Filipinos like to believe that everything in this world has a spiritual or supernatural bearing.
This has led them to believe and observe practices that may sometimes seem absurd and illogical, just like superstitions.
Sociologist Clifford Sorita told The Filipino Times Online that many Filipinos tend to believe these beliefs mainly because of three reasons.
First, every superstition is founded on human experiences and the core of these beliefs is something that can be explained; second, is that people have a certain fascination with distorted truth; and third, because it is something that has been instilled in the Filipino culture.
Here are the top 12 weird superstitions that some Filipinos still believe in.
1- Baliktarin ang damit kapag ikaw ay nawawala
When you are lost, Waze or Google Maps would be much more reliable than clothes turned inside out, said Sorita.
2- Huwag magwalis tuwing gabi dahil mamalasin
They said that you will also “sweep away” good luck if you do this at nighttime. If so, then maybe just use a vacuum cleaner to get rid of those unwanted dirt.
3- Kapag nahulog ang kutsara, may dadating na babae; kapag nahulog ang tinidor, may dadating na lalaki
A tableware cannot determine who is going to visit you or not. You can drop every single spoon or fork that you have in your house, but if there are no happenings that are worth paying you a visit, nothing will happen.
4- Tatanda mag-isa ang taong nililigpitan ng hapag-kainan nang hindi pa tapos kumain
Not all slow eaters are single, likewise, not all fast eaters are in a relationship.
5- Kapag natinik, ‘wag sabihin sa iba at ikutin ang plato nang tatlong beses
You do not need to do anything else. Don’t drink water or whatsoever, just spin your plate and the fishbone will disappear like magic. This is not true. It would be better to take a bite from a banana and swallow it without chewing.
6- Bawal magpapicture ng tatlong tao, mamamatay ang nasa gitna
In the advent of social media, can you still remember how many times you have taken a photo with your other two friends and you stood at the middle? If you’re always in the middle, and still alive, that speaks for itself.
7- Ang nunal ay may iba’t ibang ibig sabihin
If you have a mole on your hand, that means you don’t know how to save money; a mole on your feet means that you are a wanderer; a mole on your forehead implies that you are smart; a mole on the face means good luck; and so on and so forth.
8- Kapag natulog ka nang basa ang buhok, ikaw ay mababaliw
Sleeping with wet hair is not that life-threatening, the least you can get from sleeping with drenched hair, as per experts, is dandruff or fungus buildup on your pillow
9- Kailangan mong tumalon sa Bagong Taon para tumangkad
Genetics and proper nutrition are the two main factors of one’s height, not the “magic” New Years can bring.
10- Mag-pagpag muna kapag galing sa lamay
They said that you should not head directly back home after visiting a wake because the soul of the dead person will follow you. Elders said that you need to “confuse” the soul first by going to other places first before finally heading home.
11- May nakaalala sa ‘yo kapag nakagat mo ang iyong dila
Most people would even ask for a number between 1 and 26. Did you know that, according to a chiropractor, the most logical reasoning why we bite our tongues would be that there is a spinal misalignment, causing the jaw to shift from its original positioning.
12- Malas ang taong may balat sa pwet
First of all, how did you even know that someone has a birthmark down there, anyway?
13- What’s the harm in believing in it?
In our modern times, it may seem absurd to still believe in this things. Sorita said that many still have the “wala namang mawawala” mindset; and knowing that these beliefs are tailored according to real experiences in the past, many still follow them.
However, Sorita also said that these beliefs should not get in the way of how we live our lives, because if we do, nothing will happen. But it would be better to have a clearer understanding of it because these beliefs are reflections of our culture and society.
