In Russia it is a tradition for astronauts to do what before blasting off into space...
do a handstand
plant a tree
salute the kremlin
sing their national anthem
The 'avenue of heroes' at Baikonur in Kazakhstan, where the shuttle will launch, provides a poignant memorial to each mission conducted over the past 50 years. The tradition started with Yuri Gagarin, the first human to enter space, when he planted a single tree before blasting off further from Earth than anyone had ever been. Every Russian cosmonaut, and then later astronauts from other countries, that has left the bounds of Earth from the Cosmodrome has first planted a tree on the path to the launchpad.
reach: rather globalastronomyspacetraditions
Answers by country
do a handstand
plant a tree
salute the kremlin
sing their national anthem
answers
Estonia
59
Spain
83
Austria
123
France
42
Greece
45
Australia
114
Germany
574
the Netherlands
45
Switzerland
53
Pakistan
24
the United Kingdom
339
Republic of Ireland
74
the United States
396
the United Arab Emirates
21
Italy
47
Poland
18093
Canada
58
Nigeria
41
India
295
the Philippines
18