This time Sunday Scribblings prompt is superstitions.
This is something I do not relate at all. I do not believe in superstitions. But I would like to say something about it though. What I have observed through the years.
In my part of the world, new ventures are rarely undertaken on Saturdays. It is said that Saturn has a bad effect on anything undertaken on Saturdays. Metallic especially stuff made up of Iron are rarely bought. Sometime back even travelling long distances was kind of taboo too.
If a black cat crosses ones path, that person is supposed to turn back and wait a while before venturing out again.Or else some thing bad is bound to happen.
Nothing new is to be worn on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Then there are colour codes too. White on Sundays and Mondays, red on Tuesdays, green on Wednesdays, yellow on Thursdays, blue on Fridays and black on Saturdays. What about all those other colours, hues, shades? I have seen many blindly following those without rhyme or reason. If one wears those designated colours on appropriate days than the ill effects of the planets are nullified as each day of the week is supposed to be ruled by one planet or the other. How can planets rule us from so far away?
Then there are some who believe in not cutting their nails on Mondays and Thursdays. A few do not wash their hair on Thursdays. They do not even do any laundry that day.
To top it all, horoscopes are matched for those who are getting married. As if that would ensure a long fruitful union. I have seen marriages breaking down even after the horoscopes were said to be very well-matched.
Superstitions tend to rule us if we let them to. I do not believe in any of the above. I do not give in to those. I only do what I think is right on any given day.
I do believe in premonitions, ESPs, omens and signs though.
Do check out other superstitions.
33 comments:
I enjoyed that, it's fascinating to learn about different countries and cultures different superstitions.
I think most cultures have superstitions and some families pass them down. I still find them interesting like the colors of clothes :)
Very interesting post. My ancestors had many superstitutions, but they seem to fade away a few at a time with each passing generation.
Wow, I could never keep all the colors and days straight! Really fascinating, Gautami!
Most of the superstitions you mentioned are totally unfamilar to me.
This is so interesting! I get such a sense of how restrictive superstitions can be if one truly feels ruled by them.
The color coding and washing rituals are fascinating. Do people use calendars to keep everything straight?
i will never let superstitions stop me from doing what has to be done... knock on wood. ;-)
i'm not superstitious but i use my intuition quite freely. sometimes i think the line is thin, as long as they're both my own.
:)
interesting superstitions... black cat is supposed to mean bad luck in my neck of the woods, too. so is walking under a ladder, friday the 13th and suchlike...
a black cat ran across the street in front of my car at the last drive before my driving test.
guess what? i passed in my first attempt :)
Fascinating post. I love reading about superstitions, so I've heard a lot of these, but it's funny how around the world superstitions can sort of negate each other, like in one culture it might be bad luck to cut your hair on a friday, and another culture it might be a thursday. Who knows? The human imagination is a fiery thing! Thanks for a great post. And as for the colors and the days of the week, geez, it's hard enough picking an outfit without color restrictions!
I do believe your right.
While I think many superstitions came to light from some sort of truth, I agree--it's always best to listen to inner guidance than to look outside for direction and approval!
well written!
While I don't believe in the power of supersition, I do find it fascinating to hear about them, especially those from other cultures. Thanks for sharing these :)
Gautami,
I agree that superstitions are interesting to reflect on as long as we don't let them rule are lives.
rel
i would never go to work if i saw a black cat
(so i bought one) :)
cheers
Ok, I am glad you cleared all that up for me. I thought it was inauspicious to travel on a Tuesday, didn't realize the honor (lol) belonged to Saturday! Well, too bad for those weekend travellers, including myself! And I've turned back for a black cat thing numerous times...certain superstitions are almost ingrained in us, right?
I loved this being my first visit. Cool Hi?
I am very familiar with some of the superstitions you've written with some having a few differences (bad to cut nails on Fridays where I come from).
I don't believe in them myself but am surprised at how many people still subscribe to them today.
:)
people and cats.
I like our cats, and would be very suprised to see someone turn and walk away from them...
interesting post :)
cool.
I was wondering what superstitions your culture came up with. So black cats are bad in many countries? I wonder what the earliest source of that one was?
Nice post.
I tend not to be too superstitious--let me knock on wood!
Interesting post.
Thank you so much for stopping by at Tender Thistles! I am coming into contact with many people from a variety of cultures and I am enjoying it so much. Look forward to reading more here.
I too believe as you do. But I will go around a ladder rather than under it for no real reason other than habit by being told not to walk under it. I dont think I will have bad luck for 7 years if I break a mirror but I do find myself being a little extra careful. I find this a little strange(maybe I am). I love that everyones different though.
Thanks for your support also.
Thanks friends. It was good to read about all those superstitions around the world. Few are unbelievable. .
The superstitions you've talked about are very different from those I have grown up with. I, like many who have commented, find the different colors for different days most interesting! What do the locals think of travelers who dress in all the wrong colors?? Do enough people follow the "proper color each day" tradition that if you were a traveler you would feel very obvious and conspicuous if you were dressed in the wrong color as you did your sightseeing??
Quite intersetin to learn of the superstitions where you live. IT sounds like you do not follow them since you don't believe in them, or do you follow them out of respect or some other reason, but do not believe?
I am also not superstitious although my own culture has some very deep-seated ones that do not make sense to me. I find it interesting that we share believing in ESP. Far different than superstititions, many of which arouse out of ignorance or fear or the cultural circumstances of the time.
geL
Excellent one, Gautami. Astrology, done right, has been a source of intuitive wisdom for me.
Loved Floots' comment.
Thanks for sharing the superstitions of your culture. I don't think I could keep track of all that. It was a very interesting read.
As the week has past and I have reflected on my superstitions and read about others I am amazed how all encompassing they are. For many, superstitions seem to be a way of life, or at least a guiding force that sets boundaries.
Thank you for sharing!
I got to know about superstitions all over the world via this prompt. I enjoyed reading about all those.
Most of what is force of habit, quirks or idiosyncracies. We just find those comforting, feel secured and follow those blindly.
Thanks friends for you inputs.
Do you suppose that premonitions are the last vestiges of the so-called '6th sense' that our ancestors had when we still lived in the wild?
Although we were hunter gatherers we were also prey items.
There were plenty of other animals that found us easy to catch, kill and eat..including other hominids.
Our oversized brain probably still operates on the fight/flight program and living in amongst thousands of faceless others it must simply become overloaded and needs to process this information anyway that it can...leading some to believe that a supernatural element is operating just benmeath the surface of our physical world.
I should have read this one before writing about black cats on my blog!:)Unlike you, I am surpised that the planets, gigantic as they are, should not have an effect on us?:)
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