There are a lot more of Chinese superstitions like below: 1) Not allowed to sweep during Chinese New Year - You will sweep Wealth God out of your house. 2) Cannot look at funerals - Bad luck. Wash your face later. 3) Cannot step on/over book - You will become stupid. 4) Cannot walk under a hanging female underwear. 5) Cannot give a watch/clock to someone on their birthday - Giving clock/watch sounds like final send off (funeral) in Chinese thus cursing them on their birthday. 6) Cannot flip a fish on a dish - Especially maritime, meaning boat will overturn. 7) Do not turn your head when out alone in wild at night. A lot more but too lazy to write. LOL
+tiaopiak Yeah! And you cannot cut your hair before 15th of January (lunar calendar), otherwise your uncle (specifically your mother's younger brother) would die or something.
I'm Native American and my grandmother used to say, "never whistle at night because bad spirits can find you and enter you through the sound of your whistle."
+LimitlessZane Isn't a superstition it is a from of operant conditioning lie to get the children to do something, which apparently Chinese parents does a lot according to a research study, just google it.
in Puerto Rico some says thag pregnate women can't eat grains because the baby will have pimple or give the baby kisses on the face will make them have bad skin.
I went with my cousin to visit her mother's grave once, and we had to visit a busy shopping mall to confuse any ghosts that might have followed us out.
+Ambi Sinistrous not bad idea! haha I heard from my friend before that if you encounter any ghostly stuffs outside, don't go home immediately. So there was a time she encountered it at a chalet, when our friend drove a few of us home she made sure she's the last one to be dropped off.
When I was younger, my parents told me that if I didn't eat fish eyes my skin would get disgusting, like filled with acne. :( Now I know better. another one my parents told me recently is that a mother -to-be is not allowed near a cemetery. Otherwise, it can bring her or her new born death or illnesses.
My grandma told me that *"if you point at the moon, the moon will come to you while you were sleeping and cut your ears off."* So the first day I went to kindergarten my friend, Katie, pointed at the moon, (you know when you see it at day time) and I freaked out... so embarrassing!!!
I've always been told to not share pears, because in Mandarin the word pear li 梨 sounds like to leave (li kai 离开) so it is believe you will be separated from your family either by death or something else... I still don't share pears lol
My mum told me that you get nightmares when you cut nails at night. And for the door one, you can catch a cold or get sick if your bed is near the door or something, so it's better if you bed is behind or something so you don't catch a cold. And thank you for talking about pointing at the moon. When I was a child, my mum told me that your ear actually gets cut at the back of the ear. In fact when I was young my ear got cut twice when I did it accidentally. It happened when I did it by accident/ unintentionally but when you do it intentionally(like someone just told you about it and you did it to prove them wrong) then it doesn't work. I actually believe this one as it's happened to me, though some many people still don't believe in it.
About the nail clipping superstition. my aunt once told me that if a mouse ate one of my nail clippings they would turn into a clone of me and try to take over my life. I don't think that's an actual superstition... I think she was just being mean xD
My dad told me this one, its a Vietnamese superstition If you are going some where and then see a turtle crossing your path you must return to the way you came from as it is a warning you to go back, but if you don't and continue on something very bad will happen to you (but it doesn't specify how bad it would be)
I'm not Chinese and I did not have Chinese friends growing up but I've heard some of these. Must be from TV and movies. Ex..the keeping of new moms indoors and the second hand thing
Here are some of what I was told: 1. My version of the bed with feet facing front door. I wasn't told that it would invite ghosts, instead, I would end up spirited away or worse case dying because the one who takes/guides the dead's souls would be mistaken thinking I'm dead. 2. Related to 'spirited away', I was told not to sleep with make up on or with eye mask, or any mask... it's believed our spirits leave our bodies when we sleep and with make up/mask on, our spirits may not be able to recognize our face and thus, unable to return to our body. So those Chinese opera performers... that's a no-no to fall asleep with make up on. 3. Outsiders aren't allowed to visit a friend's newborn baby yet until the baby is at least 12 days old. It's believed outsiders would bring "bad spirits" that may harm the pure baby. Now that I think about it, it must be germs (lol). 4. Expecting mother isn't allowed to cut something while sitting on the bed (must it be on the bed?), else the mother may 'cut' the baby's mouth and then born with cleft lip. 5. We're not allowed to scare people by hitting their shoulders. Believed each of our shoulder has 'lights' that chase away bad omens. Scaring them that way may put out the 'lights'. 6. Do not whistle or play the flute at night else 'someone' will sing along.
