Weird marriage laws

There are strange marriage laws all over the world, but especially in the US. While some of these fun marriage laws are arcane relics left behind (like the requirement that men in the small town of Cape Cod kill six blackbirds before getting married) and others are quirks of history or circumstance, others are incredibly restrictive and dangerous. . And bad for women.

As with the strange and stupid marriage laws in many countries, there are also strange divorce laws. Some states allow divorce right away, while others make divorce more difficult. There are also laws about what married people can do, even if they are legally married.

Here are some of the world's most unusual marriage and divorce laws. See how much you can break!

15 PHOTOS

1. In Connecticut, you can marry your uncle.

Connecticut is the only state that allows uncles and nieces to marry.

2. Wearing dentures in Vermont? Check with your husband first!

A secret law in Vermont requires women to obtain written permission from their husbands to wear false teeth.

3. Couples can't sleep naked in a rented room in Salem, Massachusetts.

It's no surprise that the city that once burned witches has retained a bit of its prim past. In Salem's case, married couples are still prohibited from sleeping naked in a rented room, though how this is enforced remains a mystery.

4. Men on Cape Cod have to kill birds to get married.

In 1771, in the small town of Truro on Cape Cod, crop-eating birds were apparently a problem. Therefore, the town voted that "every man in the town must kill six blackbirds or three crows and not marry until they have fulfilled this requirement."

5. Outdoor weddings are not legal in England.

Due to laws requiring solemn marriage, weddings must take place in a "fixed structure" with a roof, such as a church or a house. This means that weddings cannot be held outdoors or in the garden.

6. France allows posthumous marriage, but it's difficult.

A French law passed during World War I allows women to marry dead men, which would likely allow brides and girlfriends to receive death benefits. The law was clarified in 1950 after a woman wanted to marry a man who died in a dam failure. The new rules made posthumous marriage much more difficult. In fact, this cannot be done without special permission from the President of France. You must also provide proof that the deceased intended to marry you before they died.

7. If you are old and want to marry a cousin, go to one of these states.

In six different US states (Arizona, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Utah, and Wisconsin), cousins can marry, but only if they are over 65 (or 50 if you live in Illinois) and therefore have not reached childbearing age. age.

8. It is illegal in Kentucky to marry the same man four times.

Kentucky women are saved from their own temptations because they cannot marry the same man four times. However, you can marry four different men once.

9. Arkansas didn't have a minimum age for marriage for a while.

For several months in 2007 and 2008, Arkansas did not have a minimum age required for marriage. Even infants could marry if their parents agreed. The law was intended to set 18 as the minimum age for marriage without consent, with an exception for pregnant teenagers, but a typo read as if anyone of any age could marry with parental permission. Astonishingly, there was so much controversy surrounding this error that it took a special session of the state legislature to correct it.

10. Divorce without fault is still illegal in England.

In separated couples, there must be someone to blame, usually adultery or abuse.

11. Japanese divorce law is seriously unfair.

Japanese women must wait at least six months to remarry, but men can remarry right away. As of 2015, this law was being challenged in court.

12. Interracial marriages weren't legal in Alabama until 2000.

It took Alabama a vote to finally lift the interracial marriage ban — and shockingly (or not) 40 percent of voters were against it.

13. Divorce in the Philippines is illegal.

In the Catholic-majority Philippines, divorce is almost impossible. Divorce is a violation of the law, and it is very difficult to get it annulled.

14. "Joke" marriages can be annulled.

Delaware law states that a marriage can be dissolved if "one or both parties entered into the marriage as a joke.

15. There is no minimum age for marriage in Saudi Arabia.

An attempt to introduce a minimum marriage age of 15 failed in 2015. Unfortunately, this law led to a number of judicial errors, for example, an eight-year-old girl was not given a divorce from an abusive man who was 50 years older than her.