Across England and Wales in 2018, it was reported that the birth rate declined by 3.2 per cent in comparison to 2017. In 2012’s beak, there was also a recorded 9.9 per cent decline. There are many potential factors for why the birth rate has fell, including a focus on establishing and being successful in a career before starting a family.

Another reason for some unfortunately is fertility. According to the NHS, while 84 per cent of couples will conceive naturally within a year if the have regular unprotected sex, one in seven couples may struggle to conceive. While some may go down the route of IVF, others may choose to have surgical procedures to help treat infertility. There are also supplements available for both partners to take to help boost their fertility levels. Coenzyme Q10 boosts fertility by improving sperm quality. But, while these are all ways to try to increase our chances of conceiving, there are many bizarre fertility rituals evident across the world. Here, we take a look:

A Zimbabwean Baboon Cocktail

Food and releasing sensual inhibition. What could be better? The likes of oysters, asparagus, and pomegranate are all said to have seductive connotations by being aphrodisiacs, while some restaurants and bars have concocted what they believe to be sensual cocktails. However, locals in Zimbabwe have taken it to a whole new level. It’s believed that baboon urine carries hormones that can boost male and female fertility. People are known to mix baboon urine with beer in a bid to aid their likelihood of becoming parents. Unsurprisingly, medical professionals in Africa advise against this ritual.

Italian Seat of Fertility

In Italy, there’s a chair also known as a ‘miracle’ chair said to increase fertility. Believed to have been owned by Saint Maria Francesco of the Five Wounds of Jesus, this chair sees thousands of women queue up to sit in it and be blessed with increased fertility levels. There’s obviously no scientific proof that this will work, but around the chair are thousands of pictures of babies born to ladies shortly after they took part in this ritual.

Congo Undergarments

Hanging ladies’ underwear might be some form of expressive art in Muriels bar in Belfast, yet this isn’t the case in the Congo. It’s customary for the nation’s Yansi people to throw their underwear onto their roof when it’s a waning moon. This is meant to help boost fertility and the rate of conception.

Coffins in China

While it’s customary for many to have a wake after a funeral, Cantonese funerals are slightly different. Often, the daughters-in-law of the deceased will cover their stomachs with green cloths — this colour as associated with spring, growth and fertility. They will then rub their bodies against the coffin in a bid to gain the procreative power of the recently deceased person.

Hungarian Water

Significantly less unusual, but in Holloko, a yearly custom takes place where men are dressed up in costumes and drench women in water. This ritual dates back to as early as the 2^nd century and is believed to be a way to cleanse women in order to give them the gift of fertility. Women who want to participate line the streets in traditional clothing and wait for males to throw water over them.

Holy Water in Turkey

The Wishing Column is home to Hagia Sophia Museum, Istanbul. The museum, which has previously been a church and then a mosque, sees people come from far and wide to see the column which is said to weep holy water. It’s often referred to as being the tears of the Virgin Mary. Women will stick their thumb into the hole and rotate it as far as they can in the hope of boosting their fertility levels. They believe that this is their way of being blessed by this sacred water.

Fertility in Britain

This list wouldn’t be complete without a special mention to Cornwall’s ‘Crick Stone’. Its legend dates back over 4,500 years and it’s said that if a woman passes through it seven times, they’ll fall pregnant shortly after.

Whilst it’s recommended that you seek medical advice to increase fertility, if you fancy a trip away and want to experience a unique foreign tradition, this list has you covered!

Sources

https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/livebirths

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/infertility/

https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/shafali-talisa-arya/weird-and-wonderful-fertility-rituals-from-around-the-world_b_15386428.html

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/womens-health/11816876/Nine-unusual-ways-to-help-you-conceive.html

https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/features/aphrodisiacs-10-best-foods-to-get-you-in-the-mood-10043642.html

https://www.babygaga.com/15-unusual-pregnancy-rituals-you-wont-believe-are-true-but-probably-work/

Whether you are taking a holiday in Toronto or are exploring flights from Montreal to Toronto for business reasons, why not make the most of your stay? There’s something totally boring about visiting all the usual tourist traps that are just like those found in any other city around the world. When visiting Toronto, why not look for something off the beaten path, something weird and wacky? Here are six of those experiences you won’t want to miss on your next trip to Ontario’s capital, Toronto.

