Do you believe in superstition? And how much do you know about foreign superstitions?
Here are 14 interesting superstitions in Japan. What is it? Let's read!
1. Lay the pillow facing north, you will soon die
The Japanese traditionally put pillows facing north only for funerals. So for the survivors, if you put the pillow facing this direction, it is considered the worst danger, and if you want to live longer, just change the direction of the pillow.
2. When a cat wipes its face, it will rain tomorrow
The reason for this superstition is that cats are aware of the humidity in the air and because they do not like moisture, so when they wash their face, it means that there will be more moisture in the sky soon.
Another strong belief among the Japanese is that when birds fly low near the ground, it is also believed to be a warning sign of rain.
3. Drinking vinegar makes the body more flexible
In Japan, vinegar is considered a very healthy liquid because it can help cleanse the body when you drink or eat it. There is no scientific evidence for this superstition, but Japanese people have a habit of consuming vinegar regularly.
4. Tea leaves in a cup mean good luck
When drinking tea at a bar or restaurant, if suddenly there is a single leaf floating in the cup, it is believed that today is a lucky day.
5. No house cleaning on New Year's Day
Shinto New Year is the most sacred day of the next 12 months for the people of Japan. A day to welcome gods and goddesses for the new year. So if you clean the house on that day, it means that you expel the gods and deities from the house all year round.
6. Heavy snowfall in winter brings good harvest in autumn
Japan has traditionally been an agricultural country, so understanding the changing seasons and understanding the climate is very important in predicting the crops that will be harvested. This is one of the most popular weather-related superstitions.
7. When sneezing someone is missing you
This belief is not much different from our Cambodians. Sneezing means someone is missing you. Sneezing twice means someone is saying bad things, on the contrary, if sneezing three times in a row means someone is in love with you!
8. Cherry blossoms grow in light colors, winter will last longer
This is also a superstition related to the weather. Prior to scientific weather forecasting, people used their observations to predict the weather and to prepare for farm maintenance activities. This may be due to the influence of Shinto religion, which considers nature to be the house of God.
9. Big ears, you will become rich
It is a belief derived from a statue of one of the seven lucky deities in Japan. Among them, a deity with the largest earring represents wealth. Because of this, anyone with an ear like Him is considered fortunate.
10. Put the broom stick down, you will lose customers entering the store
If you are a business owner, be sure to place the broomstick upside down, otherwise customers will not enter your store.
11. Do not wash or dry clothes at night
Japanese tradition believes that clothing has the spirit of the owner even after death. Therefore, if you wash or dry your clothes at night, it is like calling a soul.
12. Whispering at night is a call to the snake.
Snakes have been feared by the Japanese since ancient times. Since snakes have a faint sound, if you blow the whistle or whisper to each other at night, it could be an indication of where you are to signal the snake is coming.
13. When the trout start to act, the earthquake will happen soon
This is still the most popular belief in Japan. It is believed that the trout can detect earthquakes faster than human devices because they are aquatic animals near the Earth's crust.
14. Putting snake skin in a bag brings good luck
Shintoans consider snakes to be sacred animals, so having their skin in a bag is believed to bring more good luck in life.
No comments:
Post a Comment