So, recently my maternal uncle had a daughter.
Once, when I was visiting her, I just sat there rocking her empty cradle. And my father asked me not to do so. I asked him why? He replied "I have no problem, some people in this room may object." Turns out, rocking an empty cradle or a rocking chair is a bad omen, and people believe it invites demons to come and rest in the cradle or chair.
My aunt was basically locked up in her mother's house for forty days, because, apparently it's a bad omen to let them out of the house before that period. So, let's see, whatever evil forces were there, ready to pounce on her, just gave up the minute the clock struck midnight on the 40th day? Were they like "Oh, screw it!".
We've got stupid superstitions.
When my aunt was pregnant, my grandmother was worried that a lunar eclipse was approaching.
Supposedly, pregnant women should not be allowed to work during a lunar eclipse. Or else it will have a bad effect on the developing child, and may lead to deformities. So, the cells, nicely dividing and re-arranging themselves in the fetus are just going to be like "Wait! The Earth and the moon have aligned! And, the mom's working! Let's screw up the baby!"
Also, recently my paternal aunt (dad's sister) had a granddaughter. Now, when her daughter was rushed to the hospital, my grandmother rushed to the kitchen and took a weird twig that looked something like a tumbleweed. It's called "Maryam ka phool" here, in India. Literal translation: Mary's flower. She kept that thingy in a bowl of water, and upon soaking water, the rosette opened up into a woody flower, revealing seeds inside.
Now, doing this, somehow, according to my grandmother (paternal), will help the pregnant woman in easily delivering the baby. So, now the baby that is on it's way out, is going to be like "Oh! My great-grandmother placed a tumbleweed in water seven kilometers away. Great! Let's make this easy on my mom."
I later read about the tumbleweed, and found out it was from a plant called Anastatica hierochuntica. And one simply doesn't immerse the tumbleweed in water seven kilometers away, but rather the pregnant woman should drink the water in which the tumbleweed was immersed for some time.
It contains number of elements useful for pregnancy and labour, including calcium, magnesium, potassium, zinc. Calcium and magnesium, particularly, work together to coordinate and regulate smooth muscle contraction.
I don't know why my grandmother just kept it in water, and made it look like a stupid superstition.
Ignorance is better than half-baked knowledge, I think.
There are plenty of other stuff like black cats crossing your path is a bad omen, cutting fingernails after dark is wrong, spilling salt is a bad omen, not allowing widows to take part in wedding ceremonies because they're bad luck (Which is very offensive, btw. And it got me mad.), etc.
Now, who is to be held responsible for propagating such non-sense?
Our elders, of course!
We're not born superstitious, we're made superstitious through years and years of mindless indoctrination. The only way to break the cycle is to question "why?" every time you come across a stupid superstition.
Do not blindly accept anything just because your elders said so. Your elders are not infallible.
Question everything. Boldly.
After all, that's what makes us human!
So, do you have any annoying local superstitions? Leave your answer in the comments below, or see me on twitter. :)
Once, when I was visiting her, I just sat there rocking her empty cradle. And my father asked me not to do so. I asked him why? He replied "I have no problem, some people in this room may object." Turns out, rocking an empty cradle or a rocking chair is a bad omen, and people believe it invites demons to come and rest in the cradle or chair.
My aunt was basically locked up in her mother's house for forty days, because, apparently it's a bad omen to let them out of the house before that period. So, let's see, whatever evil forces were there, ready to pounce on her, just gave up the minute the clock struck midnight on the 40th day? Were they like "Oh, screw it!".
We've got stupid superstitions.
When my aunt was pregnant, my grandmother was worried that a lunar eclipse was approaching.
Supposedly, pregnant women should not be allowed to work during a lunar eclipse. Or else it will have a bad effect on the developing child, and may lead to deformities. So, the cells, nicely dividing and re-arranging themselves in the fetus are just going to be like "Wait! The Earth and the moon have aligned! And, the mom's working! Let's screw up the baby!"
Also, recently my paternal aunt (dad's sister) had a granddaughter. Now, when her daughter was rushed to the hospital, my grandmother rushed to the kitchen and took a weird twig that looked something like a tumbleweed. It's called "Maryam ka phool" here, in India. Literal translation: Mary's flower. She kept that thingy in a bowl of water, and upon soaking water, the rosette opened up into a woody flower, revealing seeds inside.
Now, doing this, somehow, according to my grandmother (paternal), will help the pregnant woman in easily delivering the baby. So, now the baby that is on it's way out, is going to be like "Oh! My great-grandmother placed a tumbleweed in water seven kilometers away. Great! Let's make this easy on my mom."
I later read about the tumbleweed, and found out it was from a plant called Anastatica hierochuntica. And one simply doesn't immerse the tumbleweed in water seven kilometers away, but rather the pregnant woman should drink the water in which the tumbleweed was immersed for some time.
It contains number of elements useful for pregnancy and labour, including calcium, magnesium, potassium, zinc. Calcium and magnesium, particularly, work together to coordinate and regulate smooth muscle contraction.
I don't know why my grandmother just kept it in water, and made it look like a stupid superstition.
Ignorance is better than half-baked knowledge, I think.
There are plenty of other stuff like black cats crossing your path is a bad omen, cutting fingernails after dark is wrong, spilling salt is a bad omen, not allowing widows to take part in wedding ceremonies because they're bad luck (Which is very offensive, btw. And it got me mad.), etc.
Now, who is to be held responsible for propagating such non-sense?
Our elders, of course!
We're not born superstitious, we're made superstitious through years and years of mindless indoctrination. The only way to break the cycle is to question "why?" every time you come across a stupid superstition.
 |
| Dr. Tyson puts it nicely, here. |
Do not blindly accept anything just because your elders said so. Your elders are not infallible.
Question everything. Boldly.
After all, that's what makes us human!
So, do you have any annoying local superstitions? Leave your answer in the comments below, or see me on twitter. :)
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