1. Cuddle Parties

Now, this is an odd one and maybe just a bit hard to explain. A Cuddle Party is hosted by people who have been specially trained to facilitate these parties in various locations around North America. This one happens to be located in Toronto and the whole object is to help people become comfortable with the notion of non-sexual touching. It all involves asking and giving permission to touch, and those who have attended these parties have said they were just as entertaining as they were informative. In this world where boundaries have become obscured everywhere from politics to academia, a Cuddle Party is just the way to teach people how to draw boundaries for themselves while recognizing boundaries in others. Again, this is not the dry workshop or lesson you might be expecting, but it is a weird and wacky thing to do when visiting Toronto.

2. Rage Room

So, you’ve finally gotten away from the stress and frustration at the office. You’ve checked for full-service flights from Montreal to Toronto for that extra bit of pampering no longer seen on most airlines and have found what you were looking for on flyporter.com. However, don’t let that soothing flight with air stewards treating you like royalty soothe you too much! You want to keep some of that pent-up rage you’ve tried not to direct at that obnoxious co-worker or that demanding boss. Visit the Rage Room at 26 Ashwarren Road where you will get a chance to redirect that rage at inanimate objects. One thing you will appreciate is the fact that your ‘box’ comes with full protective gear and your choice of weapons. Looking for a really wacky thing to do on a trip to Toronto? This is where you can literally let it all out, no holds barred!

3. The Biblio-Mat

Okay, so if it’s bizarre you are looking for, this is one experience that will delight you without being overly expensive. Located at 1229 Dundas St. W, the Biblio-Mat is a vending machine full of vintage books. Some are rare and others just meet the ‘vintage’ classification in that they are from days LONG gone by, but the most fun is when you see the book or books the machine chooses for you. Oh, did we forget to mention that? Unlike your ‘normal’ vending machine, you put the $2 in and the machine spits out a book of its choice. Now imagine going to a candy or soda machine only to be given the selection the machine wants you to have? As bizarre as this may sound, some books are even more bizarre than not getting to choose which books you want! One rare 1970-71 catalog, the Canadian Tire Fall, actually predicted a woman’s character and personality traits based on the shape of her breasts. Now that’s weird and wacky!

4. The Cineforum

It just keeps getting wackier and wackier! How would you like to go to the cinema, only to have the movie operator stand there in the theater screaming and yelling at you? This is touted as an alternative movie experience and is actually hosted in the living room of the man who runs the movies. This is situated in a home designed after the Victorian era and the host, Reg Hartt, put together this avantgarde theater back in 1992. He asks a ‘donation’ of $10 for those under the age of 24 and $20 for those 25 and older. All films are considered to be vintage and this is one host who keeps nothing in reserve if you were to ask for a film of a more modern era. He has been known to verbally abuse and swear at his guests. Remember, it really all is in good fun, so come prepared to be insulted and don’t believe you are being singled out. Well, you are, but all in the spirit of the evening!

5. Imagine Living in Half a House!

Now, this is a weird and wacky site to behold. This is probably one of Toronto’s most famous pieces of real estate. Built back in the 1890s, this house is located on what was once Dummer Street but is now rezoned as 54 ½ St. Patrick Street. The story of this house is intriguing! When the row of houses was sold to make way for urbanization and other construction projects, the owner was more stubborn that most. He refused to sell and so his house, which was much like today’s duplexes or townhouses, was separated from its neighbor in a very precise manner. That took some doing but was made possible thanks to a creative demolition where the load-bearing wall that divided the two homes remained intact. The exterior wall was more decorative than functional, giving the entire building the look of a single unit, and now the remaining half has become an oft-visited curiosity in Toronto.

6. Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library

While not quite as weird and wacky as you might be led to believe, there are some fairly unusual characteristics of this library located on 120 St. George Street. Have you noticed yet that many of these weird experiences are located on streets named for saints? Maybe their ghosts inhabit these neighborhoods and that might be just what you’d expect when walking into a library that is home to an original Egyptian papyrus manuscript or some of Charles Darwin’s annotated proofs. What about Shakespeare’s First Folio dated 1623 and other books which can be handled by visitors? Reviewers of this library state that the ceiling to floor bookshelves in rooms of exposed floors are eerie enough to put you in a mindset of a Grimm’s Fairy Tale! If you thought the 1623 Shakespeare was old, that ancient Egyptian papyrus dated 245 B.C. is something to behold. It isn’t just the books that make this a weird and wacky adventure but the whole atmosphere in which the library is situated.

So, there you have six of the wackiest things you could hope to experience in Toronto, and if you aren’t excited to visit any one of these, then perhaps those flights from Montreal to Toronto should have landed in the Bermuda Triangle! Why go on a holiday or a business trip to a city where all you do is enjoy the very same sights and dining experiences you do back home? It’s time for a little excitement in your life, so if you haven’t got it in you to throw your laptop at the boss or cuddle up to a perfect stranger, this is the city you ‘should’ be visiting. Take time out to do something weird and wacky today to face all those mundane and totally boring tomorrows. You’ll be so glad you did!

Odd things people eat, we don’t mean broccoli or sweet corn, we mean absurd and weird things. At least with greens that people hate so much, we know that it is proper food. But these are not even close to being healthy to the human body.

Glass

Last we checked glass cuts, but apparently, some people do not think so. Josh who was featured on My Strange Addiction confessed to having a glass eating addiction. Why someone would eat glass, we have no idea. But Josh seems to enjoy it. He says he loves to eat champagne glasses, wine glasses and light bulbs. Variety is the spice of life we guess, but you will visit here if you would rather play games or sports bet instead of eating glasses.

Ashes

Eating cigarette or wood ashes, crazy we know, but we can understand. A woman, Cassie was 26 when she admitted that she loves eating ashes. The odd and crazy part about it was that these were the ashes of her late husband. Some ashes are scattered and some are eaten.

Human Blood

For this, we blame all the vampire movies. They are the ones who started with the aspect of drinking human blood. And look, it caught on. Not to everyone, thank goodness, but to one young lady Michelle. She admits that she started drinking her own blood when she was teen. She then tried pigs’ blood as a substitute, but she says that she prefers human blood.

Drinking Urine

Yes, we too were shocked when we found out that there was a lady out there who was drinking urine. Carrie appeared on My Strange Addiction and her addiction was drinking urine. For this one, we have no words. It just left us speechless.

And people thought playing online casino games was a strange hobby. Well, at least they aren’t odd. They are fun and exciting. And don’t involve any terrible pain. Like some things.

The internet is truly a place of wonders. It’s a universal shopping mall where you can buy anything you need and a lot of things you never suspected to exist. People have all sorts of needs, and intrepid vendors have found innovative ways to meet them. Here are five of the wackiest, strangest, least-expected things you can buy online, as well as their very practical purposes.

If you are just looking for something normal to buy then make sure you check out Sello’s latest deal of the day.

Invest in an Experience Tube

What is the latest thing up the sleeves of the legendary immersive experience designers at Meow Wolf? Well… a sleeve. This bizarre striped tube of fabric looks like an overgrown pant leg, but according to their website, it’s no less than “analogue social media.” Slip it over your face, then slip it over a friend’s face, and watch the magic unfold. And by magic, we mean watch your friend try to contain their laughter among the wickedly-wobbling stripes. Fun? You betcha. Practical? It may not seem so, but it meets a very real, and very human, need: the need to connect.

Purchase Predator Urine

Practical for the gardener, the farmer, and the rancher but few others, this urine is used to repel beasts, from mice to deer. Since wolves and other predators prey on these animals, they avoid the scent of wolf urine at all costs, so it is a natural way to keep them out of your garden. Predator urine is also used to train fox hounds. By scattering the urine throughout the woods, hunters train their dogs to search for the tell-tale signs of foxes and other animals used in sport hunting.

Buy Tobacco Online

If you’re looking to pack, snip, or roll a smoke, your first instinct may be to go to a local gas station or to a cluttered strip-mall store. Fortunately, the internet has you covered. It may not seem super-intuitive to buy tobacco online, but in fact, doing so gives you better variety of brands and helps you score those hard-to-find cuts. Want to impress your friends with a couple of Havanas or some Wessex Dark Flake? Online’s the way to go.

