Asian Superstitions That I Remember

Growing up in a Chinese family in Sarawak, one can't help being exposed to many Chinese superstitions that some of the (usually) elder folk in the family may believe in and caution us against. I still remember a few of these superstitions and beliefs, and I'd invite you to share what you recall from your childhood years.

Anyway here's a dozen that I recall .... some may not be entirely accurate or even correct ... after all it HAS been a long time since I heard them and the old grey cells are getting a little bit rusty. Hehehe ...


(1)  You should not point at the moon ... if you do, you risk your ear getting sliced. Yikes!

(2)  You should not pee in a banana grove ... if you do, you may see ghosts and spirits. BOO! Eeeek!

(3)  No clipping of finger or toe nails at night ... I'm not entirely sure of the repercussions. I think the clippings will either attract spirits or be stolen by spirits

(4)  When lying on your stomach (e.g. while reading), you should not raise your legs ... Doing this risks  your parents' deaths. Woah ... serious this one!

(5)  Pregnant women should not sit on the edge of a bed and sew ... This risks the backside of the to-be-born baby being sealed. Ouch ... not a good thing!

(6)  Pregnant women cannot make use of a hammer and nail ... this risks miscarriage.
      (Gee, I seem to know a lot about pregnant women superstitions ....)

(7)  A cracked mirror brings 7 years of bad luck.

(8)  If you look through a "poon kee", you can see spirits.  If I need to explain what a "poon kee" is, you're probably not from Malaysia or have never done any gardening.

(9)  When sweeping the floor, the broom must not touch anybody as it will bring bad luck to that person (or is it to the sweeper? I forget ...)

(10)  When moving to a new residence, it is advisable to cook a pot of rice and bring this with you to the new house. This ensures you will always have food to eat at the new place. Certainly not a bad thing.

(11)  During meals, one should not stack up the empty plates ... Doing this, you will have no end of debts. (Aiyaaaa ... like that, how in Japanese sushi restaurants?)

(12)  When eating rice, don't leave any uneaten grains on the plate ... if so, will have pock marks on face ("mopeng" is the word, I believe).

Well, these are twelve superstitions I remember being told about. Share what YOU remember. I'm sure there'll be lots more. Over to you for comments please ....