The pointing to the moon similar to our Hmong Culture too I remember when point to the moon my mom and grandma said I will get my ear cut I not listen until tomorrow I got scar on my ear creepy
in the hmong culture, your ears get a small cut when you point at the moon. plus when you're pregnant, you can't cut your hair because it'll be like cutting away you and your child's luck or something.
plus cutting your hair at night is bad cause ghosts will come and pick it up or something..also dont whistle at night cause ghosts will be following you or whistle back at you..so many superstitious huh..
+laceitup96 interesting, in my culture we tell kids that if they whistle at night an owl will come and eat their eyes and also that if you point at rainbows they'll disapeer
+Ari “SalvadorianAquaristOtaku” A. A. wow..what culture are you? (does that make sense? ) plus og ij my culture says that whenever there's a rainbow, it's a water dragon that comes out or just their scale shining..
my mother always told me not to go out of her sight when we go shopping. she said: then a "goldfish"man (litarilly translated) will kidnap you. i didn't know what it meant cuz i was little so i thought it was some random dude dressed up like a magikarp who would take you away. later i understand it means a child molester/kidnapper who uses (back then) goldfishes to distract children.
My mom, uncle and three other friends have told me they pointed at the moon and got a cut behind their ear the next day :O I've never dared to point at the moon. Also, not to use an umbrella indoors or a ghost will seat on the top of the umbrella. Another is to not seat under the table unless you want to remain short haha
I know one theory behind why the clipping of nails at night is a superstition. It has to do with the belief that metal tools are magical and the act of cutting was believed to create a "supernatural gap" where unwelcome spirits can enter. This predates nail clippers, it related to any cutting at night. We forget how much forged metal seemed downright magical to our ancestors when it was the height of technology. It's also why European faeries avoided cold iron, that forged metal was somehow magical and could repel them. Also, I LOVE your videos!
The one about pointing at the moon seems quite well known! I believe the reason why they said not to orientate the foot of one's bed towards the door is that when one sleeps at night, it's easier for one's soul to wander off... =S Here in Southeast Asia we also don't sweep the floor during Chinese New Year because it'd sweep away all the wealth.
In the description, when it said "did you know if you point at the moon your finger will get CHOPPED OFF?!" it scared me so much I was like "OH MY GOD!!!!"
+ss905313.....you are referring to what is known as the "other race effect". It is a common trait among all cultures. If someone has had little experience with members of another culture the most common characteristics of that culture stands out in that person's mind so that person will think "they all look alike to me".
One superstition my mom told me when I was little was if you got a splinter in your finger from climbing a tree then a branch would grow from your finger. We all know who loved climbing trees when we were younger now don't we lol. I loved this video 😀 Great job you 2!
when I was young I've pointed towards a crescent moon and when I woke up from sleep in the next morning I get wounds like cuts on the back of my ear. My father then told me to be respectful to the moon in the evening and the next day my sores disappear without a trace.
Sitting the month is probably the best part about childbirth. When I was little I always looked forward to it as something I'd get to do when I got old and had babies XD Two superstitions about fish: 1) There will ALWAYS be fish for New Year's Eve Feast. DO NOT FINISH THE FISH BEFORE NEW YEAR'S DAY. This is because you'll be "leaving the fish" (liu yu), which is a homonym for "having a surplus", so your New Year will be prosperous. 2) When you're eating fish, and finish one side, never flip it on the other side. Remove the bones instead. This is an old fisherwives' tale, because flipping the fish would signify that their husbands' boats would flip. Nowadays people apply it to automobiles.
I have never heard of any of these aside from the hair thing haha. I don't know if this is considered a superstition and maybe a health thing but till this day my mom will remind me NOT to sit on a seat (train, bus) when someone gets up or I'll end up getting worms in my butt?
lemontea128 Jason Lui hahaha she says its worms ... i mean yes there can be parasites (helminths) living inside you from eating animals that contain them, as well as contaminated water, so I suppose the warmth of the other person sitting on the seat is enough to incubate the eggs to hatch. Yes gross, but it happens!!! Raw fish, pork!!!
Lol my mom said almost the same thing except she said if I sit on a warm seat I might get STD from them . No kidding it scares me till this day and I NEVER take a warm seat. I'd rather stand haha.
Filipino moms will say "GHOST WILL EAT YOU" for even the slightest thing. Like, say a chair is unstable. "There are ghosts in that chair!" Not exaggerating. Seriously.