Procure Some Right Shears

Nope, your vision isn’t distorted, and there’s nothing wrong with those scissors. Those are “right shears,” scissors manufactured with a right angle in the arms. Developed by a software engineer who noticed the way his father-in-law struggled while cutting wire mesh with normal scissors, these practical tools also help people with arthritis make cuts that would be difficult to make with normal scissors. And anyone who has struggled with opening an over-taped box would probably agree that Right Shears might be the right shears for the job. They may look a little Dr. Seuss, but Right Shears show that a good idea can find a home online, and even become a success.

Score a Skull

In the 19th century, medical schools faced a particular problem: an acute lack of human bodies and skeletons available for dissection. People weren’t too keen on donating their bodies to science, and the laws hadn’t caught up with the need of medical colleges, meaning that unclaimed bodies couldn’t be used. Scientists, doctors, dentists, and teachers have no such trouble today. Sites like The Bone Room will ship you human bones, whether you’re into natural history, or you just have a proclivity for the macabre. To purchase and own human bones is federally legal, believe it or not. Louisiana, Georgia, and Tennessee have laws restricting their purchase and ownership, though, so if you feel like scoring some unconventional decor in your living room, be sure that you live in a place where such purchases are acceptable.

England has its own identity. We all know about the Queen, the pints of beer and last but not least: the cups of tea. Those are just some of the aspects that give England its charm and quirkiness. It comes as no surprise that those quirks are often seen in everyday aspects of life. One aspect that is influenced by all those customs is dating. Today, we take a look at 5 strange and quirky British dating customs. They might not all sound that strange at first, but they’re definitely uniquely British!

Strange dating custom #1 – Dating over a cup of tea.

Now this might not sound so strange at first, but bear with us on that one. It might sound normal to date and have your favourite hot drink, nothing too weird there, right? For those of you who have had a cup of tea in the UK, you might know that the British like their tea to be quite strong. In fact it often reaches that point where it is mouth-drying strong.

So imagine trying to impress your date, only to have your breath dried up, and therefore not that good-smelling anymore. That and the need to go to the toilets after drinking so much of it… a strange, and certainly not very practical approach to dating indeed. It works for some, but it might not be your favourite cup of tea…

Strange dating custom # 2 – Banter and dry sense of humour

This probably won’t sound like anything special if you’re British, but the truth is that people in the UK have a pretty dry sense of humour. This often comes up when you are trying to date a British person. The thing is that if you’re not used to this brand of having fun, it might be easy for you to take offense at some of the jokes.

If sarcasm is a strange thing to you, get ready to be weirded out even further. The British sense of humour can be very direct, and people will use it whilst dating, whether you’re meeting them through Kent dating, dating sites from other regions of the UK or simply chatting to people in the pub. After all, most people do try to be funny during a date, it certainly makes any date a whole lot better. It’s all good… unless you’re not getting that they’re actually being playful.

Strange dating custom # 3 – The British love good manners

Nothing wrong with being polite and having good manners right? Well, the thing is that it might weird you out anyway, especially when you combine this with the British dry sense of humour. One minute the guy (or girl) is making the most sarcastic jokes ever, and the next minute they’re all: ‘please and thank you’.

That’s the strange part right there: dry cut one minute and totally gentleman the next… This mix can get quite difficult to get used to, and even more within the settings of a date. It might come across as a contradicting personality, whilst in fact it is just the way a lot of British people are. So get used to that duality, as it will definitely show its head when you’re dating a British person.

Strange dating custom #4 – The pub and beer date

Going out for a drink during a date isn’t unusual, in fact it is often a good way to relax those nerves and get on the same level. However most people tend to choose a quiet bar and will stick to the more ‘sophisticated’ types of drink. Wine and cocktails are often the best and easiest drinks to go for. In England they love beer, and it is not unusual for people to end up having a few pints on a date.

You know if you’ve had a pint that it’s not the most delicate way to drink beer. Whether you’re in the city of London or on the coast using websites that specialise in Devon dating, a pint can get you drunk pretty quickly. It’s a far cry from the tame approach to dating that some other countries have, and it might sound strange as far as it being the best approach to dating altogether. We recommend you increase your natural tolerance to beer, and you should be alright.

