# Superstitions & Beliefs



## Mug (Sep 28, 2012)

Being a 5P man (Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance) I was thinking of my next trip to the Philippines and what other beliefs and superstitions I might need to know to avoid problems. For instance, I was married on November 18, not 17, because writing 17 ends with a downward stroke, while 18 ends on an upward stroke. We all stood out in the blazing sun waiting for a bus instead of under a big shade tree because the tree was haunted. And why did the priest come to bless our rebuilt house and bless every room but the comfort rooms? In Ilocos Sur it seems almost everyone is Catholic, yet they blend a lot of pre-Spanish folk lore and superstitions into their every day lives. Anything I could know about such ideas would be helpful anywhere in the islands. I am asking for first hand knowledge because a book of legends and mythologies lists thousands of events, but I cannot believe they are all in practice in 2012.


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## fmartin_gila (May 15, 2011)

Not sure of the reasoning but if you have wind chimes up, they need to be above the entrance door or if not at the entrance, directly in-line with the entrance door.

Fred


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## raconnor (Oct 30, 2012)

Just be glad they didn't slit the throat of a pig on your threshold. Saw it once in Baguio -- got pretty messy.


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## Mug (Sep 28, 2012)

raconnor said:


> Just be glad they didn't slit the throat of a pig on your threshold. Saw it once in Baguio -- got pretty messy.


Cannot imagine I would want my house to be that blessed.


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## richardsinger (Oct 30, 2012)

Mug said:


> Cannot imagine I would want my house to be that blessed.


Ha ha it even starts at the construction stage of your house! The workers will slaughter chickens and let their blood flow into the footings before they pour the concrete.

Richard


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## c_uk (Oct 24, 2012)

richardsinger said:


> Ha ha it even starts at the construction stage of your house! The workers will slaughter chickens and let their blood flow into the footings before they pour the concrete.
> 
> Richard


I am not aware of that' belief, but then I have never witnessed builders on the job. You make sure they don't bury the chicken's under the concrete tho, it be a waste ...


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## jon1 (Mar 18, 2012)

How about the one where the pregnant woman during her pregnancy, stares at pictures of male/woman that they admire to ensure that they have a beautiful baby???


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## lorgnette (Dec 19, 2010)

yes, after slit the jugular venous pressure splits the blood everywhere when the shrieking pig runs amok trying to escape the pains. Even after the pig is slaughtered, the pulsing muscles continue to beat on the fresh cut meat!

---easily makes one turns off meats after such as sight!


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## simonsays (Feb 11, 2009)

let me add one more .. never wear black and black, for a good occasion / function ..

raconnor : I had a pig slaughtered in my honour, but, well, it was tied (hog tied) and didn't get the chance to run amok 

Maybe the natives had a bit of fun at your expense, in your case ??


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## richardsinger (Oct 30, 2012)

c_uk said:


> I am not aware of that' belief, but then I have never witnessed builders on the job. You make sure they don't bury the chicken's under the concrete tho, it be a waste ...


Ha ha, this is the Philippines, we ate the chickens!

Richard


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## Mug (Sep 28, 2012)

Thank you everyone for the info. Memo to self: Do not take Johnny Cash suit to Philippines.


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## lorgnette (Dec 19, 2010)

Maybe the natives had a bit of fun at your expense, in your case ??

They believe in freedom on the last journey, maybe???


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## simonsays (Feb 11, 2009)

lorgnette said:


> Maybe the natives had a bit of fun at your expense, in your case ??
> 
> They believe in freedom on the last journey, maybe???


quite possible .. but .. gotta confirm that though


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## Guest (Feb 9, 2013)

My wife got prickly heat on her neck. Next thing I know the witch doctor is here throwing melted candle wax into water. Come to find out the wax told us she had walked thru a hollow tree, (the peoples park in Tagaytay) and that was the cause of the prickly heat. They threw the water on her neck, she wrapped the wax in paper and stuck it under pillow. 2 days later the prickly heat is gone. and as a side issue, the witch doctor told here she would soon be separated. Wonderful, now my wife keeps asking me if I'll leave her. 

Dear Abby,
Should I reject all the above or be looking over my shoulder for all the unseen peoples that apparently only selected few can see, my wife being one of them. 

Forgive me if I seem a bit flippant, but really, should I take my wife seriously or just humor her?


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## Asian Spirit (Mar 1, 2010)

Munchie said:


> My wife got prickly heat on her neck. Next thing I know the witch doctor is here throwing melted candle wax into water. Come to find out the wax told us she had walked thru a hollow tree, (the peoples park in Tagaytay) and that was the cause of the prickly heat. They threw the water on her neck, she wrapped the wax in paper and stuck it under pillow. 2 days later the prickly heat is gone. and as a side issue, the witch doctor told here she would soon be separated. Wonderful, now my wife keeps asking me if I'll leave her.
> 
> Dear Abby,
> Should I reject all the above or be looking over my shoulder for all the unseen peoples that apparently only selected few can see, my wife being one of them.
> ...


That's a good one!!! For now I would just humor her as there is nothing else you can do I'm sure.
I once lived on a remote island in Masbate province. I had a strange insect bite on my arm that leaked and would not heal up. They called a witch doctor out of the jungle to see me and she took different kinds of tried leaves and lit them on fire. She then blew the smoke from them on the wound and chanted something in a local dialect. 24 hours later it was almost completely gone! This was after several days of using a "modern" first-aid kit I had brought from the US and nothing had any effect on it in any way!
So their strange cures do work sometimes but as for being a fortune teller? Not a chance or the fortune teller would have already won the lottery and moved on in life-Hahaha...