Thanks!! It's a very interesting and useful video) AS for purchasing thing in the secondhand stores, we have a similar attitude or superstition in Ukraine .
Actually I can think of a couple of superstitions that all my school friends had heard in Australia that were meant to give you seven years bad luck - one was to walk under a ladder and the other to break a mirror.
paper sons is a good topic to cover. I bet a lot of ppl are saying "paper what"? there are history of paper sons in my family. I find it very interesting.
Ooh, two more about spirits: 1) If a neighbour has died recently, you're supposed to hang a sword above the front door at night, so their ghost can't come in and haunt you. If you don't have a sword, paste a piece of red paper over the doorcracks. 2) Hang a pair of scissors outside your front door, so that they'll "cut" the spirits trying to enter your house.
I have another version of the nail clipping one at night. My auntie said that if you clip your nails at night and accidentally cut your skin, you won't stop bleeding. That was a little alarming...
The fact that a lot of these superstitions also exist in my native country of Bangladesh is pretty fascinating. What is more interesting is that I have 17% east asian DNA.
Hi ladies! Please do another video about superstitions from China, that us foreigners or people in general should know about when having social interactions with Chinese people. For example, when eating, do not stick your chopsticks upright in your rice bowl....
My bed faces towards my front door but it's more comfortable for me to sleep the other way for some reason..... I rearrange my sleeping position, blankets and pillows so my head instead in facing the door
I'm Mexican and one superstition I was told by my grandma was that you are not supposed to sweep at night because you are sweeping away the money from your home and if you pick the trash and throw it away you are throwing the money away to the trash. Also, if you just had a baby you are not supposed to shower or go out for 40 days. Similar to the Chinese one only that it's for 40 days.
+rcb2418 Reading at some other ones I just remembered we are not supposed to cut our hair when we're pregnant. It's bad for the baby and if there's an eclipse and you need to wear red or else you will have a miscarriage because red blocks the forces from the moon so it won't affect your water (where you hold the baby while pregnant). Also, the baby should always wear a red bracelet since when they're born because if they don't someone can pass a bad omen to the baby. In Spanish for it's called mal de ojo. By wearing red the attention and focus goes to the bracelet instead of the baby. One last one is going if someone wants to touch or carry your baby you should let them like that they don't pass bad vibes and omens to the baby. I actually did this after having my kids just in case. There's also the one that if you go to the beach or the cemetery, before you leave you need to scream out to the baby that it's time to go especially if they're asleep or else their soul will stay there and the baby will be fussy the whole time. This is one I continue to do even now that my kids are older.
My mom told me the pointing moon superstition when I was a child.One day, I pointed the moon to make sure if it is true,few days later,my ears did hurt because I check my ears too often.
I am a sheep/ram. My ex was from India and one day, a cousin of mine got into a fatal car crash and my ex told me it was MY fault because I clipped my nails at night. Wtf?? My cousin had been drinking and speeding and that is what caused the crash, I doubt my clipping my nails at night had anything to do with it.
Perhaps the nail clipping thing really stems from others not wanting to eat those noises at night? The same can be said for Japanese weaving looms. "Don't use them at night or you'll be dragged off to hell," Asian people like quiet. Nothing wrong with that :)
i love you girls , i do miss mike and dan , but you girls are dear to my heart !, btw i feel there are some superstitions in china similar to my culture in turkey !
Is it just me or are those two like really beautiful on top of having great personalities? It kinda seems that way doesn't it? So... natural... can't explain it too well.
#2 is the same in Indian culture! Haha so weird #4 same in Indian and Islamic tradition to stay home for 40 days so you and the baby avoid getting I'll etc haha
If someone hands you a knife, you have to hand it back to them the same way they handed it to you (ex. if they give it to you with the blade pointing to you, you have to give it back with the blade pointing to them)
i remember being told that a wedding should be a grim sobering event coz if it starts realy bad then the people will have good times for a long time. not sure were it came from.
Perhaps you guys can make a video on chinese drama as well! I seldom watch Chinese dramas yet my friend from the mainland recommends me to watch 瑯琊榜(Nirvana in the fire) recently and I think it's really good! I wonder if you guys have watched it too hahaa
I am not sure, but for one thing it would be gifting a clock, because that means you want a person to die. The number four is also another one because it sounds like death and no building that is owned by Chinese people like in Chinatown in NY would have just bar structures there. There is also eating before taking a shower because of blood circulation and such. The nail clipping is also associated with Japanese culture apparently if you have watched the anime XXX:Holic. You won't be around to see your parents' funeral.
the japenese superstition says "if you clip your nails at night you won´t see your parents on their deathbed" so it kind points the same fact of inviting ghosts while clipping your nails, I do believe on the superstition of not buying any 2nd hand item, you might get the 1st owner ´s bad luck
Sicilians would say, how you treat your parents growing up is the way your children will treat you, when you have them. Also if you spill salt on the table, you must throw a pinch of salt over your shoulder for good luck.