Strange dating custom #5 – British men are pretty laid back

This reason right there is why a lot of women are curious towards British men. The whole classy and laid back approach to seduction makes British men more attractive to women’s curiosity. This isn’t so much strange, but it can come across as unusual in a dating scene where most men can be pretty nervous.

Now this doesn’t mean that every single British dude will be that laid back, but the truth is that a lot of them will. It’s just a style that is part of the British culture, and it makes a difference from other cultures. Easier going and more confident… what’s there not to like? Apart from the fact that it might creep you out at first, you’ll get used to it but it might take a bit of time.

Should you date a British person?

So now that you’ve read this, do you think you would want to date a British person? Are you curious about those dating traditions? Does the British ‘swagger’ appeal to you? Well, why not give it a go? Dating in the UK is easy thanks to online dating, but walking into a British pub might just offer you some equal chances in meeting an agreeable partner.

Yes the Brits are strange, but their quirks are the reason we love them so much. Don’t think that you will be having a cup of tea with the queen, but don’t expect the same attitude you would get from dating an American, or even a French person neither. The best way to find out is to try things yourself, so get used to all that tea, beer and dry humor, you’re off to a great time!

Do you enjoy straying off the beaten path? Do you find the creepy cool and the weird wonderful? Or maybe you’ve just had enough of the standard tourist traps and theme park fare. Think about including some of these destinations to your next travel itinerary…

China’s Leshan Giant Buddha

When it comes to the giant Buddha carved into a mountain, surprisingly there are not many visitors each year compared to other sites. It is a 71 meter stone statue carved right into the cliff side in between the Minjiang, Dadu, and Qingyi Rivers. Built in the 700’s this is the largest stone Buddha in the world. It is a bit hard to get to but in my opinion, worth every minute of it.

Mexico’s Island of the Dolls

Just south of Mexico City you’ll find Isla de las Muñecas, set in the canals running through Xochimilco. It’s a tiny little island, a hideout for the late Don Julian Santana at one point, but it has now long abandoned.

Santana was the caretaker of the island, and ended up ostracised on it because of a drinking problem he suffered from. Legend tells of young girl who drowned in one of the canals, and Santana was so deeply affected by the tragedy that he began trading the vegetables he grew for unwanted dolls. He placed these all over Xochimilco in an attempt to appease her spirit.

A respected psychic has said that he actually saw an evil spirit there, and believed that the demon was the cause of the girl’s death. Today the island is scattered with hundreds of baby dolls hanging from the trees, and some have it that the soul of the dead girl possesses them. While it was never intended to become a tourist attraction, the sheer creep-factor has attracted so many sightseers that Xochimilco has started running weekend tours.

Frankly, I would rather get comfy at home with an online pokies game or two! There’s no haunting possible with real money gameplay!

Deshnok, India, and the Temple of Rats

Karni Mata Temple, the official name for the Temple of Rats, is literally a building devoted to rodents.

The Goddess Karni is who it’s named after, and she believed that no one in her family would ever die, but rather eternally reincarnate as rats. Deshnok residents are firm believers of this legend, and hold it to be true that the more than 20 000 rats that inhabit the temple are Karni’s kin. The animals are considered to be sacred, and the temple provides them with food and refuge. If you suffer from musophobia, think twice before paying these critters a visit.

Scotland’s Inveraray Jail

Have you ever wondered what spending time locked up in an abandoned building or gaol would be like? You don’t have to commit a crime in order to find out, thanks to the Inveraray Jail in Scotland.

The one-time prison dates back to 1820 and it’s a well-known tourist attraction today. Tourists are invited to immerse themselves in a penitentiary of the 19th century, harsh realities and all. With the assistance of characters dressed in period-appropriate costumes, you can enjoy finding out about early punitive techniques like branding, whipping, and thumbscrews. Listen in on astonishing courtroom trials, brought to life by actors and actresses, and, if you’re keen, you can get locked up in one of the stark cells yourself, and find out what thieves, forgers, murderers and such had to contend with back in the good old, bad old days.