Are you superstitious?
In general, the elderly might have believed superstitions faithfully.
There are also a lot of superstitions in Japan including the number of sneezes.
- Don’t cut your nails at night. Otherwise, you could not be there when your parents pass away.
- Don’t give a comb to others as a gift because it will cause trouble whether the recipient has long hair or is bald.
- Hide your thumbs when you see the funeral car. Otherwise, you could not be there when your parents pass away.
- Someone will die when a crow sings.
- Putting a pillow toward the north would bring bad luck.
- Don’t whistle at night. Otherwise, thieves will come.
- Hide your belly button when you hear the thunder. Otherwise, it will be taken by the thunder deity.
- Don’t wear new shoes in the evening.
- Something great will happen soon when your ears are itchy.
- You might not get married if Hina dolls are not removed and kept in the boxes when March 3rd ends.
Do you think these are just old wives’ tales?
Let’s see the story behind the first superstition.
In the old days, it was dark at night because of the light of candles.
In addition, they seemed to use knives to cut the nails instead of nail clippers.
We could easily imagine that they might cut their finger accidentally and deeply in this situation.
Once they got injured, it would cause serious diseases like tetanus.
Hence, the parents would scare them by saying “you could not be there when your parents pass away” as they would teach their children not to cut their nails at night.
We can say that superstition is a kind of precaution and upbringing coming from the parents’ love towards their children.
How about your country’s superstitions?
Is there any unique superstition, by any chance?
【Translation for language learners of either English or Japanese】/英語・日本語学習者向け翻訳
貴方は迷信深いですか。
一般的に、年配の方々は迷信を固く信じているかもしれません。
日本にも、以前紹介したくしゃみの数を含めて、たくさんの迷信があります。
- 夜爪を切らない事。さもないと、親の死に目に会えないでしょう。
- 櫛を贈らない事。贈られた方が長髪であろうが、禿げであろかに関わらず、問題が生じるでしょう。
- 霊柩車を見たら、親指を隠しましょう。さもないと、親の死に目に会えないでしょう。
- 烏が鳴くと誰かが亡くなる。
- 北枕は不運をもたらす。
- 夜に口笛を吹かない事。さもないと泥棒が来るでしょう。
- 雷が鳴ったら、おへそを隠しましょう。さもないと、雷様に取られてしまうでしょう。
- 夕方新しい靴をおろさないこと。
- 耳が痒いといい事がある。
- もし雛人形を弥生三日以降出していたら、婚期を逃すかもしれません。
これらは、単なる単なるくだらない迷信だと思いますか。
最初の迷信の背景をみてみましょう。
昔、蝋燭の灯りのため、夜は非常に暗く、更に、爪切りの代わりに、短刀を使っていた様です。
この様な状況では、誤って指を深く切ってしまったかもしれないことは容易に想像できます。
一旦怪我をすると、破傷風のような深刻な病気を引き起こす可能性があったでしょう。
従って、両親は、子供達に夜に爪を切らないように敎えるために、「親の死に目に会えないよ」と脅したのでしょう。
迷信とは、この様な親の子供への愛情からくる一種の注意喚起や躾だと言えるでしょう。
貴方の國の迷信はどうですか。
ひょっとして珍しい迷信がありますか。
Comment You may leave a comment or image below.
What happens when you wear new shoes in the evening? Maybe the person is just trying them out to see if it goes well with tomorrow’s outfit.
Filipinos believe that once a single woman sings while she cooks, she will either become an old maid or marry someone who is old enough to be her grandfather. In some regions in the Philippines, they believe that people who do this attract bad luck to come inside their houses.
Thanks Prillie san for leaving your comment!
I will mention these 10 superstitions one by one, so I hope you would look forward to it.
Your guess makes sense. He or she might do that in the evening.
The belief that you shared made me scared.
I wish a person who sings out of tune like me would not attract bad luck.