Superstition is one of my favorite topics to write. Not
because I am superstitious but that my first article to get published was on
this topic. And to evidence that it was a good read is that someone copied it
as it is and got it published under her name in my own college's magazine.
I think superstitions are seldom baseless. They are mostly created
by some fore-sighted people for the benefit of society/their own advantage or
relate to a bad experience in the History.
Coming to the point!
I have spent some time closely observing Chinese culture
with regards to superstitions vis-à-vis Indian misconceptions. And I conclude that they are approximately 90-95% similar. Superstitions about sneezing, dog howling,
cutting nails at night bring bad luck while red being shubha (good omen) are popular.
In this blog I wish to draw attention to the rest 5% where
Indians and Chinese differ. Here we go-
1.
Interrupting someone while he/she is about to
leave the house
2.
Odding the odds
While gifting money to someone, Indians
will make sure to add a 1 rupee coin so as to make it an odd number. Do that
with a Chinese and they’ll throw it back at your face shouting “Oh really, you
want to give me bad luck!”
3.
Teen tigaade kaam bigaade (Threesome will be a
game spoiler)
(Oops… did I just translate it as a ‘threesome’).
While no. 3 is taken as a number that will not let your goals achieved, Chinese
trust in Mr. 3 is a bond of luck, prosperity and happiness.
4.
Killer Quarters!
Fourth difference is no. 4. While Indians
believe in ‘hum do hamare do’ (we 2,
ours 2) thereby making a happy family of four, Chinese believe that no. 4 symbolizes
death.
5.
B for Bats
Bats (pronounced as bian fu) bring good luck due to their
auspicious-sounding name: fu is
a homophone for the Chinese word for luck. Whereas, I remember finding
a baby-bat in our lawn as a kid when Granny declared that seeing a bat will
steal away all my hair leaving me bald. I spent sleepless nights oiling my
hair. Indeed, a bad dermatologistical
superstition!
Well, now I know the reason of my hair fall- I watched 'The Dark Knight rises'.
6.
Bad Timings
One of the best and cheapest Indian wedding gift remains- a clock, whereas for Chinese they symbolize end of
relationships.
7.
Turtles
Turtles
are sacred that’s why you’ll see them at the entrances of Hindu temples. But Chinese believe that keeping a turtle as a pet may
slow down your business.
8.
Meeting a funeral
You can’t enter the house without washing yourself with ganga-jal (holy Ganges), to get
rid of the ghosts in case you come across a dead body and if
you took part in a cremation ceremony, you have to bath before to enter the
house. On the contrary, for Chinese, if you meet up with a coffin-laden hearse it
symbolizes massive good things coming to you. The logic behind says that the
coffin will detract all of your bad luck.
9. Stepping on poo
Stepping on stool, as it sounds blatantly, is
bad. A very negative thing in India. Interestingly, you
start expecting some good luck if that poo is Chinese. Even dreaming of it
fine. I remember an year back, close to ICC tower, there was a structure of big
‘poo’.
10. Books
To my total surprise, while
Indians consider books as vidya (noble
knowledge) and education being a sacred affair, we have a dedicated Goddess for
it in Hinduism… Well, for Chinese, again, just because of the pronunciation of
it (Sei- meaning death/ bad luck) is considered to bring bad fortune. So if you
carry books to Venetian, you’ll be finished!
Ignorance and blindness in regard to the gods divides itself at the very beginning into two streams, of which the one produces in hardened characters, as it were in stubborn soils, atheism, and the other in tender characters, as in moist soils, produces superstition. ~Plutarch
ReplyDeleteFear is the main source of superstition, and one of the main sources of cruelty. To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom. ~ Bertrand Russell, Unpopular Essays
Progress
Let there be many windows to your soul,
That all the glory of the universe
May beautify it. Not the narrow pane
Of one poor creed can catch the radiant rays
That shine from countless sources. Tear away
The blinds of superstition; let the light
Pour through fair windows broad as truth itself
And high as God.
Why should the spirit peer
Through some priest-curtained orifice, and grope
Along dim corridors of doubt, when all
The splendor from unfathomed seas of space
Might bathe it with the golden waves of Love?
Sweep up the debris of decaying faiths;
Sweep down the cobwebs of worn-out beliefs,
And throw your soul wide open to the light
Of Reason and of knowledge. Tune your ear
To all the wordless music of the stars,
And to the voice of Nature; and your heart
Shall turn to truth and goodness as the plant
Turns to the sun. A thousand unseen hands
Reach down to help you to their peace-crowned heights,
And all the forces of the firmament
Shall fortify your strength. Be not afraid
To thrust aside half-truths and grasp the whole.
~Ella Wheeler Wilcox
The Road to Roundabout
ReplyDeleteSome say that Guy of Warwick
The man that killed the Cow,
And brake the mighty Boar alive
Beyond the bridge at Slough;
Went up against a Loathly Worm
That wasted all the Downs,
And so the roads they twist and squirm
(If a may be allowed the term)
From the writhing of the stricken Worm
That died in seven towns.
