The term "housewarming party" is derived from a literal tradition that existed prior to the invention of electricity. Whenever someone built or purchased a new home, guests would bring firewood as a gift and light fires in the home's fireplaces. Not only was the house "christened," but it was also said to ward off evil spirits.

The Terracotta Army is part of Qin Shi Huang's mausoleum, the world's largest ancient imperial tomb complex. There are approximately 8,000 different life-size statues that have been discovered. It is the most significant discovery of its kind. The statues stand between 175 and 190 cm tall. Everybody has different gestures and facial expressions, and some even have different colors. It reveals a lot about the Qin Empire's military, technology, arts, culture, and military.

The most common mode of transportation for citizens in Paris is the city's subterranean rail system, which is used by over 5 million people every day. It is Europe's busiest subterranean network after Moscow. Count your stations when using the subway - you never know where you'll wind up if you don't, as the Paris Metro system, unlike other big cities, does not announce its stops.

It's an earthquake hazard area. Although several earthquakes have been reported in and around the Black Sea, the greatest recorded magnitude was 7.2 in the 1901 Black Sea earthquake (also known as the Balchik earthquake in Bulgaria). The mainshock triggered a 1-16 foot tsunami, wreaking havoc on the Romanian and Bulgarian shores. The aftershocks continued four years longer.

The Terracotta Army was built by China's first emperor, Qin Shi Huang after he (then 13 years old) ascended to the throne in 246 BC. It was Emperor Qin's afterlife army. Objects such as statues were thought to be animate in the afterlife.

The Academy Award for Best Animated Feature normally goes to Disney or Pixar films, however during the 75th Academy Awards in 2003, the anime film Spirited Away won Best Animated Feature. However, the film's director, Hayao Miyazaki, did not attend the event due to his opposition to the Iraq war.

The mayor of Paris has approved a resolution prohibiting Tom Cruise from being made an honorary citizen. Tom Cruise is a member of Scientology, a controversial religious group that has been labelled a cult in France. Tom Cruise sought to become an honorary citizen of Paris in 2005, but the city's officials refused because of his involvement with Scientology.

Snow White was originally drawn with big red lips, long lashes, and a shorter dress by the animators. Walt Disney, on the other hand, wanted Snow White to appear more "wholesome" (to be fair, she was 14 at the time) and chose more subdued features and a peasant-style dress.

Plenty of Japanese celebrate Christmas, but the festive fare isn’t what you might expect. In Japan, it’s traditional to head to your local KFC on Christmas Eve. An estimated 3.6 million Japanese feast on the KFC Christmas Dinner and hours of queuing and ordering weeks in advance is expected. Some say turkey and chicken wasn’t widely available for the Christmas-curious Japanese, so Colonel Sanders stepped in to answer the demand…

Folk dance is a significant aspect of Russian history and culture. One of the most popular styles of Russian folk dance is khorovod. People dance in a circle while holding hands in this kind of dance. Folk dances are performed by Russians during festivals, marketplaces, and in the theatre. If you have the opportunity to visit Russia, make sure to attend a Russian folk dance performance to learn more about Russian culture and traditions.

North Sentinel Island is home to one of the world's most isolated human populations. The Sentinelese, estimated to number around 300 people, have rejected all contact with the modern world and fired their arrows at anyone who comes within range. They are thought to have descended directly from the first human populations to emerge from Africa, and they have most likely lived in the Andaman Islands for up to 60,000 years.

In Japan, people don’t have signatures – they have their own seal. Known as Hanko, the seal is typically your name translated into Kanji characters, and are made from silk or plant-based paste. Adults will often have three Hankos; one for signing off letters and personal matters, a bank seal and an identify seal. They’re not necessary for tourists, but foreigners living in Japan can have one handmade in small, local shops.

The French army is the only one in Europe that still employs carrier pigeons. These pigeons, which are housed at Mont Valérien near Paris, can be deployed to carry out broadcasts in the event of a severe disaster.

Among those accompanying the Queen on her journeys is usually the Queen's medical practitioner. The doctor is accountable for knowing where all local hospitals are in the cities that they visit. She also has to transport a large medical bag with a mobile defibrillator and emergency medication. Aside from that, the doctor possesses Queen Elizabeth's own blood bag, which will be used for a transfusion if necessary.

Apple's initial iPod included a small Easter egg. This game could only be accessible if you knew the correct sequence of buttons to press. "Go to the 'Around' menu and hold down the center button for about three seconds to play a Breakout (Pong) game while you listen." Breakout, the hidden game, is significant in Apple's history since it was a product on which both Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak collaborated at Atari.

Mesopotamia, along with the Nile Valley Civilization in Egypt, the Indus Valley Civilization in the Indian subcontinent, and the Yellow River in China, was one of the four riverine civilizations where writing was invented. Around 3400 BC, the Sumerian civilization of Mesopotamia invented the cuneiform script. Cuneiform is a Latin word that means "wedge-shaped." Sumerian writing evolved from pictograms to become a full-fledged writing system capable of producing works of literature as well as prayers and laws. Despite not being the oldest example of writing, cuneiform script is regarded as a significant milestone in human history.

Pilots are paid hundreds of dollars per day to stand by during the summer in case it rains and trees require emergency blow-drying. It may appear absurd, but it is worthwhile for farmers who grow the delicate, expensive fruit. The work is hazardous; pilots are frequently injured in orchard crashes.

Ophiocordyceps, a tropical fungus, infects the central nerve systems of ants. After nine days in the insect bodies, the fungus gain total control over the host's motions. They drive the ants to climb trees before convulsing and falling into the cold, wet earth below, where fungus thrive. When the fungus arrives, it waits until exactly solar noon to induce the ant to bite a leaf and kill it.

The number four (‘shi’) is widely avoided in Japan since it sounds too similar to the Japanese word for death. Keep an eye out in Japan and you’ll notice buildings don’t have a fourth floor, items are sold in sets of three or five and special care is taken to avoid encountering the number in daily life.

CărtureÈ™ti Carusel launched in 2015 in a 19th-century structure that has been refurbished. It has over 10,000 books, 5,000 music and DVDs, plus a café on the top level.

Greece is a historic country, and it was in Athens that the concept of citizens participating in government formation was created. Here's a fun fact: democracy is derived from the Greek terms demos (people) and rule (rule) (kratos).

Susami is home to the world's deepest underwater mailbox, a fascinating Japan fact. Susami is a popular fishing village in Wakayama Province. In 2002, the town's deepest underwater mailbox was certified by Guinness World Records. Since 1999, the mailbox has gathered over 32,000 pieces of mail at a depth of 30 feet.

The average delay of Japanese trains is 18 seconds. What makes them so punctual? Drivers are trained in ultra-realistic simulators and drive one train line only – many don’t even need a speedometer to know how fast they’re going. Competition is also fierce between rail companies, so lagging behind won’t do – they work hard to keep hold of Japan’s huge numbers of train commuters, whatever it takes (even if it means building fancy department stores in the stations…).