religious/cultural hygiene

Muslims tend not to use the left hand for eating.
(It is reserves for toilet functions) The washing in flowing water also applies to them.

Orthodox Jews are forbidden to ingest blood. A child who bites an apple with a bleeding tooth is not supposed to eat the stained piece, nor is he allowed to suck a bleeding finger.

There's a whole bunch of stuff in the Christian bible...(in Exodus if I remember it aright) mostly about keeping lepers and other "unclean" folk separate I think.

Seems like quite good advice for the times.

Not just Muslims. Hindus as well.



Technically, according to the Bible, nor are Christians, but Paul said somewhere later on that you're not supposed to pay attention to that bit.