I see no scientific proof
That this idea is sound,
And I should say they wound about
To find the town of Roundabout,
The merry town of Roundabout,
That makes the world go round.
Some say that Robin Goodfellow,
Whose lantern lights the meads
(To steal a phrase Sir Walter Scott
In heaven no longer needs),
Such dance around the trysting-place
The moonstruck lover leads;
Which superstition I should scout
There is more faith in honest doubt
(As Tennyson has pointed out)
Than in those nasty creeds.
But peace and righteousness (St John)
In Roundabout can kiss,
And since that's all that's found about
The pleasant town of Roundabout,
The roads they simply bound about
To find out where it is.
Some say that when Sir Lancelot
Went forth to find the Grail,
Grey Merlin wrinkled up the roads
For hope that he would fail;
All roads lead back to Lyonesse
And Camelot in the Vale,
I cannot yield assent to this
Extravagant hypothesis,
The plain, shrewd Briton will dismiss
Such rumours (Daily Mail).
But in the streets of Roundabout
Are no such factions found,
Or theories to expound about,
Or roll upon the ground about,
In the happy town of Roundabout,
That makes the world go round.
~ G K Chesterton
Superstitions from around the world -1
ReplyDeleteEverybody knows that breaking a mirror gives you seven years of bad luck, and that a black cat crossing your path will give you feline AIDS. Avoiding such travesties is easy enough at home, but if you do any amount of traveling you're bound to run into some questionable scenarios that'll doom your day. Here are some of our favorites:
In India...
A solar eclipse pretty much means everybody's staying indoors for the duration. Just about everything's put in hibernation mode -- from road traffic to the stock market -- due to the widespread belief the sun's rays are toxic during the celestial event. Some also believe that burying a sick child up to their neck during an eclipse can cure them of their ailment... because science.
In Afghanistan...
The number 39 is linked (inexplicably) to prostitution, and anyone whose phone number or license plate ends with 39 is a social pariah. People who're 39 years old often say they're "one less than 40" just to avoid the embarrassment.
In Nigeria...
Never kiss a baby on the lips, or they'll drool when they grow into adulthood. Even if this isn't true, you shouldn't really be kissing babies on the lips anyway.
In Turkey...
It's a commonly held local belief that chewing gum at night is akin to chowing down on the flesh of a dead person. A minty-fresh dead person.
In Turkey...
According to some Turkish folk, if a woman dreams of a penis then a male member of her family will die. It is unclear as to whether the penis has to be attached to anyone or is simply floating around her subconscious like a fleshy zeppelin.
In Japan...
Stabbing chopsticks straight up into your bowl of rice'll cause the whole dinner table to murmur in disapproval, as this is generally only done during funeral ceremonies. Passing food from chopstick to chopstick is a no-no for much the same reason: at funerals, family members pass the bones of the dead person with chopsticks.
In South Korea...
Going to sleep with a fan on in an enclosed space can straight up kill you. This unfounded belief is so prevalent that electric fans are often sold with timers, to prevent accidental death due to... suffocation, somehow?
In Thailand...
It's considered good luck for a man to wear a penis medallion. No, seriously, the "palad khik" -- which translates to "honorable surrogate penis", obviously -- is supposed to confer good fortune when gambling, protect you from muggings, and make you irresistible to women. Seems legit.
In Serbia...
It's a good idea to spill some water behind a person who's going to a job interview, headed out on a journey, or about to attempt any sort of endeavor at all. The movement of water's said to symbolize fluidity and motion; just don't spill it on their pants, as that probably won't have the same effect on the interview.
Superstitions from around the world -2
ReplyDeleteIn Spain...
Instead of kissing someone when the clock strikes 12 on New Year's Eve, you should eat 12 grapes in rapid succession. Not only does this ensure the coming year'll be a lucky one, it also gives you delicious grape breath (in case you decide to kiss someone after all).
In Russia...
Carrying an empty bucket, or even seeing someone carry one, is a bad omen. This is likely due to the fact that Tsar Alexander II was assassinated by a man with empty buckets for hands. True story.
In Russia…
Unmarried people shouldn’t sit at the corner of the table
In Vermont...
Diagonally placed windows are referred to as "witch windows", due to the belief that witches can't fly their broomsticks through diagonal windows. The witch could still probably magic herself through the front door, but you'll make things a lot harder for her with these bad boys.
In Britain...
When you wake up on the first day of the month, saying the word "rabbit", or "rabbits", or "white rabbits", or any combination of these, gives good luck for the whole month. Make sure it's the very first word(s) you say, though, otherwise the whole thing's pointless and silly.
In Iceland...
You're advised to avoid knitting on your doorstep during the later months, as this will bring about a long winter. Why you'd choose to knit outside in the dead of winter at all is anyone's guess.
