Demything superstitions
From cutting nails at night to touching pickles during menstruation, many superstitions were instilled in me growing up in an Indian household
Art by Rachel De Freitas.
I was born and brought up in an Indian household where superstitions of all kinds were customary.
While many of these tales sounded vague to me, a few of them do have reasoning. I would always ask my mother what the scientific reasons behind these superstitions were, but I never got a persuasive answer.
Have you ever had your mother shout at you for cutting your nails at night? Cutting your nails and dusting off floors or shelves after the sun sets is strongly disapproved of by Indian parents.
After years of asking my mother for a convincing explanation, I thought of the potential science behind the superstition. When there was no electricity, there was a greater possibility that valuables would be swept up and thrown away at night. For the same reason, one could easily get harmed when cutting their nails after dark. Maybe over time, this story gradually unfolded to bring bad luck.
My mom and teachers at school always gave me a spoon of curd with sugar before writing an exam to bring luck. However, the reasoning behind this superstition has evolved from completely different situations in earlier times.
It was recommended that people eat a bowl of curd with sugar to prepare for journeys, especially if the trip was long. India has hot and humid weather, thus long trips are made more comfortable with a bowl full of delicious curd to keep the stomach cool. Gradually, the tradition was understood to bring good luck. Had this been legit, there would’ve been no failed exams.
Have you ever broken a glass and gotten a good yell from your mother or guardian? We all probably have at some point. It is said that looking at yourself in a broken mirror is considered to bring bad luck for seven years. Therefore, cracked glass can cause financial loss if kept in a house.
Nevertheless, breaking a glass is considered to bring good luck in some cultures around the world. For instance, in some traditions, breaking glass brings hope that a marriage will be long and happy. Though I respect all the customs, I don’t think it’s right or wrong to break glass. Glass was expensive in the past and can easily cut the body when broken, so one should always be cautious.
One of the superstitions that is strongly followed in India is that women are not allowed in religious places and kitchens, and can’t touch pickles during menstruation. Women were told to stay at home during their periods because they did not have access to sanitary pads or painkillers. It was also said that because walking a distance would be exhausting, women were advised not to go into religious places or kitchens during their periods.
As for the pickles, it is believed these preserves would probably go bad if a woman who is menstruating touched them. There are many speculations around why this is believed, some of which say that women’s bodies release smells when they menstruate, or to give women a break so they don’t have to help in the pickle-making process, or how, in the absence of sanitary goods, women had to use cloth and reuse it while menstruating, therefore making it hard to maintain hygiene. All these reasons concerning the well-being of women are misinterpreted in today’s time.
These beliefs are decreasing in popularity among the younger generation because they either don’t care or understand the scientific reasoning behind them. However, it is important to spread awareness about the real reasonings behind these superstitions that are blindly followed and understand that none of them bring good or bad luck.
