In Bhutan, cutting trees and fishing are illegal and most of the meat they eat is imported from India because the government bans animal slaughter.
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| Meat in dishes not native to Bhutan:In Bhutan, killing animals is considered wrong and taboo. The natives are not allowed to kill animals, but that does not mean they are completely vegetarian. Bhutanese do eat meat and fish, but most of this food is imported from India. The taboo against killing also means that you are not allowed to kill even a bug or insect that crawls into your hotel room. |
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| Bhutanese women can have more than one husband:Not only do Bhutanese men have the right to have multiple wives, but so do women. Polygamy is legal in Bhutan. This is an ancient custom when people want to keep property within their families. In some cultures, it is normal for men to have multiple wives, but it is rare for women to have more than one husband. This makes Bhutanese people more open-minded than people in developed countries in the past, where monogamy was maintained. However, polygamy is only maintained among small tribal groups in Bhutan today. |
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| Bhutanese people do not have surnames:In this country, each person has two names, but they are not divided by surname and given name. Some parents do not name their children but wait for an auspicious day and then take them to the temple to be blessed by a monk and given a name. In other words, Bhutanese people do not have family names. Therefore, each child born can have a completely different name from the whole family, when outsiders hear it, they will not know that they are related. For example, the father of Bhutan's Queen Jetsun Pema is named Dhondup Gyaltshen, her mother is named Sonam Chuki. Meanwhile, her two other brothers are named Thinlay Norbu, Jigme Namgyal and her two sisters are named Serchen Doma, Yeatso Lhamo. |
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| Cutting trees and fishing are illegal:In addition to banning slaughter, Bhutan also requires that at least 60% of its territory be forested. This means that anyone who cuts down trees (unless they have special permission) is subject to heavy fines and even jail time. Bhutan encourages people to grow trees for fuel and building materials. Fishing and hunting animals are also banned in this country and carry the same penalties as cutting down trees. However, there is still clandestine fishing activities taking place here at night. |
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| Bhutanese people love cheese:It’s not just Europeans who love cheese, Bhutanese people do too, especially spicy cheese. Their specialty is ema datshi (chili cheese). They often add chilies and peppers to the cheese to make a delicious warm dish. Bhutanese love chili cheese so much that they eat it every day for every meal. Ask any Bhutanese how they cook at home and you’ll likely hear about making ema datshi. They also make cheese into squares that they hang up to preserve, called chogo. When eating chogo, it can take up to 45 minutes to finish one. |
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| Bhutanese people still regularly wear traditional costumes:While in many other countries, traditional clothing is reserved for special occasions, traditional clothing in Bhutan is everyday wear. The traditional dress for men is the gho, and for women is the kira. Bhutanese wear this to work, to temples, offices, or on formal occasions. For those who work for the government, wearing traditional clothing is even mandatory. Bhutan is one of the few countries where you can still see men wearing skirts. The gho dates back to the 17th century and is a traditional Tibetan dress. The large pocket in front of the chest is not only to hide the belly fat but can also hold phones, keys, and even babies. All male Bhutanese guides wear gho and are required to wear white scarves when entering fortresses with their clients. On days when they take clients trekking in the mountains, guides can remove the upper part of the gho and tie the sleeves around their waists when it is hot. Children are also required to wear traditional clothing every day when going to school. |
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| Although many women in Bhutan wear fashionable clothes on the streets, you can still find some wearing the kira - a dress that is both traditional and modern. |
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| Tuesday is "dry day":This does not refer to the weather but to alcoholic beverages. Bhutanese people love to drink. In fact, each Bhutanese adult consumes up to 8.47 liters of alcoholic beverages, more than the world average (6.2 liters). There are more than 5,400 bars in Bhutan, and many clubs in the capital Thimphu. Bhutan produces many products such as beer, red wine, light wine to drink with dessert, and even strong alcohol. On Tuesdays (Dry Day), the Bhutanese government prohibits bars from selling alcoholic beverages. In addition, tobacco is also completely banned in this kingdom. |
According to VNE
