Restricted and Prohibited: 30 Intriguing Bans from Around the World

Chicken produced in the USA has been banned in the EU since 1997 as it is washed in a strong chlorine solution. Chlorine washing is popular in the USA due to poor hygiene standards in abattoirs.

2. Mackinac Island, Michigan is culturally preserved in time and has banned motorized vehicles for over 100 years. Most of the travel on the island is done by horse-drawn carriages and bikes.

3. In 2015, a statue of 'homeless Jesus' sleeping on a bench was installed in Orlando where the homeless are banned from sleeping on benches.

4. Christmas is banned in North Korea and instead of Christmas, the birthday of Kim Jong-suk (grandmother of the current supreme leader of North Korea) is celebrated on Christmas eve. However, some North Korean Christian believers still celebrate Christmas in secret.

5. Jeans have been banned in North Korea for years because they are considered a symbol of U.S. imperialism.

In 1942 the song "Deep in the Heart of Texas" was banned by BBC during working hours on the grounds that its infectious melody might cause wartime factory-hands to neglect their tools while they clapped in time with the song.

7. Teff, the staple food crop of Ethiopia, is a highly nutritious "superfood" like quinoa. After US and European health food trends created a huge demand for quinoa, prices skyrocketed in Bolivia, where it is a staple food. Fearing their own food shortage, Ethiopia banned the export of teff in 2006.

8. The state of Kuwait is banned from the Olympics due to government legislation that permits the state to interfere in elections of sporting organizations. As a result, Kuwaiti athletes compete as independent athletes under the Olympic Flag instead of their own flag.

9. In 1669, King Louis XIV banned pointed, sharp knives in an attempt to reduce violence, and that's why table knives are dull and rounded today.

10. The US Postal Service banned the mailing of people in 1914 after a 4-year-old was sent by her parents across the state of Idaho for just 53¢.

In 2012, the advertising campaign for a UK energy drink called "Pussy" was banned for being sexually explicit and offensive. Pussy energy drink's ad slogan was: "The drink's pure, it's your mind that's the problem."

12. Due to widespread videogame addiction, the Korean government has banned anyone under the age of 16 from playing online games between midnight and 6 am.

13. in 2008 Speedo, in collaboration with NASA, released a swimsuit so drag-resistant that it was banned from use in swimming competitions for giving swimmers using it too much of an advantage.

14. Microbeads, the little abrasive beads found in soap products, are so dangerous to the environment that they've been banned in the US.

15. in 1982, Zimbabwe passed a law banning citizens from making jokes about the surname of the President, Canaan Banana.

Members of Westboro Baptist Church have been specifically banned from entering Canada for hate speech.

17. China has banned time travel in TV, saying that it "disrespects history".

18. Wearing copious amounts of sunscreen during an outdoor water polo match is banned, as it can make players extra slippery and provide an unfair advantage during maneuvers.

19. Pillow fights were banned at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 2015 after 30 people were injured in a pillow fight.

20. The South Korean baseball association banned players from placing a cabbage leaf under their hats during games, except with the provision of a doctor's note in advance. Presumably, this was copying the practice started by Babe Ruth, who used to keep cabbage leaves in the icebox and place them under his hat during a game to keep cool.

Although the Mormon Church has banned hot coffee, they do actually allow caffeinated soda. Medical marijuana is also acceptable if its used as prescribed by a doctor.

22. A Pokémon episode in 1997 sent 685 Japanese viewers to the hospital due to epileptic seizures because of a 6-second clip with red and blue lights flickering at 12Hz. The incident was labeled "Pokémon Shock". That episode was subsequently banned worldwide.

23. The USA first banned a book in 1637. It was the "New English Canaan". The author lampoons and criticizes the Puritans and compares their leadership to crustaceans because Puritans believed that Indians were wild men that needed to be suppressed (among other things). It's been sold at auction for $60,000.

24. In 1867 San Francisco banned people who were “diseased, maimed, mutilated or in any way deformed” from "appearing in streets or public spaces." Similar "ugly laws" were passed around the country. The last arrest under an ugly law was in 1974.

25. Due to their religious conviction, Puritan colonists of New England banned Christmas and ignored Easter. They also attempted to erase any cultural integrations rooted in European paganism.