Hi guys, today I shall talk about some superstitions and give my viewpoints about these superstitions.
Firstly, I shall list out the superstitions.
Seeing a black cat is equal to having bad luck.
Walking under a ladder gives you bad luck
Wearing black clothes during Chinese new year will give you bad luck for the whole year.
During the first day of Chinese New year we cannot sweep the floor as we will sweep away the good luck.
Friday the thirteen is a day of bad luck.
Next, I shall talk about how I feel of each superstition.
Seeing a black cat is equal to having bad luck.
I feel that this is not true. I have come across many black cats before, and they even crossed my path, but after that, nothing actually happened to me. There was no such “bad luck” thing that happened to me.
Walking under a ladder gives you bad luck.
I am not very sure about this, due to the fact that I am actually quite tall, and I do not see ladders quite often, I have never walked under a ladder before.
Wearing black clothes during Chinese New Year will give you bad luck for the whole year.
For the past few years, I have not really challenged this superstition. Firstly, my parents sort of believe in this and they never approve me of wearing black clothes during Chinese New Year. Secondly, my grandparents do not really like me wearing black clothes, and they will nag at me, thus I have decided not to wear black clothes.The closest which I have worn to black is actually purple, and no “bad luck” events actually happened to me.
During the first day of Chinese New Year, we cannot sweep the floor as we will sweep away the good luck.
My whole family actually believes in this, and thus we have never ever swept the floor during the first day of Chinese New Year. Since all of us believe in it, and also the fact that not sweeping the floor for a day is no big deal, we actually do not sweep the floor for one day and only sweep the floor the next day.
Friday the thirteen is a day of bad luck.
I actually do not believe in this. I have made it through many Friday the thirteen, and nothing exceptionally bad happens on the day other than the fact that we may be punished more during trainings, cause of our own mistakes. Other than some chatting around with friends about how “bad” this day could get, nothing bad actually happens.
All in all, I believe that the validity of superstitions is actually in one person’s minds. If one only believes in science, and its explanation, they will not believe in superstitions. However, I still believe in certain superstitions, such as the one about not sweeping the floor during the first day of Chinese New Year. I find that each culture actually has their own set of superstitions, and they are all quite interesting. However, their validity is actually up to the person who reads up on them.
Done By: Gordon Koh 2i115
Hi Gordon,
ReplyDeleteI like how you list out the superstitions but you may want to talk more about where the superstitions derive from. You did not mention where it comes from and what will happen if you actually meet into you. You should give more elaborations. However, your ending was quite nice on how science is not perfect,etc.
P.S. Happy Birthday
Certain superstitions, such as the wearing of black clothes during Chinese New Year I do not challenge either. Over the years, this ancient Chinese tradition has transformed into a way of life; every once a year we wear red clothes(usually) to visit relatives. As for seeing black cats, I am more worried about their green eyes than the bad luck they bring. Also, you might want to note that some other cultures actually claim that seeing a black cat is a sign of good luck.
ReplyDeleteWen Hong (16)
Hi Gordon,
ReplyDeleteFor me, I believe that superstition is something that man can rely on comfort. By saying that 'if you walk past a black cat you'll get bad luck,' you are actually believing that no bad luck would fall on you for that day if you do not walk past that black cat. I feel that it is more for personal comfort. Even for me, I judge myself as a very logical and scientific person. Every time I see some article on the newspaper about some food that MIGHT lead to certain illnesses or whatnot, I would not believe it unless there is scientific evidence given. However, everytime I see a black cat, I would still wait for the black cat to go away instead of walking past it. For one, I show respect towards the cat. For another, I do believe in that superstition sometimes, especially in the night. It was quite scary seeing a black cat at night, with it camouflaged and only it's laser-like eyes glaring at you.
Shiyao
HI Gordon,
ReplyDeleteI feel that superstitions are not actually just proven correct or wrong by basing them solely on personal experiences. Many of these superstitions are generated from religious cultures and traditions. For example, the Friday the thirteenth superstition came from, if I am not wrong, Christianity, and the Chinese New Year superstitions originated from the many different Chinese traditions.
Also, these superstitions change as you go around to other parts of the world. For example, if people say that this thing gives you bad luck, but when you go to other places, they say it gives you good luck.
Hence I think that the superstitions, and whether they are right or wrong, depend on the different religions and traditions.
Goh Xian Fong 2I1