Three
persons in a picture means the one at the middle will die.
Dr Abe V Rotor
There
are 205 superstitious beliefs in this list. Check those you believe to
be true. Superstition may have scientific basis. Superstition is also
influenced greatly by personal experience. Old folks usually affirm many
superstitious beliefs. Why don't you listen to them once in a while?
Superstition is after all part of culture in any part of the world.
1.
Forego
your trip when a black cat crosses your path – it is bad luck.
2.
Don’t
clean the house at night, more so, if you sweep the dirt out of the door. You
drive good luck away, (Lalabas ang
suwerte.)
3.
If
you get lost in the wilderness, reverse your shirt, so that you will be able
find your way back.
4.
Tikbalang (Filipino version of a centaur) comes
out when it is raining while the sun is
out.
5.
Three
persons in a picture means the one at the middle will die.
6.
A
mole (taling) on the sole indicates
the person is a wanderer (gala’).
7.
A
mole (taling) located along the path
of tears means the person is going to be widowed.
8.
Bride
must never try her bridal gown before the wedding; the ceremony might not push
through.
9.
Don’t
hang on the window; you court bad luck.
10. Itchy palm means you are going to have
money.
11. Keep your fingers close together and
if light seeps through between them, it means you are not frugal.
12. Singing while cooking means you are
going to remain a bachelor or spinster – or marry someone much older than you.
13. A victim of maternal impression (paglilihi) loses pep (sigla) and may even get sick.
14. If a pregnant woman is in labor, never
sit at the center of the stair.
15. A comet in the sky means war is
coming.
16. Eat raw eggs to enhance easy delivery
of your baby.
17. A pregnant mother should not eat
eggplant, else her baby will have dark complexion.
18. One who cries every time she cuts
onions means she does not love her father- and mother-in-law (biyanan).
19. Taking a bath immediately after
ironing clothes will make you sick of leprosy.
20. If a pregnant woman eats eggs, her
child will be born blind.
21. Full moon causes abnormal
behavior. People who are affected by
this belief are called lunatics.
22. Beware of Friday the 13th, you might
meet an accident.
23. No two siblings should marry within
the same year, otherwise their marriages will not be successful.
24. When someone gives you a footwear as a
gift, be sure to pay him any amount in order to break the omen that you will be
“kicked” or pushed around.
25. When the
pregnant wife skips or walks
over (laktawan) her husband, the
husband will bear the burden of paglilihi
(maternal impression).
26. If you want a person to be sad and to
cry often, give him or her a
handkerchief as a gift.
27. One who is about to be wed must remain
at home to avoid accident.
28. Avoid having your feet pointed at the
door while sleeping.
29. Prepare rice cake like suman and tikoy on New Year so that good luck will stick around.
30. When planting be sure your stomach is
full, so that you will get good harvest.
31. If you accidentally break a glass or china,
get a similar one and break it, otherwise bad luck will haunt you.
32. Breaking a mirror means “seven years itch.”
33. If you dream you lost a tooth, it means is bad
luck. To break the omen, silently go to
a tree and tell your dream so that it will be the tree that will suffer.
34. Needle bought in the afternoon is
likely to rust.
35. A birthday celebrant must take extra
precaution against accident, so with a new graduate.
36. The bride should not look behind while
marching the aisle, otherwise the wedding will not be disrupted.
37. The number of steps of a stair is
based on the alternate oro (gold)-plata (silver) formula. Aim for oro
in the last or highest step.
38. Wearing bright clothes, especially
red, on your birthday makes the day happy.
39. After the wedding the man must exit
first from the church so that he will not become a henpeck husband.
40. Don’t give your loved one a necklace,
otherwise your relationship will not last.
41. Don’t allow your friend to remove your
ring, otherwise you will quarrel.
42. Kill a chicken for a new born baby as
an offering.
43. Sweeping or cleaning the house while a
dead relative is in wake will lead to the death of another member of the
family.
44. Eating jackfruit during menstruation
is prohibited otherwise the woman will get sick and even die.
45. When planting sitao (string bean), place a comb on your hair to induce the
production of abundant long fruits.