In China...
If you’re worried about evil spirits attacking your unborn child - and frankly, who isn’t? - then pop a knife under your bed and it will protect the nipper from whatever it is evil spirits do (get Chris de Burgh songs stuck in their head, make them not like chips, etc.).
In Spain...
At midnight on New Years Eve, superstitious Spaniards attempt to eat a grape every time the clock strikes. If you successfully eat the 12 grapes then you will have 12 months of good luck. This is rarely achieved as trying to eat so many grapes in such a short space of time is both difficult and hilarious, but if you can’t have good luck you may as well have a good laugh.
In Mongolia...
Some Mongolians believe that the soul drifts around the body, residing in different parts depending on the day of the week. It is therefore advised that you go and see a witch doctor before getting your mop chopped, just to make sure that your soul isn’t loitering in your hair.
In USA...
In Kentucky, it’s said that if you were to transplant a cedar tree from one location to another, you will die by the time the tree is big enough to cast a shade over a grave. If you are planning on being cremated or buried in a giant pyramid then we think you’ll be fine, but better leave the tree alone just in case.
In Brazil...
It would seem that in north-eastern Brazil, having a well planned morning routine is not only sensible but life saving. Showering immediately after a meal is a no-no as the results are potentially fatal.
Superstitions from around the world -3
ReplyDeleteStay forever young by carrying an acorn
Forget anti-ageing creams - in Ancient Britain, women carried acorns in their pockets to stay looking young. According to Richard Webster in The Encyclopedia of Superstitions the oak tree was believed to provide longevity and to ward off illness due to its long life.
Don't eat lettuce if you want to have children
In the 19th century, English men avoided salads if they wanted to start a family. In The Oxford Dictionary of Superstitions (Iona Opie and Moira Tatem, Oxford University Press, £9.99), a book on 'Plant Lore' suggests that lettuce was detrimental to child-bearing because it was a 'sterile' plant, and "as plants exhibited peculiarities in their actions, so were they supposed to operate on man".
. Never give gloves as a present...
...well, you can, but you must also receive something in return, or you'll both have bad luck.
Gloves are attached to a whole host of superstitions , dating back to Medieval times and the days of chivalry, when Knights wore a lady's glove in their helmets. It's also bad luck to drop a glove, and then pick it up yourself - derived from the custom of a lady dropping a glove in the hope a prospective lover picks it up.
Off to an important meeting? Look out for a goat.
The goat has been associated with debauchery, lust and the Devil for thousands of years - and is also believed to absorb any evil or harm that may cross your path. That's why it was once considered good luck to encounter a goat when travelling to an important meeting.
If your skirt turns up, you'll receive a new dress
Ever get an annoying fold in your skirt when you've sat on it strangely? According to old folklore, a new outfit might be coming your way.
The Oxford Dictionary of Superstitions cites that in 1914, it was " a common belief that if the lower edge of a woman’s skirt has become turned up so as to form a kind of pocket, some good fortune, such as a present of a new dress, will come to the owner."
An awkward silence means an Angel is passing over
This rather whimsical explanation for a lull in conversation is attributed to Dylan Thomas' Portrait of the Artist - it features the line ‘A host of angels must be passing by … What a silence there is!’.
Eat grapes at midnight for good luck
On New Year's Eve in Spain, not everyone kisses as the clock strikes twelve. The superstitious eat twelve grapes at midnight for 12 months of good luck.
Superstitions from around the world -4
ReplyDeleteGo to hospital on a Wednesday
According to The Encyclopedia of Superstitions, an old wives tale says the best day to go to hospital is a Wednesday. Monday is the best day to leave and Saturday is the worst - as it means you'll soon be back.
Pass a newborn baby through a rind of cheese
In Medieval England, expectant mothers made a 'Groaning Cheese' - a large wheel of cheese that matured for nine months as the baby grew. When the 'groaning time' or birth came, the cheese would be shared out amongst the family - and when nothing but the outer rind was left, the baby would be passed through the wheel of cheese on Christening day to be blessed with a long and prosperous life.
Tuck your thumbs in if you pass a graveyard
In Japan, if a hearst passes you by, or you walk by a graveyard, you must tuck your thumbs in to protect your parents. This is because the Japanese word for thumb literally translates as "parent-finger" and so by hiding it you are protecting your parents from death.
If a bird poos on your house, you'll be rich
In Russia, if a bird defecates on you, your car or your property it's good luck, and may bring you riches. The more birds involved, the richer you'll be!
Keep a hot cross bun for a year
Much like the tradition of keeping a slice of wedding cake after the ceremony, this slightly grim superstition is supposed to bring luck. Hot cross buns were originally eaten at ancient pagan festivals - but without the cross. Christians added this in later to ward off evil spirits, and once baked on Good Friday morning, one was hung in the house for a year to bring good luck.