Superstitious Beliefs I Grew Up With

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Avatar for Jeaneth
3 years ago

Filipinos are known to be superstitious in some ways. We may have inherited these habits after the Spanish colonizers stayed in the country for more than 300 years. Our ancestors believed in a lot of things and so, the descendants were able to sustain these beliefs serving a lot of meanings to every circumstance.

My early childhood was mostly spent with my grandparents. As I was growing up, there are times when my grandma would tell me a lot of things that confused me without showing scientific proof which never happened. So, I just followed what she told me.

Here are some of the superstitious beliefs that I grew up with:

Jumping every New Year's Eve

I was taught by my parents to always give my best shot. So I did. I jump so high every New Year's eve and when reality starts to kick in, I realized that I was only making a fool of myself. Obviously, it didn't work. Did it work for you? Congratulations!

The family always celebrates New Year and Christmas in our grandparents' house. As children who were too obedient to what these adults are telling us jump to the highest level.

As years passed by, puberty hit me and I was drowned with insecurity. My cousins grew taller than me and I was left feeling so little to myself.

That's when it started that on every New Year's eve, I distance myself from them because I get insecure every time they do it. Now that we are already adults, the belief was passed to our younger generations and these kids are the next victims.

Dropping kitchen utensils means someone will visit you at home

In birthday celebrations, I have witnessed countless times when someone drops their spoon or fork and then they'll say that someone will visit at home.

When you drop a fork, a male visitor will come into your house. Otherwise, if you drop a spoon, you would expect a female visitor will come into your house.

But I never witnessed it though, if my memory serves me right. At least to my extreme recall. Why do these utensils were associated with gender? How about dropping a ladle? Will it make a difference? How about dropping a knife? That would be dangerous. I supposed.

This belief is also gender-biased. How about our friends who express themselves out of these two labels?

Naah, maybe I just went too far but I just find it silly. However, as they say, you won't lose anything if you believe these beliefs.

Bringing food from a wake or funeral to your home means bad luck

Based on my experience, I was with my colleagues when we attended a wake of the mother of our fellow instructor in Kiblawan, Davao del Sur.

While on travel, I remember I bought biscuits and placed them in my bag. I forgot to eat it because I fell asleep while riding. When we arrived there, we comforted our fellow instructor and had chats with her.

I forgot the biscuits I bought and so I carried it back to where I stayed in Davao. I was told by my parents to not bring food home from a wake but at that time, I completely lost my mind to it.

I even gave the biscuit to my student whom I stayed with. It was late when she asked about the biscuit and I told her that I bought it and had it accompanied with me going home.

Does the situation count? It didn't come from the wake to be exact though. The next thing I know, I learned that my student lost her aunt months after that circumstance.

So, is this true? Or maybe it's just coincidental.

Sweeping the floor at night magnets bad luck

I guess every Filipino knows this superstition. We were told that sweeping the floor at night is bad luck.

If you sweep, it means that you sweep away the blessings outside your house.

What does it have to do with time? Does dirt signify good luck? How come?

What if someone stepped on a dry poop and it leaves marks on the floor with an undesirable smell, or a pack full of toxic elements laying on the floor? Would you consider it as good luck? I don't think so.

My parents taught me that if the situation really demands you to sweep, leave it at the back of the door and continue in the morning.

The same goes with cutting your nails at night.

What does it have to do with time? Well, I found the reason behind it. Perhaps, our ancestors believe that these things are prohibited because they don't have a sufficient amount of light so they have a higher chance of hurting themselves.

Sleeping while your hair is wet could make you go blind or crazy

My grandmother used to tell me this. Sleeping while your hair is wet could make you go crazy or blind.

This frightened me to my nerves so I always make sure that when I sleep my hair is dry. Even up to now. I got used to it. There is no scientific proof for this though but one thing I noticed, I grew white hair when I slept with wet hair one time. Or maybe that was just coincidental.

Your thoughts about this?


There are still some superstitious beliefs I wanna share with you about my experiences but I am gonna cut this off for now and stay tuned for the next part.

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Thanks for reading!