46. Eating chicken cooked with squash will
cause leprosy.
47. A woman on her menstrual period should
not visit a garden or orchard otherwise the plants will become sick or die.
48. To know if it is true jade, it remains
cool even if the body is warm.
49. Beware of the werewolf. Man can turn
into a wolf, and vice versa.
50. Eight (8) is a lucky number; 8 is
infinity. It means money will circulate.
51. Four (4) means in Chinese C or death. Every
time you reach an age with the number 9 or 4, take precaution; you are prone to
accident.
52. Don’t cut fingernails at night; it’s
bad luck.
53. In Chinese marriage, the woman walks
backward led by a relative to be delivered to the bridegroom.
54. If a child keeps spitting, it will
rain.
55. If you point at the moon your will
suffer a cut.
56. Babies smile at angels we don’t see.
57. Fixed marriage at birth is good luck.
58. Chinese calendar is late by two months
– New Year is in February.
Chinese age starts one year at birth.
59. Palm lines may change, so with our
lives.
60. Blessed palm on Easter Sunday is hang
at the door for good luck.
61. First cut hair and fingernails of a
baby must be kept in a book so that he will be intelligent.
62. Wearing black is symbol of mourning;
to the Chinese it is wearing all white.
63. Among the Chinese, miniaturized house, car and
the like, go with the departed to assure him of a happy afterlife.
64. In a Chinese temple, you offer food to
the gods, and then eat it after. This is
not the case in Filipino custom; just leave the food offering (atang).
65. To the Chinese, paper money goes with
the dead; it will be converted into real money in afterlife.
66. Light candles outside of the house during All Saints
Day in deference to of the souls of the
dead and the unseen.
67. When you happen to encounter a funeral
entourage, throw some coins in respect of the dead.
68. Don’t stand in front of a gate if you
are pregnant.
69. If by mistake it’s the bride that hands
over the arras to the bridegroom,
expect that she will be the breadwinner.
70. Diamond studded wedding rings do not
make a perfect relationship.
71. When blessing a new vehicle, sprinkler
fresh blood of chicken in tires and engine to bad omen of accident.
72. Place some coins in the foundation of
buildings and other structures during ground breaking ceremony to make them
strong and withstand time.
73. Children are sacrificed in making
bridges and other infrastructure.
74. Bury placenta with rosary and pencil
so that the child will be both intelligent and God-fearing.
75. Palms with crisscross lines (rapas Ilk) means the person is cruel.
76. Palms with netted lines means the
person has an unorganized life (magulong
buhay).
77. Shake (pagpagin) the items such as clothes after a customer had left
without buying any, to break bad luck.
78. Place money in a bed pan (arinola), so that it becomes plentiful.
79. Babies that fall from their cradle do
not suffer injury, thanks to their guardian angels.
80. When you give a wallet as gift be sure
you put a coin or a money bill in it so that the wallet won’t run out of money.
81. When transferring to a new house carry
with you 24 oranges, salt, water, and rice.
82. Jade stones around the wrist of a baby
indicate his condition. If they turn
light in color the baby is not well.
83. When transferring a dead person into
the house, be sure it is head first; when taking him out, it is feet first.
100. Bed must not face the door,
otherwise the sleeping person will become a
victim of bangongot.
101. Don’t bump the coffin while
carrying it; it is bad luck.
102. Pour water at the doorway once
the coffin has been taken out.
103. Wash face and hands after the
dead has been laid to rest.
104. When coming from a wake have a
stopover somewhere and do not directly go home, otherwise the spirit of the
dead will follow you.
105. The wishbone of a chicken makes a
wholesome game for two. Wish comes true to the one who gets the common stem of
the Y-shape bone.
106.
One can determine the sex of the baby by the poise and shape of the
pregnant woman. If rotund, it’s going to be a girl; if pointed, it’s going to
be a boy.
107. During labor, if the pain is
bearable and continuous, it’s going to be a girl; if labor pain is intermittent
and intense, it’s going to be a boy.
108. When leaving the dining table
ahead, those who are still eating must rotate their plates, otherwise they will
remain bachelors or spinsters. (The belief is silent on the fate of the married
ones.)
