Superstitions

Iris started a great post on Asian superstitions over at You Offend Me You Offend My Family. I added to the comments and thought I'd cross post here. Should hop over to the post and check out some of my fellow brainwashed bloggers' memories.

Just a few things I thought of here:

1) Sharing a pear with someone means you'll stop being friends or family. Splitting a pear "fun lay" sounds like separation in Cantonese.

2) White clothes is clothing for mourning. My grandpa wore white tennis shoes to my brother's wedding (I think on purpose to piss my mom off) my parents nearly fainted. That was 12 yrs ago and they're still mad.

This is so ingrained in my mind, I had to fight the compulsion to hide under the table while wearing the white wedding gown during my own wedding.

3) Never get an used mirror, spirits travel with mirrors.

4) Open umbrellas are spirit mediums. Never leave one open indoors.

5) Don't touch or eat any ceremonial offering food before the ceremony is over. Don't diss the spirits.

6) OMG, I totally snatch the red crayon away if I catch my kids signing their names with it!

7) Pretend you don't notice a pregnancy, even if the mama is big as a whale. Talking about an unborn baby jinx the baby's survival rate. No acknowledgment until after the Full Month Ceremony.

8) Preggies also should not visit cemeteries as lost spirits may hitch a permanent ride with the new baby.

9) Don't try to call hiking "h-un san" walk mountain/ mountain walking. Walking a mountain is taking the journey to visit your ancestor's graves.

10) Always take a couple of kids to check out a house before you commit to buying it. If the kids seem uncomfortable there, there are probably lingering evil spirits.