National Defy Superstitions Day: Some Local Pantang-larang You Need to Know | BY NUR SAFFEA ERNADYA
Credits to Ally @ssoonshim
It was just a few days ago that I was rudely interrupted by my grandmother’s piercing voice from the living room reprimanding me to hush as I was casually humming to some random tunes whilst slicing fish fillets in the kitchen. Growing up, I have gotten used to listening to my grandmother’s lack of euphemism and her constant pantang-larang (taboos). Heck, I remembered being told not to sit on top of a pillow or else I ought to get boils. I beg to differ; countless attempts have been made by me to prove this theory and yet, to no avail. I still refuse to succumb to these cultural beliefs. Not until the veracity of each theory has been proven or justified.
Retrospectively speaking, I cannot for the life of me help but to giggle as I rummage through my brain thinking of the innumerable and prodigious superstitions I have heard throughout my entire life but one thing for sure, I am convinced that these myths or superstitions which were passed down through generations are still very much practically ingrained in our society until today.
Photo by Faiz Luqman
Just like my grandmother, it seems imminent that my mom is taking over the baton and might have picked up a few superstitions growing up. For example, she would always tell my little brother to be home before maghrib (a prayer after sunset performed by Muslims) or get ready to be snatched or kidnapped by the hantu tetek (breast ghost). Also, when I recently grumbled to my mom about the particularly painful purple blood-filled bruises on my left leg, she endeavoured to justify my habit of taking an afternoon siesta as the deeply rooted problem and that the bruises, which apparently she referred to as “hantu gigit” (ghost bites) could be the side effect.
There are two ways to define superstition. According to Merriam-Webster, superstition can be defined as a belief or practice resulting from ignorance, fear of the unknown, trust in magic or chance or a false conception of causation. Secondly, it is an irrational abject attitude of mind towards the supernatural, nature or God resulting from superstition. For most of us, I dare to say it is pretty much a norm to grow up hearing superstitious stories from our parents or even the society. In conjunction with National Defy Superstition Day on September 13, we will anatomize 4 local common superstitions that are commonly practiced as well as the logic behind each of these grandmother’s tales.
There are two ways to define superstition. According to Merriam-Webster, superstition can be defined as a belief or practice resulting from ignorance, fear of the unknown, trust in magic or chance or a false conception of causation. Secondly, it is an irrational abject attitude of mind towards the supernatural, nature or God resulting from superstition. For most of us, I dare to say it is pretty much a norm to grow up hearing superstitious stories from our parents or even the society. In conjunction with National Defy Superstition Day on September 13, we will anatomize 4 local common superstitions that are commonly practiced as well as the logic behind each of these grandmother’s tales.
Photo by Faiz Luqman
1. Don’t step on books or you will be stupid for the rest of your life.
Logically speaking, any form of reading material is supposed to be well taken care of, as a form of respect. As a reader, we ought to treat it like it is our companion. So, the least we can do is to always treat books with kindness and not step on it. Thus, this cultural belief is often used as a deterrent.
2. Don’t cut your nails at night or your life span will be shortened. To whoever that came up with this belief shall deserve an accolade because I am so amazed at how one can decide to be god and is so entitled to dictate someone’s life simply over this issue. The reason why we hear this admonition often enunciated by our grandmothers is due to the insufficient amount of electricity available at homes back in the old days. Also, did you know that people back then used tools such as scissors or knives to cut nails? So you can imagine the extreme terror you would have had if you insisted on cutting your nails at night?
3. “It’s bad luck to open an umbrella indoors.” …. or you will lure snakes or evil spirits into your house…is a complete myth. Scientist and author, Charles Panati, said that the spring mechanism found in a metal-spoked waterproof umbrella has the tendency to cause injuries especially when opened indoors. Being a realistic person as I have always been, I concur with Panati’s justification as I have always failed to see how snakes or evil spirits correlate with an umbrella.
4. If you happen to have an eye stye, you are a bathroom predator. My image as a good child was marred solely because I used to get an eye stye quite often which in turn, definitely would have attracted quite a number of eyes. I can still remember remarks like “ni mesti mengintai orang mandi kan?” (I bet you peeked at someone whilst they are in the shower, right?) reverberating in my brain until now. But the truth is, this is just a common way to scare people, so they won’t gallivant around and literally peek at someone else during shower.
In conclusion, since today is National Defy Superstition Day, why not liberate yourself and break some rules to prove that such cultural beliefs impose no influence on your life? Go on and walk under the ladder! No one is going to stop you today, literally.
2. Don’t cut your nails at night or your life span will be shortened. To whoever that came up with this belief shall deserve an accolade because I am so amazed at how one can decide to be god and is so entitled to dictate someone’s life simply over this issue. The reason why we hear this admonition often enunciated by our grandmothers is due to the insufficient amount of electricity available at homes back in the old days. Also, did you know that people back then used tools such as scissors or knives to cut nails? So you can imagine the extreme terror you would have had if you insisted on cutting your nails at night?
Photo by Faiz Luqman
3. “It’s bad luck to open an umbrella indoors.” …. or you will lure snakes or evil spirits into your house…is a complete myth. Scientist and author, Charles Panati, said that the spring mechanism found in a metal-spoked waterproof umbrella has the tendency to cause injuries especially when opened indoors. Being a realistic person as I have always been, I concur with Panati’s justification as I have always failed to see how snakes or evil spirits correlate with an umbrella.
4. If you happen to have an eye stye, you are a bathroom predator. My image as a good child was marred solely because I used to get an eye stye quite often which in turn, definitely would have attracted quite a number of eyes. I can still remember remarks like “ni mesti mengintai orang mandi kan?” (I bet you peeked at someone whilst they are in the shower, right?) reverberating in my brain until now. But the truth is, this is just a common way to scare people, so they won’t gallivant around and literally peek at someone else during shower.
Photo by Faiz Luqman
In conclusion, since today is National Defy Superstition Day, why not liberate yourself and break some rules to prove that such cultural beliefs impose no influence on your life? Go on and walk under the ladder! No one is going to stop you today, literally.
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