Things You'll Only See In Russia

New Year's Day

New Year's Day is a beloved Russian holiday. All businesses are closed and no one goes to work. Russians also tend to take time off the week between Christmas and New Years Day. January 1st through the 5th are also national holidays. These days are spent drinking, partying, and celebrating with friends and family. 

Poverty is Rampant

Roughly, there are 21 million Russians who are considered homeless. 14% of the general population earns less than $220 a month. Moscow has a huge homeless and poverty epidemic which isn't evident by the extravagant buildings that decorate the streets.

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The More You Know

  • In one month, the average person consumes about a Lego brick’s worth of microplastic.
  • The 442nd Infantry Regiment, a largely Japanese American unit that served during WWII, did so while their families were held in internment camps. Their motto was "Go for Broke" and they were the most decorated unit in U.S. military history.
  • The stars and flashes of light you see when you rub your eyes are called "phosphenes."
  • It's a tradition in Ireland that if you donated a pint of blood, they give you a pint of Guinness to replace the iron.
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Post originally appeared on Upbeat News.