SILLY SUPERSTITIONS

Today is “Friday the 13th”. Does this date bother you too? Do you have paraskevidekatriaphobia or friggatriskaidekaphobia?

I was born to a family of mixed cultures and traditions but was raised the modern way. I was aware of old superstitious beliefs being talked about but being immersed in different communities while growing gave me second thoughts whether to believe them.

One of the most pervasive superstitions that accordingly brings bad luck is the number 13 especially when it falls on a Friday in a calendar. When this happens, our dad usually would remind us to be careful because it’s Friday the 13th. All I knew was, something bad may happen on this day. I never bothered to know where this belief originated.

Earlier today I met with friends and our topic was superstitions. I was expecting the discussion to go scary because it is Friday the 13th, but fear turned into fun after listening to each one’s story. What I will be sharing with you is limited to the Philippines' setting. I am not sure if you believe in these things too.

I just heard about this today, that when someone attends a wake, it is advisable for him to stop by a station or a certain place first before going home directly. This is to confuse the spirit attempting to go with him until he reaches home.

Does it make sense to you? Hhhhmmmm…There seems to be an assumption here that the spirit of the person who died is “bad”, because why worry if it is a good one, right?

Black cats are believed to bring bad luck. They say that if you bump into a black cat while traveling, you must cancel your journey to avoid something bad happening. Better go back home.

Since I was young, I have always feared cats because of the way they stare, their sharp teeth and their voice, not because of this superstitious belief. So far, I never experienced anything bad with a black cat.

They say it is not good to use a broken mirror. This stems from the belief that a mirror reflects more than just one’s physical appearance. Some believe that it is also a reflection of one’s soul, so if it gets broken, the soul also gets broken into pieces and can no longer protect its body from any misfortune.

Huh???? For me, it is pure logic not to use a mirror that has broken because it might hurt you. What do you think?

This is a warning that siblings cannot marry in the same year or in a year when a family member dies. Some say this will bring misfortune such as there will be conflict or competition within the family.

Many still believe in this here in the Philippines. I guess for practical reasons, I see nothing wrong in following this, but I do not buy the idea of misfortune because the blessings we get do not just come in an instant, we have to work for it.

As a parent I would also now allow my children to marry in the same year because that would cost us a lot financially. I would also not allow marriages in a year when a family member died because there should be time spent for grief. Weddings involve celebration so it appears like a disrespect for the deceased family member.

There is a belief that newly married couples should not spend anything within the first three (3) days or they will have bad luck.

Why prevent a couple from spending the money they earned out of hard work? The only thing I know is for married couples not to go out for 3 days because those are time for bed! Honeymoon first before luxury!

This is the funniest of all I have heard! Jackfruit smells good and tastes sweet. Accordingly, the smell and sweetness attract too many flies. So, some believed that jackfruit is good for business because it may also attract customers.

What???? Are we like flies?

Anyway, it was fun knowing all these things. I see nothing wrong if we follow these, but I don’t believe them either. These are products of old stories which I think were misunderstood. These also are prevalent in third world countries, where many are illiterate and easy to convince.

Since these were never proven, the best thing to do is to keep our faith and believe that things happen according to the will of The Almighty.

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