The Spaniards celebrate Christmas, the New Year, and the Three Wise Men feast during the winter holidays. This time of the year is very special and they live it intensely. A fun fact about Spain is that it is traditional to eat twelve grapes at a time to receive the new year. It is more difficult than it seems, but the Spaniards swear that achieving that gives good luck for the rest of the year.

One of the sweetest facts about the Netherlands is that the Dutch adore licorice. They eat around two kilos per person per year. That’s around 32 million kilos of the sweet treat consumed each year! 

You’ll be spoilt for choice, with shops in the Netherlands selling over 80 different kinds of drop (the Dutch word for licorice).

I saw a number of Irish bars when walking around Old Quebec. I even snapped the photo below in front of one of them. So I conducted some research and discovered, thanks to Travel & Leisure, that I was on to something. In fact, there is a sizable Irish community in Quebec. During the 17th century, French Irish were transported to Quebec to help populate the province. Historians believe that around 40% of Quebec's population is of Irish heritage.

By the time Conan Doyle died [7 July 1930], Holmes was already a stage and cinema celebrity. His first picture, Sherlock Holmes Baffled, was released in 1900. The short, which was only a few seconds long, employed stop-motion camerawork to portray Holmes grappling with a burglar who continuously disappears and reappears in different parts of the room.

Apparently, it’s a secret. Celebrities are also banned from posting about it on social media although a couple of years ago some models posted a picture of themselves smoking in the bathroom. However, what the general public knows is that the guest are asked to look around and experience the culture, then later called to dinner.

The effects of toxic air are worse for those who are most at risk. The development of a child's lungs is harmed by air pollution. Additionally, it exacerbates pre-existing respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, especially in elderly patients. Because they frequently reside close to major roads, where air pollution is severe, the poorest members of our society suffer more than others. Air pollution has an impact on every motorist. However, especially when using side routes, pedestrians and cyclists are frequently subject to less air pollution than those who travel by car.

Niagara Falls generates a lot of electricity and erected its first hydroelectric station on the Niagara River in 1881. Today, it generates approximately one-fourth of the electricity for the state of New York and the Canadian province of Ontario, and various hydroelectric facilities in and near Niagara Falls provide electricity for both America and Canada. In the summer, hydroelectric stations divert less water, allowing tourists to view a larger water flow. Because less water falls across Niagara Falls at night, power generation input rises.

The early toothbrushes were little more than "chew sticks," which were tiny frayed twigs used to scrape plaque and food residue off and between teeth. Twisting and rubbing these sticks against their teeth was a slight improvement over the traditional way of rubbing and cleaning the teeth with plants, feathers, or anything else. To refresh the breath, certain chew sticks were constructed from aromatic wood. Chew sticks have been found as far back as Babylon, Egypt, and China.

Because of their rigid bodies, sunflowers can be used all over your house as decorations or even as bird feeders, but did you know they also make a great scrubbing pad? All those flowers are very effective at removing the grime from your favorite pots and pans. Sunflowers can be used as the ideal single-use scrubbing pad after drying.

Here’s an interesting story! Back in 2012, about 125 students got caught cheating on a government class exam. Harvard went on to investigate this scandal, and most of the students caught were made to withdraw from the university. Yale – the arch-nemesis came up with a humorous shirt to wear during a Harvard-Yale football game, it read “Try cheating your way out of this one!” Harsh!

 

This is a fun fact about Spain and Spaniards. You can easily spot Spaniards anywhere because they are the ones that speak in the loudest voice. It is part of the Spanish character and it is something that contributes to creating that special atmosphere.

According to Chinese history, music was invented in 2697 B.C. when Emperor Huang Ti sent Ling Lun to cut bamboo poles that would produce a sound similar to a Phoenix bird's call.

This one from Amazing Facts About Hindi tells us about the origins of Hindi films. Raja Harishchandra is the plot of Hindi cinema's future.

Due to the popularity of Sudoku puzzles in 2008, pencil sales in London increased significantly.

Shells left over during lobster processing are typically discarded in landfills. A University of Maine researcher designed golf balls with a core made of lobster shells in an effort to make them valuable and keep the money in the lobster industry. They're also biodegradable, making them ideal for golfing on cruise ships or on courses near bodies of water.

Being a spiritual person is synonymous with being a person whose highest goal is to be loving to oneself and others. His/her conviction that we are all One, motivates him/her to work for everyone's welfare and stay away from any harmful activities.

In Justice League #50, Batman discovered one of the Joker's darkest secrets. As he sat in the Mobius Chair, which can answer any question, Batman inquired, "what is the identity of the Joker?" To everyone's surprise, the answer was that the Joker had three different personalities. The most widely held belief among fans is that these three actors played the Joker during the Golden (Jack Nicholson), Silver (Caesar Romero), and Bronze (Heath Ledger) eras of comic book history.

Hypnotherapists are sought after for a variety of reasons. These include seeking help for overcoming fears and phobias, losing weight, dealing with negative and traumatising memories, insomnia, and quitting smoking. It has even been discovered that hypnotherapy can help labouring mothers by reducing pain during childbirth. More parents of ADHD children are discovering that hypnotherapy has a positive, drug-free effect on their children. "Hypnotherapy allows the child to gain a sense of control, increase self-esteem and competence, and reduce stress," according to the British journal Paediatrics Child Health.

Despite enjoying widespread acceptance for many years, the "dominance" notion of dog training is gradually being exposed. "You should never try to dominate your dog," Hartstein says emphatically. The concept that you need to demonstrate your dog "who's alpha" by doing things like eating before them, making sure you're constantly in a higher position than them, or using punishing behaviour is obsolete and unhelpful. Of course, you should establish a schedule and ensure that your dog understands rules and boundaries, but ignore standard advice regarding dominance shows.

An art collector once paid $10,000 for actor James Franco's "invisible" sculpture. The piece was marketed as an "endless tank of oxygen." Yes, it's called air. We're breathing now... for free!

Make sure you're getting enough vitamin D to maintain your immune system operating at its peak.

Formula One cars aren't only about speed and power. They are among the safest vehicles on the market. There have been many F1 collisions throughout the years, and most of them have not been fatal. The vehicles are also quite uncomfortable, and it requires a great deal of stamina to compete for hours without becoming tired. According to Wired, an F1 driver may survive an incident in which the car goes from 100 mph to a complete stop in 2 seconds. For a car to be qualified for Formula 1 racing, it must meet hundreds of safety criteria. The driver's cockpit should be safeguarded as well.