Superstitious Beliefs In The Philippines

sandy72300
May 15, 2017
2 min read

Note: Originally posted at Wikinut on March 2012

Filipinos are predominantly Roman Catholics. Being the one and only country in the world where divorce has not yet been legalized, one might think that the Philippines is a very conservative nation. Well, contrary to other people's beliefs, our country has a very diverse culture, having been colonized by Spanish for 333 years, Americans by 52 years and Japanese by 3 years.

One Aspect of Philippine Culture

But despite all the influences of our aggressors, some parts of our traditions intrinsic in our country remain. And one of these is the so called "Pamahiin" or "Superstitious Beliefs". I have listed down 10 of the tons of beliefs that old folks continue to impart to the young generation. These were the ones our own parents instill in our minds when we were growing up. 1. Sweeping of the floor at night This is said to be bringing bad luck especially when you sweep the dirt straight off the door without using a dustpan. 2. Giving out handkerchief or pair of shoes as a gift. It is said that hanky as a gift would make the recipient cry whereas a pair of shoes would bring bad luck. To avoid this bad omen, the recipient should pay the giver any small amount to appear as if the recipient bought the items. 3. A baby should not kiss another baby or doll in the lips. It is said that a baby who does this would have difficulty learning to speak. 4. Money should never come out of the window It is as if you are throwing away a blessing. 5. Putting money on top of the dining table It means disrespecting a grace from God which is the food, so this is said to result in good luck going away. 6. Pulling strands of hair at night (as if removing lice) It means pulling your luck off or inviting bad luck. 7. Brides should never fit her wedding gown before her actual wedding day It is said if a bride does fit her wedding gown before her wedding day, the wedding would not push through for some reason. 8. Jumping on New Year's Eve Old folks say that if you do this, you’ll get taller or grow faster. 9. Siblings should not wed within the same year They say that if siblings do, it would either be a bad omen or they would have extremely opposite fate. 10. Papaya tree should not be touching any part of the house If you grow a papaya tree in your backyard, make sure that it is far enough from your house that it could not touch any part of your house especially the roof as this would bring chaos between the married couple living there. Most people who are non-believers may find these funny or worse, ridiculous as there seem to be no scientific research and findings that can prove the rationale behind these odd beliefs. But what I do know is that, this part of our culture will remain and will still be passed on and embraced by generations to come, for whatever they are worth.