Russians primarily use toilet paper, as bidets and water sprayers are culturally uncommon. While Soviet-era plumbing historically led to a superstition that paper blocks pipes, modern facilities rely on toilet paper, and some older buildings still provide separate bins for paper disposal.
Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt and Jordan. In these countries, they also use water for cleansing during toilet use, although the “restroom” is not so much a toilet as a “hole” in the floor.
In Russia, rudeness is often tied to boundaries, superstitions, and social sincerity. To avoid any faux pas, the most important rule is to leave your shoes at the door when visiting someone's home—hosts almost always offer tapochki (slippers).
Many traditional Amish communities consider manufactured toilet paper an unnecessary luxury and use resource-saving alternatives instead. In outhouses, families often repurpose old newspapers, magazine pages, or catalogs (like the Sears and Roebuck catalog). To make the paper soft enough to use, they crumple it vigorously multiple times.
Yes, most Russians wear deodorant. Personal care and hygiene habits in Russia are very similar to those in the West and North America, with deodorants and antiperspirants being widely used daily.
Background Russia has one of the highest rates of mortality from cardiovascular disease (CVD). At age 35–69 years, they are eight times higher than in neighbouring Norway. Comparing profiles of blood-based CVD biomarkers between these two populations can help identify reasons for this substantial difference in risk.
No, jeans are not banned in Russia. Denim is enormously popular, widely worn, and generally acceptable for everyday wear, museums, and restaurants.
Muslims use water instead of, or in addition to, toilet paper to clean themselves after using the restroom. This practice, called Istinja, is rooted in Islamic hygiene and purity laws.
Amish wedding nights prioritize community, tradition, and practicality over the modern idea of a private honeymoon. On their wedding night, the bride and groom typically return to the bride’s parents' home, where the newlyweds must wake up early the next morning to help clean the house after the large celebration.
Other ways of wiping before the invention of toilet paper
Early North American settlers used corn cobs. They were abundant, they were soft and they were easy to handle. Sailors used something called a 'tow rag'. A tow rag was a long piece of frayed rope that dangled in the water.
Yes, you can absolutely smile in Russia, but it is not used as a casual greeting or a sign of automatic politeness as it is in many Western countries.
The most common crimes in Russia are theft and fraud. These two property and economic offenses consistently account for the vast majority of all registered offenses in the country, often making up more than half of the recorded crime rate.
In Russian, "228" (pronounced dva-dva-vosem) refers to Article 228 of the Russian Criminal Code, which deals with the illegal acquisition, possession, transportation, and manufacturing of illegal narcotics.
Where Can't You Flush Toilet Paper?
Muslims purify themselves after using the toilet using a practice called Istinja. The Islamic tradition places a strong emphasis on personal hygiene, and the protocol involves washing with water using the left hand.
Cleaning your bum without toilet paper relies on using water for hygiene or finding safe, absorbent household alternatives. Water is the cleanest and most common method used by millions worldwide.
Some rumors suggest an Amish blue door indicates an eligible daughter lives there. However, Amish representatives dismiss this as a myth. In reality, the blue door is largely a matter of aesthetic tradition, simple custom, or just using whatever paint was available at the time.
An Amish man can have only one wife at a time. The Amish strictly practice monogamy and do not condone polygamy. This common misconception likely stems from confusing the Amish with fringe fundamentalist Mormon groups that historically practiced plural marriage.
While individuals are born with LGBTQ identities within Amish communities, they cannot actively remain Amish while living openly. The culture does not allow for queer inclusion, and strict adherence to traditional gender roles means open LGBTQ members are typically excommunicated and shunned.
Yes, it is completely permissible and highly encouraged for a husband and wife to shower together in Islam. There are no restrictions on spouses seeing or touching each other's naked bodies, and doing so is considered an act of love and affection.
Religions like Islam and Hinduism do not traditionally use toilet paper as a primary means of cleansing. Instead, their scriptures and cultural traditions mandate washing with water for maximum hygiene and ritual purity.
In Islam, sins are generally classified as either minor or major (Al-Kaba'ir). While Islam doesn't officially rank sins from 1 to 3, Prophet Muhammad identified the "seven destructive sins". The gravest of these, with Shirk being universally considered the absolute worst, are:
Homosexuality was legal in the early years of the USSR but was later recriminalized. The legal status of same-sex relations shifted dramatically across Soviet history:
No, McDonald's is not open in Russia. The corporation permanently exited the Russian market and sold all its restaurants in 2022.