109. Couple to be married the
following day must not see each other the night before.
110. When Friday comes don’t talk
about the supernatural, such as kapre,
dwende, and the like.
111. Never buy a cat; it will not be a good mouse catcher.
112. If a cat sneezes it’s going to rain. But if it sneezes three times, everyone in
the family will catch cold.
113. A cat that has its back towards the fire means a
typhoon in coming.
114. Unfortunate events usually happen on full moon.
115. Whenever you go to a church for the first time make
three wishes.
116. If you buy a stuffed or figurine elephant, choose one
with its trunk turned upward. It means
good luck.
117. Don’t open the umbrella inside the house; vermin will
come out.
118. When planting beans, place a comb on your hair to
induce the production of abundant long fruits.
119. Orange clouds are bad omen; they are signs of either
drought or poor harvest.
120. If you accidentally bite your tongue it means someone
is speaking about you.
121. Knock only twice – not thrice, else you court the
attention of the devil.
122. Sleep with your head toward the east or north to
prevent nightmares.
123. To keep luck for yourself and the family hang a
horseshoe with its tips up. If you want
your luck to be shared with those who enter your house, hang it the opposite
way.
124. If your nose itches, someone is thinking about you.
126. Never take home flowers from the cemetery, otherwise
someone is going to die.
127. Eating sour fruits during menstruation will cause
menstruation to stop.
128. Girls on their very first day of menstruation are asked
to jump down from the third step of the stairs in order to limit their monthly
period to three days only.
129. The stained underwear of a girl on her very first day
of menstruation is asked to wipe her face with it so that she will have a
beautiful, fair and acne-free face.
130. Peanuts eaten raw will make one intelligent.
131. A cogon grass tied around the one’s head or waistline
is a protection against lightning, especially in the open field.
132. If the money spent on wedding was borrowed, the couple
will always be in debt.
133. A pregnant woman should not scratch her tummy,
otherwise she will develop stretch marks.
134. Bite the tip of your new shoes to avoid developing blister
(paltos or kapuyo Ilk).
135. A conceiving mother who enjoys looking at the corn hair
will give birth to a brown-haired baby.
136. Calachuche or
frangipani growing in the front of a house brings bad luck.
137. Pomelo (Citrus
maxima) growing in front of, or bear a house, brings bad luck.
138. Katuray (Sesbania
grandiflora) planted in front of a house might bring about a broken home or
the disruption of good family relationships.
139. A woman should not be the first to gather sweet potato
(kamote), otherwise the roots will crack.
140. Bury a big coconut shell along with the first potato
yam seedling in order that the plant with produce big roots.
141. One must not spit in the fields while planting because
it brings bad luck.
142. Offering native cakes under the tree will please the
spirits (anitos).
143. Eating malunggay
(Moringa oleracea) when somebody dies will cause another death to follow.
144. Certain seasons during which children become suddenly
fond of playing games like sungka, marbles,
jackstone. And the like, are expected to bring good harvest.
145. Playing sungka is bad because of the nature of the game
to “kill” your opponent.
146. Do not plant on Tuesdays and Fridays because they are
unlucky days.
147. Bury some pieces of beeswax along with squash seeds
when planting so that the fruits produced will be glutinous (malagkit).
148. A person who eats any ripe fruit that is partly eaten
by a mouse will develop twinkling eyes.
149. Do not eat leafy vegetables on New Year’s Day else you
will be sickly the whole year.
150. Don’t cook leafy vegetables at the time of planting
otherwise the plants will wither.
151. Don’t harm the señora,
the matron rat; otherwise it will destroy more things in the house. In India
rats are believed to be the re-incarnation of dead ancestors. Sometimes rats are called kabas, meaning little children, so that
they are often treated with favor.
151. Papaya with fruits borne on elongated stem (peduncle)
is said to be bisexual (bakla). The male papaya bears only staminate flowers,
never any fruit; while the female produces the typical fruits we are familiar
with.
152. Avoid mending clothes at night; it might cause
blindness.
153. Avoid taking home food in a wake; otherwise a close
relative is going to die.
