By YAP YING YING
Malaysians live with many different races, languages and religions. As a consequence, we grow to blindly believe in superstitions.
There are many different stories for where these rules have most likely originated - both logical and illogical. Believe it or not, these beliefs are still present today, passed down through the generations.
You should not give shoes or clocks as gifts
Some people say that giving shoes may represent the want to send someone away or to end a relationship. If you are giving a watch or clock as a gift, it is basically saying that you are putting time into a relationship. In Cantonese and in Mandarin, “give a clock” is in a way, a saying for “attending a funeral”.
You should not cut your nails at night
The Malays believe that if you cut nails at night, you will die young. This reasoning came about from back in the old days where there was no electricity. Those who cut their nails at night could accidentally cut their fingers, resulting in bloody fingers.
Another belief is that spirits will eat the nails and will eventually take on your form and appearance.
However, Indians believe that night spirits will awaken and attack those who cut their nails at night.
You should not pat or touch a gambler’s shoulder
According to the Chinese, there are three lights or flames on a person, which are located on the forehead and on each side of the shoulders. If you are patting or touching a gambler’s shoulders, it may extinguish that flame, thus bringing bad luck to the gambler.
Three people should not be taken in one photograph
Some say that the person standing in between two others in a photograph of three people will be the first to die.
The Chinese burn three incense sticks for worship or prayer, and some of the Chinese will believe that three people in one photograph represents the three incense sticks. As a way to pay respects to their ancestors, incense sticks are symbolic to death and such disrespect in the form of a photograph could lead to ill will.
Indians say, “teen tighada kaa, bighada”, which translates to ‘three is unlucky, anything above two will gets difficult to handle’.
You should not open umbrella inside the house
It is said that if you open an umbrella indoors, the bad luck will rain upon you. One explanation is that umbrellas were used as protection from the sun and if you open an umbrella indoors, you will make the Sun God angry.
The Chinese believe that evil spirits hide underneath umbrellas to hide from the sun. If you open an umbrella indoors, evil spirits would be unleashed into your house.
Besides that, the Malays also believe that if a child opens an umbrella inside the house, a snake will come out from the umbrella.
For Indians, they believe that when an umbrella is opened inside the house, it will accidentally injure people and break an object, so it is considered as bad luck.
There are many different stories for where these rules have most likely originated - both logical and illogical. Believe it or not, these beliefs are still present today, passed down through the generations.
You should not give shoes or clocks as gifts
Some people say that giving shoes may represent the want to send someone away or to end a relationship. If you are giving a watch or clock as a gift, it is basically saying that you are putting time into a relationship. In Cantonese and in Mandarin, “give a clock” is in a way, a saying for “attending a funeral”.
You should not cut your nails at night
The Malays believe that if you cut nails at night, you will die young. This reasoning came about from back in the old days where there was no electricity. Those who cut their nails at night could accidentally cut their fingers, resulting in bloody fingers.
Another belief is that spirits will eat the nails and will eventually take on your form and appearance.
However, Indians believe that night spirits will awaken and attack those who cut their nails at night.
You should not pat or touch a gambler’s shoulder
According to the Chinese, there are three lights or flames on a person, which are located on the forehead and on each side of the shoulders. If you are patting or touching a gambler’s shoulders, it may extinguish that flame, thus bringing bad luck to the gambler.
Three people should not be taken in one photograph
Some say that the person standing in between two others in a photograph of three people will be the first to die.
The Chinese burn three incense sticks for worship or prayer, and some of the Chinese will believe that three people in one photograph represents the three incense sticks. As a way to pay respects to their ancestors, incense sticks are symbolic to death and such disrespect in the form of a photograph could lead to ill will.
Indians say, “teen tighada kaa, bighada”, which translates to ‘three is unlucky, anything above two will gets difficult to handle’.
You should not open umbrella inside the house
It is said that if you open an umbrella indoors, the bad luck will rain upon you. One explanation is that umbrellas were used as protection from the sun and if you open an umbrella indoors, you will make the Sun God angry.
The Chinese believe that evil spirits hide underneath umbrellas to hide from the sun. If you open an umbrella indoors, evil spirits would be unleashed into your house.
Besides that, the Malays also believe that if a child opens an umbrella inside the house, a snake will come out from the umbrella.
For Indians, they believe that when an umbrella is opened inside the house, it will accidentally injure people and break an object, so it is considered as bad luck.