Superstitions in China?

Question

Please list some different superstitions in China and be a little specific and serious only write true stuff. A good start would be how Chinese are with luck. Thank You.

Answer 1

http://www.ntu.edu.sg/home2003/ekna0001/cs227/project2/chineseindex.html

http://www.chinatownconnection.com/chinese-superstitions.htm

Answer 2

I have a few more traditional ones that you don't see them too often nowadays in China.

1. At traditional Chinese wedding, the married couple will jump over a bowl containing fire(usually from coal) to simbolize their life together will be well and always getting better.

2. In some north regions, one should not have a hair cut in Chinese calendar month January, because it may cause the death of the person's uncle from the mother's side.

3. If someone is worried about ghost or other evil spirits might invade ones home, he/she can put mirrors outside the house on top of the doors and windows to keep bad spirit out.

4. Each year, to remember the passed ones, Chinese will burn fake money, furnitures, and other fake items simbolizing that they are sending them to the other world to the dead.

5. Another one with the mirror. Breaking a mirror is really bad luck.

6. A few more on the marriage matter. It's no good to have a woman marrying a man a year younger than her or 6 years old than her. But it is extremely good to marry someone who's 3 years younger than her.

7. Do not bring children's clothing as gift to expecting parents if the woman is less than 3 months pregnant.

8. If you have a young kid, (I am not too sure about the age limit), don't have a pregnant woman holding the kid. It will bring illness to the kid.

9. For an adult man, he should celebrate big time on his factor 10 birthdays, i.e. 20, 30, 40, etc... It will bring luck and wealth the next 10 years.

That's all I can think of for now... If I think more, I will come back and add more... Oh yeah, this is a funky one...

If a boy is always sick growing up and the family is worried that he will not live to his adulthood, then the family will make arrangement to appoint a potential wife for the boy and have the girl(must be older than the boy) move into the family. This way, the boy will grow up strong and healthy. Of course, when both are adults, they will have to be married. This doesn't happen anymore in today's China.

Answer 3

I'm of chinese decsent and I couldn't begin to tell you how many superstitions exist in Chinese culture, but I'll list a few anyhow. Almost all have something to do with luck, or bad luck. In addition to some of the answers you've already received: for example, 8 is the luckiest number, as it's pronounciation is similar to the word for weath. Oranges are always bought around New Year's, as it color is similar to gold. You always have to start the New Year with a clean house, as you have "swept away" the bad luck from the previous year. At birthday dinners, you always have to eat long noodles, as it represents long life. Never step on thresholds, it awakens the ghosts. Always eat your rice bowl clean, if you leave grains of rice in the bowl your spouse will likely have pock-marks. I could go on and on, I know all cultures have their superstitions, but I doubt if there are many cultures that have as many superstitions as the Chinese (and some other Asian cultures, too). Have a long, prosperous life and may you marry a clear-complected woman, and by the way, good luck!

Answer 4

Good luck, there are so many Chinese superstitions, especially those associated with luck that it's nearly impossible to even know where to begin...

Sorry, I know that doesn't help you. I would say my three favorites are:

1. Don't whistle at night, it attracts ghosts.
2. Don't actually say the word "death" (or "si" / "æ­»"), just curl your index finger instead if you have to express the concept in a conversation.
3. The number four ("si" or "四" in Chinese) is pronounced the same as the word death, and is unlucky. But, the number 54 ("wu si") is lucky because based on the way it's pronounced it can also mean "not death"...

Good luck with this one! There are as many as the stars in the sky!!

Answer 5

Chinese people don't have 4th floors on their buildings! Their buildings go from 1, 2, 3, 5 and so on.

In some regions, they don't celebrate the 49th birthday. Instead they celebrate their 50th birthdays twice.

While eating noodles at a birthday, don't cut or bite the noodles to make it shorter, it means you are cutting short the life of the celebrant.

Don't cut your nails after sunset. It means you are cutting short your parent's life.

Don't sweep your floors at night. It means you are sweeping away the good luck.

Wear red on birthdays, new year and weddings. Older people get touchy when you don't wear red. They also don't like it if you wear white/black (depends on the region) as white or black means death.

So much more superstitions, I think it's impossible to list them all. Different regions and provinces have different superstitions too. Imagine the size of China.

Answer 6

well...i can't really tell you any superstitions... I think most of them are the same as american superstitions... But one thing i know is instead of 13 being a bad number in china, it's four (this is because in chinese, four means "die")

Also, i think many chinese people (and some american people) are starting to believe in Feng Shui. This tells you how to move objects so that luck can come to you.

Answer 7

Some of my favorites include 'Nien' the year dragon- the story of Chinese new year, and the people set off all the firecrackers to keep 'Nien" from coming to their village and eating them.

Another one is the idea that evil spirits dislike red, hence the heavy use of red on doors and red being an emblematic color in the culture.

My wifes parents still follow alot of the superstitions, my wife likes to pay lip service to it, but generally makes the appearance of agreeing with science over superstition when conflicts occur. She probably goes and burns incense somewhere when I am not around LOL. I think most younger asians treat it as kind of a way to humour old weird people but dont really believe in it seriously. But there are zealots in any culture...

try: http://www.chinatownconnection.com/chinese-superstitions.htm

and : http://www.educ.uvic.ca/faculty/mroth/438/CHINA/taboos.html

more harmful superstitions generally are associated with chinese traditional medicine and the BS remedies that they create for old guys to get their ***** up. Thats why the forests are very quiet and getting quieter across the world. Be careful before trusting your life to it. I am not saying that all of it is bad, just make sure there is evidence to support it. I believe that acupunture and the study of anatomy and nerves that the tradition created is very valid, and most medicines have an effect, but you dont want to visit someone who doesnt know what they are doing.

check out:
http://www.ebm-first.com/?cat=35

Answer 8

Fellow answerers have given you a good list so far. My favorite is that you should never stick your chopsticks straight up in a bowl of rice. It means impending death. Instead, lay them flat over the top of the bowl, or next to the bowl.

Answer 9

Oh, you mean the Fung Shui stuffs!??!