154. Cat purring means it is comfortable in your company and
care.
155. During funeral never look back, otherwise somebody is
going to die.
156. Walking under a ladder brings bad luck.
157. If ants transfer to another place, the rainy season is
near.
158. You will increase in height if you jump at exactly 12
o’clock noon.
159. Never buy needle at night, it will rust, so with the
rest of the needles.
160. If you keep a cactus, you will remain single forever.
161. If a butterfly lands on you it means you are visited by
the soul of a close relative.
162. Loves me, loves
me not, is a favorite wish game, plucking petals of a flower one by one
until you reach the last.
163. If a bee enters your house, it’s a sign that you will
soon have a visitor. If you kill the bee
you will have bad luck or the visitor is unpleasing one.
164. A swarm of bees settling on the roof is an omen the
house will burn down.
165. A bird that enters the house is a sign of death.
166. If you blow all the candles out with a single puff, you
will get your birthday wish.
167. The elevator does not open on the 13th
floor.
168. It’s bad to expose a pregnant woman’s belly to photo
flash – she will give birth to a baby with physical defect.
169. It’s bad luck to cut nails on Fridays and Saturdays.
170. Our shadow is our soul.
A person who thinks he does not have any shadow will be mistaken to be a
devil.
171. When a pencil suspended with string is placed over the
wrist of a pregnant woman, and swings along the length of the arm, the baby in
the womb is a likely a boy. If it swings
across the arm the baby is a girl.
172. Banana with freckles and discolorations means it is
sweet.
173. Water the plants with hugas bigas (rice washing), and they will grow fast and healthy.
174. Don’t take a bath during the wake of an immediate
family member.
175. Put salt on the lower corners of the door jamb before
going out of the house.
176. Egg shells induce flowering of orchids.
177. Place charcoal inside a refrigerator to remove bad
odor. Vinegar does the trick, too.
178. Wipe kitchen and dining tables with mild solution of
natural vinegar to repel ants and other vermin.
179. If the first butterfly you see on New Year is white,
you will have good luck throughout the year.
180. If a lighted candled during a ceremony dies out, it
means evil spirits are around.
181. If a black cat walks towards you, you will have good
fortune; if it walks away from you, it takes away good luck.
182. Keep cats away from babies because they will suck out
their breaths.
183. If a clock that has not been working suddenly chimes,
it means there will be death in the family.
184. It is bad luck to pick up a coin with the tail side up;
good luck when its head up.
185. Cows lifting their tails mean it’s going to rain.
186. A cricket in the house brings good luck.
187. If an eyelash falls out, put it on the back of you
hand, make a wish and throw it over your shoulder. If it flies off the hand,
the wish will be granted.
188. Fingernails cuttings should be saved, burned or buried.
189. If the bottom of your right foot itches, you are going
to take a trip.
190. Pulling out a gray or while hair will cause ten more to
grow in its place.
191. If the palm of your right hand itches, it means you
will soon be getting money. If the palm
of your left hand itches, it means you will soon be paying out money.
192. A mirror should be covered during a thunderstorm
because it attracts lightning.
193. An onion cut in half and placed under the bed of a sick
person will draw off fever and poison.
194. Wishes on shooting stars come true.
195. Tail of house lizards is cure for asthma.
196. Ones saliva can relieve itchiness caused by mosquito
bite.
197. Poultice of gumamela flowers hastens “ripening” of boil
(pigsa).
198. Turtles as pet bring bad luck.
199. Snakes have good memory, never spare their lives
because they can take revenge.
200. Refrain from talking while planting so the chicken will
not destroy your plants.
201. When cockroaches are flying about, there’s plenty of
fish to catch.
202. Don’t sleep with your head pointed to the north. Blood is drawn to your head due to magnetism,
similar to a compass needle.
203. Whenever you give birth, plant a tree because a tree
grows fast and means good health - so with your baby.
204. There are times you have to turn back because you have
forgotten something. Before you start
again alight from your vehicle, or take a few steps, to break the bad omen.
205. To get good grades place your review notes or book
under your pillow and sleep on it.