Part 2 Living with Superstitious Beliefs

  Part 2   Living with Superstitious Beliefs 

Bride must never try her bridal gown before the wedding; the ceremony might not push through.

Dr Abe V Rotor

101. Don’t bump the coffin while carrying it; it is bad luck.

102. Pour water at the doorway once the coffin has been taken out.

103. Wash face and hands after the dead has been laid to rest.

104. When coming from a wake have a stopover somewhere and do not directly go home, otherwise the spirit of the dead will follow you.

105. The wishbone of a chicken makes a wholesome game for two. Wish comes true to the one who gets the common stem of the Y-shape bone.

106.  One can determine the sex of the baby by the poise and shape of the pregnant woman. If rotund, it’s going to be a girl; if pointed, it’s going to be a boy.           

107. During labor, if the pain is bearable and continuous, it’s going to be a girl; if labor pain is intermittent and intense, it’s going to be a boy.

108. When leaving the dining table ahead, those who are still eating must rotate their plates, otherwise they will remain bachelors or spinsters. (The belief is silent on the fate of the married ones.)

109. Couple to be married the following day must not see each other the night before.

110. When Friday comes don’t talk about the supernatural, such as kapre, dwende, and the like.

 

111. Never buy a cat; it will not be a good mouse catcher.

112. If a cat sneezes it’s going to rain.  But if it sneezes three times, everyone in the family will catch cold.

113. A cat that has its back towards the fire means a typhoon in coming.

114. Unfortunate events usually happen on full moon.

115. Whenever you go to a church for the first time make three wishes.

116. If you buy a stuffed or figurine elephant, choose one with its trunk turned upward.  It means good luck.

117. Don’t open the umbrella inside the house; vermin will come out.

118. When planting beans, place a comb on your hair to induce the production of abundant long fruits.

119. Orange clouds are bad omen; they are signs of either drought or poor harvest.

120. If you accidentally bite your tongue it means someone is speaking about you.

121. Knock only twice – not thrice, else you court the attention of the devil.

122. Sleep with your head toward the east or north to prevent nightmares.

123. To keep luck for yourself and the family hang a horseshoe with its tips up.  If you want your luck to be shared with those who enter your house, hang it the opposite way.

124. If your nose itches, someone is thinking about you.

126. Never take home flowers from the cemetery, otherwise someone is going to die.

127. Eating sour fruits during menstruation will cause menstruation to stop.

128. Girls on their very first day of menstruation are asked to jump down from the third step of the stairs in order to limit their monthly period to three days only. 

129. The stained underwear of a girl on her very first day of menstruation is asked to wipe her face with it so that she will have a beautiful, fair and acne-free face.

130. Peanuts eaten raw will make one intelligent.

131. A cogon grass tied around the one’s head or waistline is a protection against lightning, especially in the open field.

132. If the money spent on wedding was borrowed, the couple will always be in debt.

133. A pregnant woman should not scratch her tummy, otherwise she will develop stretch marks.

134. Bite the tip of your new shoes to avoid developing blister (paltos or kapuyo Ilk).

135. A conceiving mother who enjoys looking at the corn hair will give birth to a brown-haired baby.

136. Calachuche or frangipani (photo) growing in the front of a house brings bad luck.

137. Pomelo (Citrus maxima) growing in front of, or bear a house, brings bad luck.

138. Katuray (Sesbania grandiflora) planted in front of a house might bring about a broken home or the disruption of good family relationships.

139. A woman should not be the first to gather sweet potato (kamote), otherwise the roots will crack.

140. Bury a big coconut shell along with the first potato yam seedling in order that the plant with produce big roots.

141. One must not spit in the fields while planting because it brings bad luck.

142. Offering native cakes under the tree will please the spirits (anitos). 

143. Eating malunggay (Moringa oleracea) when somebody dies will cause another death to follow.

144. Certain seasons during which children become suddenly fond of playing games like sungka, marbles, jackstone. And the like, are expected to bring good harvest.

145. Playing sungka is bad because of the nature of the game to “kill” your opponent.

146. Do not plant on Tuesdays and Fridays because they are unlucky days.

147. Bury some pieces of beeswax along with squash seeds when planting so that the fruits produced will be glutinous (malagkit).

148. A person who eats any ripe fruit that is partly eaten by a mouse will develop twinkling eyes.

149. Do not eat leafy vegetables on New Year’s Day else you will be sickly the whole year.

150. Don’t cook leafy vegetables at the time of planting otherwise the plants will wither.

151. Don’t harm the señora, the matron rat; otherwise it will destroy more things in the house. In India rats are believed to be the re-incarnation of dead ancestors.  Sometimes rats are called kabas, meaning little children, so that they are often treated with favor.

