› added 5 years ago

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TIL Candy Cigarettes were introduced in late 19th century. They were wrapped in paper and packaged to resemble cigarettes. Some contained powdered sugar, allowing users to blow and produce clouds of sugar, imitating smoke. Candy cigarettes are currently banned in many countries including the UK.

kOr6d TIL: In the United States the reason voting takes place on a Tuesday is in 1845 it could take rural farmers up to a day of travelling by horse and cart to get to a voting station. Wednesday was typically market day and Sunday was the Biblical Sabbath so Tuesday was chosen to allow ample travel time.
VMGrG TIL that the Micronesian island of Yap is known for its stone money, known as Rai. They use large doughnut-shaped, carved disks of calcite, some as large as 13 ft in diameter. The Rai is still used today for social transactions, including marrage, political deals, etc.
4XWKb TIL That Super Foods are no better than locally grown products and can only hurt farmers and the ecology.
d8VPr TIL the Miwok (N California) played a game similar to soccer. Played by both sexes, girls were allowed to do anything, including kicking the ball & picking it up & running with it, while boys were only allowed to use their feet, but if a girl was holding the ball he could pick her up and carry her
EgbdV TIL about Carbidshieten "Carbide Shooting", a Dutch New Years Eve tradition of using carbide + water in a makeshift basketball cannons. Similar to potato guns.