval of a name that is not already listed. The government naming guidance explains this process. The earlier statement that parents cannot choose their baby’s name, and the fixed list of 7,000 names, are withdrawn.
6. North Korea: restrictions on foreign information
A 2025 report by the UN Human Rights Office describes laws criminalising access to unauthorised foreign information and restricting media from countries classified as hostile. This supports a narrower account of severe information controls; it does not establish that every English-language song or every item of Western clothing is automatically illegal.
7. Samoa: the birthday story remains unverified
The earlier story that a husband commits an offence in Samoa by forgetting his wife’s birthday remains unverified. No supporting section was found in the official Crimes Act 2013 reviewed for this correction. That limited review is not proof that no other law exists; the story should not be repeated as established law.
Correction, 28 October 2026: This article now distinguishes documented rules from myths and unverified claims. For a planned visit, consult the relevant authority’s current guidance.
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