151. Papaya with fruits borne on elongated stem (peduncle) is said to be bisexual (bakla).  The male papaya bears only staminate flowers, never any fruit; while the female produces the typical fruits we are familiar with.

152. Avoid mending clothes at night; it might cause blindness. 

153. Avoid taking home food in a wake; otherwise a close relative is going to die.

154. Cat purring means it is comfortable in your company and care.

155. During funeral never look back, otherwise somebody is going to die.

156. Walking under a ladder brings bad luck.

157. If ants transfer to another place, the rainy season is near.

158. You will increase in height if you jump at exactly 12 o’clock noon.

159. Never buy needle at night, it will rust, so with the rest of the needles.

160. If you keep a cactus, you will remain single forever.

161. If a butterfly lands on you it means you are visited by the soul of a close relative.

162. Loves me, loves me not, is a favorite wish game, plucking petals of a flower one by one until you reach the last.

163. If a bee enters your house, it’s a sign that you will soon have a visitor.  If you kill the bee you will have bad luck or the visitor is unpleasing one.

164. A swarm of bees settling on the roof is an omen the house will burn down.

165. A bird that enters the house is a sign of death.

166. If you blow all the candles out with a single puff, you will get your birthday wish.

167. The elevator does not open on the 13^th floor.

168. It’s bad to expose a pregnant woman’s belly to photo flash – she will give birth to a baby with physical defect.

169. It’s bad luck to cut nails on Fridays and Saturdays.

170. Our shadow is our soul.  A person who thinks he does not have any shadow will be mistaken to be a devil. 

171. When a pencil suspended with string is placed over the wrist of a pregnant woman, and swings along the length of the arm, the baby in the womb is a likely a boy.  If it swings across the arm the baby is a girl.

172. Banana with freckles and discolorations means it is sweet.

173. Water the plants with hugas bigas (rice washing), and they will grow fast and healthy.

174. Don’t take a bath during the wake of an immediate family member.

175. Put salt on the lower corners of the door jamb before going out of the house.

176. Egg shells induce flowering of orchids.

177. Place charcoal inside a refrigerator to remove bad odor. Vinegar does the trick, too.

178. Wipe kitchen and dining tables with mild solution of natural vinegar to repel ants and other vermin.

179. If the first butterfly you see on New Year is white, you will have good luck throughout the year.

180. If a lighted candled during a ceremony dies out, it means evil spirits are around.

181. If a black cat walks towards you, you will have good fortune; if it walks away from you, it takes away good luck.

182. Keep cats away from babies because they will suck out their breaths.

183. If a clock that has not been working suddenly chimes, it means there will be death in the family.

184. It is bad luck to pick up a coin with the tail side up; good luck when its head up.

185. Cows lifting their tails mean it’s going to rain.

186. A cricket in the house brings good luck.

187. If an eyelash falls out, put it on the back of you hand, make a wish and throw it over your shoulder. If it flies off the hand, the wish will be granted. 

188. Fingernails cuttings should be saved, burned or buried.

189. If the bottom of your right foot itches, you are going to take a trip.

190. Pulling out a gray or while hair will cause ten more to grow in its place.

191. If the palm of your right hand itches, it means you will soon be getting money.  If the palm of your left hand itches, it means you will soon be paying out money.

192. A mirror should be covered during a thunderstorm because it attracts lightning.

193. An onion cut in half and placed under the bed of a sick person will draw off fever and poison.

194. Wishes on shooting stars come true.

195. Tail of house lizards is cure for asthma.

196. Ones saliva can relieve itchiness caused by mosquito bite.

197. Poultice of gumamela flowers hastens “ripening” of boil (pigsa).

198. Turtles as pet bring bad luck.

199. Snakes have good memory, never spare their lives because they can take revenge.

200. Refrain from talking while planting so the chicken will not destroy your plants.

201. When cockroaches (picture) are flying about, there’s plenty of fish to catch.

202. Don’t sleep with your head pointed to the north.  Blood is drawn to your head due to magnetism, similar to a compass needle.

203. Whenever you give birth, plant a tree because a tree grows fast and means good health - so with your baby.

204. There are times you have to turn back because you have forgotten something.  Before you start again alight from your vehicle, or take a few steps, to break the bad omen. 

205. To get good grades place your review notes or book under your pillow and sleep on it.   ~