Yesterday we went for a picnic and a bike ride with some family friends. After stuffing ourselves with chips and sandwiches, the conversation turned round to full stomachs, and I found myself reminiscing when my nanny would always scold us not to take a shower immediately after eating because it would make us sick. Something about the blood rushing to the stomach but needing the blood to go to the skin when taking a bath. To my surprise, Graham said his parents believe the same thing. Two very different cultures, same superstition. So is it just an old wives' tale or is there any truth to this?
While you're figuring out the answer to that one, see if you can tell whether the superstitions below are English or Filipino (or whether they are superstitions at all!):
- Sleeping with your hair wet will get you blind
- Eating cheese will give you nightmares
- Orange juice makes you hyperactive
- Eat 12 grapes and jump up and down 12 times at the stroke of midnight on New Years Eve for good luck.
- A cricket in the house brings good luck
- Black ants in the house bring lots of money
- You can hallucinate or die from eating poppy seeds
For more superstitions, click here.
Maybe there were scientific reasons for some age-old superstitions, but probably over time they got so diluted from their original intent that they became more humorous and nonsense. Those are some very interesting ones on your list there, Bongga Mom- no. 3 makes sense to me- so much sugar!
ReplyDeleteI have no idea, but those are pretty funny. Bring me some black ants...
ReplyDeleteHmm...I'm not going to say that Number 2 is true, but I've had nightmares several times after having mozzarella in the evening--I won't eat it before bed any more! Here, a small lizard, butterfly, or moth in the house is considered good luck, and some people throw old things out their windows at the stroke of midnight on New Year's. Amazing how these things cross cultures, though, isn't it? Really makes you wonder whether they are superstitions or, um, universal truths ;)
ReplyDeleteI've never heard of any of the superstitions you list. Must be unique to Filipino culture?
ReplyDeleteI lived in Southern Italy as a kid and the "nonnas" (grandmothers) at the beach were deadly serious about the getting wet after eating thing. They always brought huge feasts to the beach, set up folding tables and loaded them with bowls of pasta, so I could see why it would be a bad idea to let a kid really swim on such a full stomach. It was always my thinking that they hysterically extended this sensible belief to the lengths of superstition when they said you couldn't get wet at all. Not even splashed!
ReplyDeleteI'm sprinkling a trail of sugar & bread crumbs behind me on the way home - come on black ants!!!
ReplyDeleteGreat post!
I have slept with wet hair very often. It only makes me sick not blind!
ReplyDelete