[[ Cultural Superstitions? ]]

[mangotango]

Hey all, I recently read an article on Slate about "momisms" (little tidbits of wisdom our mothers or families pass down). Here's the

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.

 

Some things it mentioned include the fear of having a fan running in an enclosed area without an open window (South Korea - and I gotta mention the author of the article said he was a young child in South Korea and remembered fans were a serious thing growing up) and the fear that wearing red in the Philippines during a storm might attract lightening (although one comment mentions he/she never heard that, but he/she used to cover mirrors during storms instead to prevent lightening from striking). There are others listed in the article, and I know of a few from Japan I think (something about throwing beans in the corner? I can't remember if that's during the New Year? Feeding the spirits? Somebody... do you know what I'm talking about?) ... Or is that even Japanese? I can't remember! ;-;

 

In any case, it got me thinking about the different cultural superstitions and beliefs held around the world. I know we all come from different cultural backgrounds here, so I was curious if anyone had some "momisms" they'd like to share? I think they're so interesting, and I love learning new things ^^

 

One thing my mom taught me (she's from the southern United States) was to eat black eyed peas (or black eyed beans) on New Year's Day for good luck in the New Year. My dad (who is from the northern United States) said he'd never heard of that until he met my mom. So, that's something of a "momism" in my family I guess

 

(Also, this is not to make fun of any culture! This is to explore and learn about these stories and embrace them as part of what makes that particular culture so great.)

:hamtaro-005 (6):

[1978]

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Yes, we have some beliefs like that

 

 

1. The women cannot sing when they cook, it said that they'll have OLD HUSBANDS in the future..

 

I still don't know why, maybe the RIGHT position to cook?!?!?

 

 

 

2. We should not have a nap when sunset is coming (around that time 5.45 - 7 PM.)

 

It's called the time for "The Ghosts dry their cloths"

 

 

But I think it's nearly time for bed if we sleep that time, we cannot sleep well that night...

 

 

 

[jungdok]

I am not a very superstitious person but we do have a lot of superstitions. Some of which I encountered the most were

 

• Don't put your bags on the ground or you will lose money
  
• If you hear a Cuckoo singing while having some money with you, you will gain more money
  
• If the food is too salty then the one who made it is in love :cuteonion45:
  
• If you dropped a spoon, expect a visitor (if a fork fell it will be a woman, knife - it will be a man)
  
• If you spilled the salt it's a sign that somebody will die (I'm not really superstitious but this one actually came true), or you will fight with someone.
  
• Don't lick the knife, you will have bad luck in love (my grandma says this to me a lot XD)
  
• If a black cat runs across the street in front of you, you will have bad luck unless you spit to at all four sides (my friend used to do this a lot while I have good luck with black cats and the numbers 13 and 4(unlucky in Asian cultures))
  
• if you put on your clothes wrong side out you'll get drunk xD (this is popular even among the younger generation)onionn6
  
• spiders bring luck (ew >.>)
  
• if you dream that your teeth fell out somebody will die, the more blood and the more front they are, the closer the relative (this also turned out to be true)
  
• a three-leaf lilac blossom will bring bad fortune, five/seven/..-leaf will bring luck if you eat it (this is fun, me and my friends do it to this day XD) :cuteonion58:
  
• You can't destroy nests of House Martins, it will bring bad luck. If Martins are flying low above the ground, it will rain.
  
• Crows of your own yard protect it from other predators.
  
• if you step on a sewer lid it will bring bad luck
  
• don't whistle at home, you will call the devil onion12
  
• you can't sew something whle wearing it, you'll sew your brain to the clothes (will become dumber) xD
  
• if you have an eyelash on your cheek you have to think a wish and guess on which side it is. If you guess right your wish will come true.
  
• it's bad luck to kiss or greet someone with a handshake over the doorstep
  
• if you find 1 cent/penny, take it, think of a wish then put it on your thumb and flip it in the air but don't catch it (we used to do this a lot as kids)
  
• don't step over someone or they will stop growing (we used to play this as kids a lot, intentionally stepping over someone and shouting "you won't grow", if you wanted them to grow again you had to step back xD)
  
• you have to look in the eyes of the one you clink your glasses with, then you will be lucky (I also still keep doing that) xD
  

 

About feeding the spirits.. Here it's more of a Catholic tradition than a superstition. Many people do it during the Christma's Eve and Easter by leaving an empty plate on the table for the deceased relatives as it is believed they also come to eat.

[gin]

Oh superstitions, I only knew few.

 

> A mirror placed in front of a door brings bad luck.

> Don't point your hands freely on the air. It's believed that upon doing so, you might accidentally point a spirit and it might come together with you.

> You should jump as high as you can in New Year so that you'll get tall.