Keep safe everyone. ❤

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3 years ago

Comments

'Yung pagtalon talaga sa Bagong Taon. Natatandaan ko pa 'nung bata pa ako, since 'di namin talaga s'ya ginagawa is patago akong tumatalon sa lababo namin kapag busy na ang lahat sa pagkain pero wala eh. Walang talab. Hahahaha! Tapos 'yung sa utensils, kapag daw fork ang nalaglag is lalaki ang bisita tapos babae naman kapag kutsara. So, ano naman kapag sandok ang nalaglag? 🤣

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3 years ago

Good morning my beautiful friend, how are you?

Hey, what a great publication, I loved this belief because I feel very connected to it, if there is something that we South Americans share with you Filipinos is that Spanish cultural heritage, and in my country Venezuela, there are too many superstitions, starting with that of dropping a piece of cutlery, whether fork or spoon, however, you mentioned what would happen if we drop a knife, would Chucky or some serial killer come to visit us? Hahahaha, ya ya, sorry I had to make the joke.

But yes, unfortunately these superstitions are transmitted from generation to generation, but I find it curious that no one is put to investigate whether they are true or not, we must understand that life was totally different in the years of our great-grandparents and grandparents, to our era, then I find it strange that still exist, in my country has the belief, if you hear a rooster crowing day, is that someone will die, even if you cook with firewood, and then you take a bath you can die, something extreme, but well, all this is part of our culture, and who are we to doubt what the elders of past generations said, but this does not mean that we should follow it all, because the truth seems to be super curious and crazy, that they can not sweep at night, and if by chance someone breaks a bag full of rice or some powder, that stays there until the next day?

Very curious all this, good topic, I love it, greetings

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3 years ago

I am familiar with those for I grew up with those beliefs too. When our house burned down last year, there were some things we salvaged. Some of those I wanted to bring to our apartment for safekeeping but we were told not to do bring anything to any other house for bad luck will happen too.

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3 years ago

Palagi nalang namin sinasabi na pag may nalaglag na utensil may darating. Ung mga dumarating ang pusa sa likod kase nasense na lunch/dinner. 😸

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3 years ago

Gang ngayon nakikitalon pa rin aq pag new years eve hajaja😅

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3 years ago

Nag stop na ako. Haha. Wala na pag asa. 😆

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3 years ago

ohhb everyone at he tells me this but I don't even follow a single one 😂 so I'm a bad kid

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3 years ago

Yes, you are. Hahaha. But you were taught some of these mentioned?

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3 years ago

I was but I never followed them XD

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3 years ago

Isa sa mga kinalakihan kong superstition is yung pag naligo daw after magplantsa or mapagod, mapapasma. Hindi naman daw po pala totoo

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3 years ago

I think it's no longer a superstition kase it explains physical aspect na eh. Pag pagod ang katawan mo or mainit, may pawis, open ang skin pores mo nyan kaya pag naligo ka, vulnerable ka na lamigin or mapasma. 😅

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3 years ago

Lolz, you have been deceived. One thing about superstition is that they are there to prevent us from doing some things we ain't suppose to do.

They are all bad habit turned into superstition.

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3 years ago

I must agree and it's been effective for some. Mostly in kids. Haha

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3 years ago

I can't help not laughing while reading this 🤣🤣🤣 most of these superstitions are just to scare/caution kids.

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3 years ago

Haha. I know right. Its way is to scare kids which is working so far.

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3 years ago

Interesting! I tell you some of our superstitious from Hungary.

If you see a chimney sweeper, if you are wearing a dress or any clothes inside out without noticing it, if you step into a poop or a bird poop lands on you you will have good luck.

If a black cat crosses in front of you in the street, if you walk under a ladder, if a mirror breaks you will have bad luck.

If salt pours out there will be arguing in the family. If you cook and the food is too salty you are in love. If you have a hick up somebody is talking about you.

At New Year's Day if you cook lentil you will have lots of money in the year. If your right hand is itchy you lose money, but if your left hand is itchy you win money.

There is a lot more....

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3 years ago

Some of the superstitions mentioned here are also practiced in the country. I still have to write about it.

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3 years ago

Everywhere superstation presents. If a black cat cuts your way,this is not good omen. Even people feared of number 13. Crow cries on your roof mean your guest coming. These are just fake believes. So we shouldn't believe on the things that have no scientific proof.