Gene


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## Guest (Feb 9, 2013)

Gene and Viol said:


> That's a good one!!! For now I would just humor her as there is nothing else you can do I'm sure.
> I once lived on a remote island in Masbate province. I had a strange insect bite on my arm that leaked and would not heal up. They called a witch doctor out of the jungle to see me and she took different kinds of tried leaves and lit them on fire. She then blew the smoke from them on the wound and chanted something in a local dialect. 24 hours later it was almost completely gone! This was after several days of using a "modern" first-aid kit I had brought from the US and nothing had any effect on it in any way!
> So their strange cures do work sometimes but as for being a fortune teller? Not a chance or the fortune teller would have already won the lottery and moved on in life-Hahaha...
> 
> ...


Interesting, I think I better take the high road on this one. After all is said and done, there must have been cures of some sort long before modern medicine.


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## Mug (Sep 28, 2012)

Munchie said:


> Interesting, I think I better take the high road on this one. After all is said and done, there must have been cures of some sort long before modern medicine.


I think you have the right idea, kind of like the beer commercial where lining up the bottles causes a successful field goal attempt. Of course in all these cases no one knows if it would have healed in that time anyway. Just because you do something then next something else happens does not mean that A caused B. Good luck!!


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## simonsays (Feb 11, 2009)

Munchie said:


> My wife got prickly heat on her neck. Next thing I know the witch doctor is here throwing melted candle wax into water. Come to find out the wax told us she had walked thru a hollow tree, (the peoples park in Tagaytay) and that was the cause of the prickly heat. They threw the water on her neck, she wrapped the wax in paper and stuck it under pillow. 2 days later the prickly heat is gone. *and as a side issue, the witch doctor told here she would soon be separated. Wonderful, now my wife keeps asking me if I'll leave her. *
> 
> Dear Abby,
> Should I reject all the above or be looking over my shoulder for all the unseen peoples that apparently only selected few can see, my wife being one of them.
> ...


you should turn the table on her and ask her if SHE WILL LEAVE You .

For me 2 cents, go on a honeymoon .. and do some stuff to assure her that the witch doctor is wrong (though, in my experience, that doesn't sink in .. ) 

one too many of my past lovers ditched me because of some notion of 'feeling' .. and no, most of them, if not all of them, were single for a long period of time before they did get hooked up ..


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## Phil_expat (Jan 3, 2011)

I try not to say “that is impossible” in preference to that is VERY improbable”. There are too many things in the world that cannot be explained! My wife has a fear of white ladies (Philippine witch) and ghosts! So I made up am imaginary friend named Harry to lighten the situation and cause her to smile. For example; if she asks me who made that mess I put the blame on Harry and not admit it was me! Now poor Harry is getting the blame for everything since now she starting blaming my friendly ghost too! POOR HARRY!!!


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## Kevin_S (Feb 13, 2013)

I have witnessed several personally. First, we went to a cemetary to pay respects to a departed loved one. But before leaving the cemetary, my wife made a fire and waved the smoke around her body. There was evidence of a fire already there, so others did this as well. When I questioned her about it, she couldn't explain it. I assumed it was to prevent any spirit from following us home?

Another time, I wanted to cut down a very old mango tree (at least 50 years old). My wife said that someone must visit the tree before it can be cut down, due to the "man" who lives in the tree. I assumed she meant "spirit" or such.

Of course, I've been to a house blessing. And, I've noticed my wife make the sign of the cross quite a bit. Before eating, before riding on ANY mode of transportation, and before taking a bath or bathing our baby.


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## simonsays (Feb 11, 2009)

Kevin_S said:


> Of course, I've been to a house blessing. And, I've noticed my wife make the sign of the cross quite a bit. Before eating, before riding on ANY mode of transportation, and before taking a bath or bathing our baby.


The cross is due to the Church insisting everything must be blessed !!! No offense to christians ..


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## Mug (Sep 28, 2012)

Here is a thread I started a while back, noticed someone started a new thread on superstitions, thought I would bring this forward so you can read the words of ancient wisdom.


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## overmyer (Aug 15, 2013)

richardsinger said:


> Ha ha it even starts at the construction stage of your house! The workers will slaughter chickens and let their blood flow into the footings before they pour the concrete.
> 
> Richard


Here in ******, when our house was being built, they placed "silver" coins in the footings before they were poured (Chinese for good fortune) and sighted the house in accordance to feng shui (Chinese again). Coins were again placed in the ground under the walkway for good fortune. After construction, there was a sacrifice of a chicken (local tradition, maybe Spanish/Mexico influence) and sprinkling of it's blood followed by the parish priest sprinkling holy water while blessing the house (Catholic practice) and then firecrackers being lit off to drive off evil spirits (another Chinese practice). After all of this was the feast which included lechon.


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## Johnny B (May 27, 2013)

Mug said:


> Being a 5P man (Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance) I was thinking of my next trip to the Philippines and what other beliefs and superstitions I might need to know to avoid problems. For instance, I was married on November 18, not 17, because writing 17 ends with a downward stroke, while 18 ends on an upward stroke. We all stood out in the blazing sun waiting for a bus instead of under a big shade tree because the tree was haunted. And why did the priest come to bless our rebuilt house and bless every room but the comfort rooms? In Ilocos Sur it seems almost everyone is Catholic, yet they blend a lot of pre-Spanish folk lore and superstitions into their every day lives. Anything I could know about such ideas would be helpful anywhere in the islands. I am asking for first hand knowledge because a book of legends and mythologies lists thousands of events, but I cannot believe they are all in practice in 2012.


A friend of mine, Pinoy, if urinating in public, would say something in Tagalog while urinating. I enquired and was told that it was a apology if they were accidentally giving a shower to an invisible fairy... If the chant wasn't said and a fairy got a shower, there would have been hell to pay


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