 

 

There's still a lot more but I forgot....:cuteonion58:

[sarah3161]

hmmm, there are some here (lots actually) :hamtaro-005 (21):

 

- don't walk with your long silky hair untied because the evil eyes of some people might get you lose or damage your hair.

- don't announce that your having a baby because you might lose you baby .

- don't spin on (like some kids do) because you might get haunted by evil spirits.

- when you cut your hair and nails don't throw it in unknown place because someone can use them for evil magic.

 

there are some others but i dont remember all of them ........

[BakaxHime]

xD I only have one that my mom told me because almost all of mine that I was gonna post were already posted and I was like darn it!! Lol ahaha xD

1. If your business is doing bad, throw a bowl of water infront of your business and more money/customers will come in

[Dayu]

The supertitious that I do believe is that when a black butterfly went in flying inside your house. It says its your loved ones who passed away. I dont know if I am right, but it may true. Its like from Bleach.

 

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Here is another one. During midnight mass, December 31, you should put a lot of money in your pocket as the year would change. So next year more luck financially would come to you.

[BakaxHime]

Oh! I love Bleach!! xD I think I've heard of that one too

[Dayu]

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yeah, there a lot of supertitions.

[BakaxHime]

There's so many interesting ones lol xD some of these, I MUST try them hahaha Cx

[Dayu]

I barely believe on them, but theres nothing if youll try

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[BakaxHime]

^_^ Heehee I'm a very superstitious person xD

[kittypanda]

Hmm... Well my mother says that if your right hand itches then you get money and when your left hand does you shake hands with a stranger... Also that if a black cat walks across your path you get bad luck, and if you brake a mirror you get 7 years of bad luck. I know a lot but I won't name them all ^^; too many to remember...

[Dayu]

BakaxHime yeah there is nothing wrong with it. Hehehe.

 

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you are a filiPino?

[BakaxHime]

Ehehehe xD

[kittypanda]

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: Nope I'm American ^-^~

[aizen]

Yea...I know some

1. Never stay in front of a door in twilight or you'll get a badluck

2. Never take a bath + wash your hair in the midnight or ghost will appear in front of you

3. Never sleep in sunrise-time or your fortune will leave you

[Marygrace94]

hmm..it is also a superstition here in Phil. that don't sing when your cooking, hump when its new year if you want to become taller, and also make noise noise when its new year for bad luck to go away..e

[BlueNeon]

I was at a local funeral once when a lady came next to me and told me to toss my bag the same way a bride does with her bouquet. Speaking of weird cultural superstitions.. I never asked her why.

[Caru]

Well... One I know is that if a bird flies in through an open window into the house it means someone will die that's living there (actually happened to me one summer, but no one died).

[Jukka]

You would go places if you have a mole anywhere in your foot. The bigger, the better. Hahaha!

[arcuspluviusincitus]

This is really interesting! I love hearing other peoples superstitions, they are really obscure. (If they were true I suppose many people would know it, including myself.)

 

I know a lot of superstitions some of which were already been said. I know a few more and would love to share my "Useful" and " flawless" information. Some are Irish some are just random ones I hear by strange derange woman.

 

1) Magpies - If you see one it brings bad luck but if you see two it would bring good luck, there is a easy rhyme to remember it. One for sorrow, two for joy, three for a girl, four for a boy, six for silver, seven for gold, eight for a secret never to be told.

 

2) If you open a umbrella inside it would bring bad luck, never explains why.

 

3) Friday the 13th being the unluckiest day. On Friday the 13th some people even take to their beds or refuse to leave the house. Believe it or believe it not this behavior is actually a diagnosed phobia of Friday the 13th called Paraskevidekatriaphobia.

 

4) If you open your front door and are greeted by a magpie and it looks at you. Then there is absolutely not thing you can do. This is a sure sign of death.

 

5)If you meet a magpie, a cat or a woman with a limp while you’re on a trip it is bad luck.

 

6)If you own a four-leafed clover you will have good luck in racing, and witchcraft will have no power over you. However the rules are that you must always have it with you, you cannot pass it on to another owner and under no circumstances should you show it to anyone.

 

7) If anyone stumbles at a grave it is considered a bad omen. If you fall and touch the ground you will most likely die by the end of the year.

[jo_suzaku]

I know so many superstitions! Not really sure if half of them are even existing anymore *grin*

 

1. It's bad luck to cut your nails after 6 pm.

 

2. If you see your partner on the day of your wedding, it will probably end in divorce.

 

3. If you're the last person to get up while dinning with 13 people, you will die.

 

4. Break a mirror, bad luck will follow you. Break one more, it still won't leave. Break the third, and now you're free.

 

5. If two people are sharing a plate of food, the person who has the last bite will be (un)lucky.

 

I'll post a few more later ^_^