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3 years ago

I sleep with wet hair for more than 3 years now. So far I'm still okay 🤣

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3 years ago

Pero di ka tinuboan ng white hair madam? 😅

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3 years ago

Never madam.. Kht split ends wala 😅

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3 years ago

In my country they also believe in the superstition of the knife or spoon falling on the ground. People also do not sweep at night. I have straight hair and when I was young it was very long so all the time when I came back from the street I washed my hair and went to sleep with wet hair. The only bad thing I remember is damaging my pillows. I still do from time to time. But now my hair is very short.

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3 years ago

Yeah, the pillows would suffer if you kiss your wet hair with them. They don't like that. Haha

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3 years ago

Yung mama ko, hindi ako titigilan pag natulog ako ng basa yung buhok. Minsan nga kahit tulog na ako, huhuhu sinasabunutan ako ng pabiro para gumising ate 😭

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3 years ago

Hahaha. Kaloka si mother mo 😆 dapat may time allowance ka bago matulog para sakto na hindi na basa hair mo pag matutulog kana. 😁

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3 years ago

Ewan ko ate pero mas inaantok kasi talaga ako pag bagong ligo eh

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3 years ago

Uuy, true din. Masarap maligo pag bagong ligo hehe

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3 years ago

Nahh mao sab na tuo2 sa akoa mama madams.. pero sa tanan Ang kutsara nlng Jud nga mahug Ang ako belief pero Pina joke pajud like ug hayang Ang kutsara gwapa ug kulob maot same goes with tinidor gwapo ug hayang maot ug kulob 😅😅😅 Dina lageh siya applicable kaayu karun Mao dli na ko motoo pero Ana man mama Wala kuno mawa ug mutoo pero dli gihapon ko 😁😁 sorry na gud ma

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3 years ago

Mao lage. Mao jud na ila ingon nga walay mawala kung motuo ka. 😆 iapil pa gyud diay ang ka gwapa og kabati sa tao ba. Sa kutsara og tinidor diay ma determine. Hahaha

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3 years ago

Hahaha ako ba laman to dam uyy Tuo kunuhay pero kinabuang nalng diay 🤣🤣🤣

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3 years ago

I grow up with the same values with my parents, but now I didn't apply that anymore , Maybe because I am more focus with what the holy Bible says rather than these beliefs.

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3 years ago

Yeah, it comes down to what you believe at the end of the day and that comes with respect too. ❤

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3 years ago

meron pa sis yung sa butiki kapag nag iingay at sobrang lakas at sunod sunod may darating daw na bisita or swerte. hehe. kapag nanggagaling ko sa patay lagi ko inaalala na wag mag uwi. katakot kaya mga sinasabi nila. mamalasin daw eh. hehe

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3 years ago

Or susundan ka daw ng patay. Kaloka 😬

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3 years ago

pag nagpupunta ko sa patay pag uwi yun naiisip ko.haha

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3 years ago

Si mama ko din nag sasabi wag daw matulog ng basa ng buhok. Kaya ayun, naniniwala nalang din haha kasi baka totoo nga🤣

Pero dun sa pagwawalis sa gabi, di kami naniniwala haha. Kasi lagi kaming nagwawalis sa gabi ehh 🤣

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3 years ago

Bakit nman ngwawalis k sa gabi? Hehe

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3 years ago

Haha Kasi pag nagbabanig kami sa sahig, kailangan muna walisan haha.

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3 years ago

Hehe. Kaya pala. 😆

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3 years ago

Hayy naku Madam leaving with my Mama lahat at a ng superstitions gingawa at pinapaniwalaan! Yang talon talon namin hagis hagis barya taon taon yan. Tapos pag di tumalon di tatangkad. 🤣 Kaya siguro di ako tumangkad.

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3 years ago

Nasumpa siguro tayo madam. Hahahaha

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3 years ago

Hindi pa rin po talaga nawawala tong mga beliefs na to no hehe. Pero sa jumping every new year, hindi na po ako naniniwala kasi walang nangyayare 😂

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3 years ago

Nawalan na rin ng hope sa talon ng new year na yan. 😆

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3 years ago