We live in a world where technology has provided us with so many advancements. In this modern world, you'd think ideas like superstitions would be a thing of the past. As strange as it may seem, the concept of superstitions is still alive and well today. People still avoid black cats for being bearers of bad luck. We try to avoid breaking mirrors because of the seven years of bad luck that it brings. We avoid walking under ladders, we knock on wood, and we have our fair share of lucky items. Have any of you ever wondered why we still hold onto these beliefs? Join me in this post as I go through some thoughts on superstitions and why people still follow them today!
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| Photo by: David Bartus |
In general, superstitions are about doing things to ensure good luck. There are so many superstitions all around the world, that it can be difficult to keep up. I'm sure anyone reading this is familiar with the concept of superstitions. At some point, I'm sure we all have practiced something about these superstitions.
An episode of the Fandesals Podcast discussed superstitions and how they came to be. The show discussed how some superstitions seemed to have some reasoning behind them. If you want to learn about this and can understand Tagalog, I have included the episode at the end of this post.
Why do we believe in superstitions?
Superstitions have been a part of human existence/culture for a long time. Here are some of the reasons why they have endured through the years (or centuries):
Tradition
There are so many superstitions that have been around for years, decades, or centuries. They have become a tradition passed on from generation to generation. People may not believe in them, but they tend to follow them out of respect. After all, it has become part of the culture and part of their lives.
One example for me with this is how people tend to associate noodles with long life. I don't know if this is a Filipino or Asian thing, be a lot of people are familiar with this. Many believe there should at least be one noodle dish when celebrating a birthday. They say that this is to give this person a long life. I may not always believe in the idea, but since we have done it all my life, this is a must for every birthday.
Social Influence
Some superstitions are sometimes more followed than others depending on where you are. It depends on what community or group of people you surround yourself in. From personal experience, there are superstitions I have never heard of that I had to follow to go with the flow. It's not that I believed in them, but more because I wanted to respect their beliefs. If it wasn't going to do anyone else harm, I did not see a reason to go with it. If it is something that gives people peace of mind to believe in or to follow, if it makes them happy, then so be it. I am not going to judge them for it.
One example of that for me is when people asked me to cut the hair of their babies. At my old job, some people thought I had certain traits that they wanted their child to have. They believed that by getting me to be the first person to cut that child's hair I would pass on those traits to them.
It’s not a whole haircut, but cutting a strand of hair. The parents then keep that strand of hair as their child grows up. I’m flattered that people asked me to do this several times, I find it amusing. I may not believe it, but I am not against it. I don’t see anything wrong with giving in to their request to do this.
Psychology
No matter how irrational some superstitions can be, they can provide a sense of control in our lives. It gives us the idea that we have power over uncontrollable situations by following them. It gives us the emotional reassurance that can relieve our anxiety over some of the things that worry us.
One example is when we knock on wood for good luck and it gives us a bit of relief as we go about our day. It gives us some sense of assurance that the rest of the day will be fine.
A lot of times psychology has a lot to do with why some superstitions are still followed. We will continue to follow them when we have good experiences related to them. If what we remember from following superstitions are the good things that came out of it, we tend to keep doing it. It doesn't matter if the luck that came out of following a superstition is coincidental. If a good thing came out of it, it's only natural that we'd try it again.
Plus, people always point out the power of the mind. Belief in something can make us focus on things to the point that we let it happen. Do you believe something will bring you bad luck? Your focus would then be on things that will take you there. The same goes for good luck.
Ignorance
As discussed in the Fandesals Podcast, some superstitions have logical explanations. They are not always about luck but more about science and common sense. Some may not be aware of this so they continue to believe in the magic of the concept.
For example: when they say it's bad luck to walk under a ladder, superstition says it's bad luck. Logic and science will say there is a greater possibility of you getting into an accident by doing that. Why go under when you can avoid it altogether right?
Another example is the Filipino concept of “sukob.” This is the belief that siblings cannot marry in the same year. Logic would dictate this may have started for families to avoid spending a lot of money on weddings. Having two children marry in the same year would cost too much. When you think about it, some superstitions may be the right excuse to get people to do (or not to do) things. People would tend to do the opposite otherwise.
Here's another one: the belief that you should not sweep the floor at night. People believe you will be sweeping the good luck away. There is some logic to this. My theory is someone came up with it one day when they were too lazy to clean at night. That person could have been too tired to do so and made the excuse that it was bad luck. I’m not saying that this is what happened, but it is possible, right?
Fear
People have a fear of negative consequences. If there is something that we can do to avoid them, we do it. Especially if it does not harm anyone. As they say, it's better to be safe than sorry.
Entertainment
So many movies and TV shows revolve around superstitions. A lot of sports feature athletes following certain superstitions to win a game. Some do it for tradition, some do it for fun. But the core of this is that when it gets exposed to many people through entertainment, it helps pass it on. These superstitions get to live on and often take on new life because of entertainment.
Superstitions have become so embedded in our lives. They have become part of culture and tradition. People may not always believe in them, but they will follow because it has become a normal part of life.
I'd like to think that superstitions have no place in this modern age. But I have to admit that there are some things that I have followed out of habit. Either that or because they have been a part of my life since I was young.
I grew up being aware of feng shui when it comes to how to decorate and style your home, so I follow those rules. It’s more of an automatic thing. It's not about being conscious about wanting to follow it. It's more that some of these beliefs have a logic behind them. Plus, like I said earlier, if there's no harm in doing things, why stop doing it? My example of this: arranging fruits during the New Year celebration.
I can’t call myself superstitious, but I suppose given what I have shared here, I am superstitious-ish. I follow some superstitions but not always for reasons that most people have. That is why it is not a big deal if there are times when I don’t follow them.
This Fandesals episode made me realize that Pinoys have an interesting culture. There are foreign superstitions that we are familiar with. Those are more about gaining good luck and avoiding the bad in general. But for Filipino culture, these superstitions are often a means to a certain end.
It's like jumping during the start of the new year to become taller. Or the“puwera-usog” with babies where you want to avoid making them sick. Things may not always happen, but it is interesting how specific these beliefs are. Has anyone ever researched these Filipino superstitions and their origins? There might be more to learn from this!
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