Undoubtedly, the Philippines has experienced a long history of colonization, which has made it rich and colorful, unique and culturally diverse. It has also strengthened Filipino traditions and customs, the impact so great it goes above and beyond language, food – and superstitions.
Precolonial Philippines had an animist belief, and the Spaniards brought Christianity to us. Thus, regarding belief, the Philippines has a diverse mix of beliefs, with some said to believe in good or bad fortune. We call it “pamahiin,” and it is passed to us from generation to generation, from our families to people we interact with outside our families.
To some, such beliefs feel strange, weird, and even hard to believe due to lack of evidence. However, some warn about the dangers that can harm us all.
Staircase Numbers That Are Divisible By Three
Playing games with numbers can be fun, but so are playing games. One good example of such games would include Jili games. However, numbers have great power, reflected not only in Chinese culture but also in Filipino culture, with the Oro, Plata, and mata superstition. In a Filipino household, you might come upon a grand staircase, and so goes the chant of Oro, plata mata, with every step of the stairs taking up a word. On the last step, which happens to be the top one, oro or Plata is often the previous one because mata indicates terrible luck. The others, on the other hand, signify luck.
Tongue Biting
It is said that if you accidentally bite your tongue, someone’s thinking of you. We mean it, in what the kids nowadays say, “you’re occupying free rent” inside of someone’s head.
If you accidentally bite your tongue, someone can’t get you off their minds. There is also a risk that runs along with it. That risk is that someone can negatively think of you, too.
You may have to choose a number every time you bite your tongue. The number runs from 1 to 26, and it determines its adjacent letter from the alphabet. The first person whose name begins with such a letter is the exact person thinking about you. You may want to reach them if you have not been communicating with them.
Pancit
This belief is one that the Chinese inspired. Whenever there is a special celebration, you should eat noodles. For birthdays, the noodles are cooked. This symbolizes long life; with the longer noodle, the longer wish for a longer life. However, in the Philippines, what has become a staple is “pancit.” To some, it is a joke. However, culturally, it remains an ever-present dish at Filipino gatherings, always there at every feast or fiesta.
Turn Of the Plate
If someone finishes early and leaves before the group is done eating, people should turn their plates. The gesture symbolizes a wish for the person who leaves to travel safely. Another belief is that the table is not meant to be cleared while people still eat. The last person eating will lead a lonely life.
When sitting at the dining table for a meal and someone gets up to leave before the rest of the group finishes, everybody left at the table should turn their plates to ensure safe travels for the person leaving. Another meal superstition (though more loosely believed) is that the table should not start being cleared while people are still eating. If this is done, it is thought that the last person left dining will live a lonely life.
Wrapping Up
Despite superstitions not having scientific bases, superstitions still form part and parcel of Filipino culture. They are a legacy of our ancestors. They are also a callback to how we’ve been raised and the evolution of our beliefs. In a way, they are one of the things that have always been ours despite the pitfalls of colonization.
