Superstitious?

I mentioned something about fatalism and the Philippines a few posts back when I wrote about Santa Santita. I stumbled across a filipino horro movie called Pamahiin, which pretty much means superstitions. You think, ''oh, they're just folk tales." I started watching it and thought about how much superstitions dictated some peoples' lives. Of course, it's over-dramatized because it's a movie, but I know a lot of the older generation of filipinos still believe or feel strongly about superstition that it dictates some parts of their lives. Apparently one of my relatives in the Philippines was a 'witch,' as I've heard her being described. I just think she was a folk healer. Personally, I think the superstitions are hokey.

It's weird though, because you don't hear much about it and then everyone starts bringing it up at funerals. You're not supposed to do this, you're not supposed to do that. I heard a lot last year when a relative died. Stuff I hear about mirrors, breaking glass, teeth falling out, dreaming of a coffin, etc. One weird thing was that my grandmother wrote a letter to my aunt in San Diego telling me that she had a dream that she saw one of my uncles in a coffin. Not long after, that uncle died. Ooooh....scary. More on that later this month.

Some other filipino superstitions:

• A black-and-blue part on your body and you have no idea where it came from means that a spirit has touched you. Meh. That's just a low platelet count.
• After a funeral, the Catholic Filipinos have a novena. Novena is nine nights of prayer for the deceased. On the fourth or ninth night the spirit returns. Food is left on the steps of the house for the spirit to return. It is said that if the people make a joyful atmosphere it will make the deceased go on to its journey to the new world. Filipinos bury their deceased in mahogany coffins. They pack clothes, their favorite hat, wallet, eyeglasses, dentures, and family pictures. I've seen people set a plate of food out for the deceased after the funerals. I've also seen them bury eyeglasses, wallet, pictures in the coffin with the deceased.
• Don't take a bath in the house during a wake.
• Don't sweep the floor during the night.
• When you attend a burial, you're not to go directly home or the spirit of the deceased will follow you
• If it rains during a wedding, it means good luck to the newlyweds
• Something about the order of getting up from a table after a meal when there are single people at the table. Not quite sure what it is exactly.
• If you jump at midnight on New Years Day, you will grow taller. Oooh, there's still hope for me...haha!
• Dropping a fork or spoon will bring you a visitor
• Don't sleep with hair wet or it will make you blind. I've still got my sight...
• Don't take pictures with three people- the one in the middle will die soon.
• Wear polka dots for more money. Polka dots? Yuck.
• A dog only howls at ghosts.

See? A bunch of hokey....or is it?