So cool Lady's. I love learning anything Chinese. My mom brought me up in Hindu Religion..( although were white American), but when yus mentioned about not facing the feet twords the front Door, reminded me how in Hindu Culture there is something called Vastu. In this Vastu philosophy, it tells us which way to place furniture, and the like, that will be more positive. Feng shui, is very similar concept. So cool.
I have to have my feet pointing to the door so I can see it (the door) my reason is if someone was ever to brake in id have a spilt second longer to react to someone coming into my room
I grew up in a small fishing town in Maine and they have a lot of superstitions about the sea/fishing. One big one is that pigs are VERY bad luck on any sort of boat or sea-faring vessel. when on a boat you must refer to them as "curly tails," "squealers," or something else so as not to say the word "pig." Also you couldn't bring any sort of pork onto a boat, so not bacon or ham sandwiches. My grandfather once had a fight with another fisherman and so as revenge he took a small wooden cutting board that was shaped like a pig and nailed it to the side of this other fisherman's boat. The other fisherman didn't know who did it, but did not want to use a cursed boat so he immediately sold the boat to buy a new one. Another superstition is that women are bad luck on boats. This is thought to be because the ocean is female, so if another woman has the attention of the fishermen/sailors, the sea becomes jealous. If you then thought "So why then do they have female figure heads on boats?" remember, that all those figureheads are made to look super slutty. This is thought to make the sea embarrassed for the boat so she would avoid sending bad weather their way. The last big one is to never whistle while on a boat. whistling is thought to taunt the wind and so either a large storm will come in to shut you up, by smashing your boat. If you whistle while on a boat, and there is an older sea captain, be ready to get smacked upside the head for being ignorant and foolhardy.
Strange.. ive heard most of these but variations of them. e.g. If you point at the moon your finger will go crooked, you cant brush your hair at night or whistle. lol
I heard that if you sleep with your head towards a closet and closet is gui zi, it means at night there's someone (gui) kneeling by your head while you sleep.
theres too many superstition here,like black cat bring misfortune,butterfly coming into room mean there will be guest,if you talk about someone and he/she came thats mean he/she will live long(whut?),dont pee on big tree or you might get haunted, and many more
the advise for new moms is not a superstition. a new mom should avoid having wind enter her body (hence stay inside for a month) and if wind and wetness get into her head she'll suffer from migrates later in life. these are based on chinese medical method of how one takes care of one's body. not a myth at all like those bad luck things.
I I've hears once of the finger pointing that if someone dk soenthing bad or you do soemyhing bad and point it to some else u have the other three finger pointing at you like you have the foult. In Puerto Rico the new moms cant watch there hair but i defently cant do that i need to watch my hair at least ones a week ....those are very intresting. the one that got my thinking was the one of the beds facing the front door so creppy.
Oh! I know the toe-nail one. When you clip your nail there will be a ghost with a giant nail clipper. For each clip, the ghost will clip his BIG CLIPPER AS WELL, for each clip the ghost will inch in closer and closer with his clipper. The main point is to get close enough to clip off your head. There's a reason for this story though. It's to tell people not to annoy people when everyone is sleeping or else, the one with low tolerance will come out of their room and beat the crap out of you. True story.
We, Kazakhs, have a superstition: you can't step on a door's threshold. Not sure where it comes from, but it might be viewed as some kind of a border between two worlds or smth.
All I ever learned about pointing a finger at the moon, I learned from Bruce Lee:
"If you concentrate on the finger, you miss all the heavenly glory!"
There are a lot more of Chinese superstitions like below:
1) Not allowed to sweep during Chinese New Year - You will sweep Wealth God out of your house.
2) Cannot look at funerals - Bad luck. Wash your face later.
3) Cannot step on/over book - You will become stupid.
4) Cannot walk under a hanging female underwear.
5) Cannot give a watch/clock to someone on their birthday - Giving clock/watch sounds like final send off (funeral) in Chinese thus cursing them on their birthday.
6) Cannot flip a fish on a dish - Especially maritime, meaning boat will overturn.
7) Do not turn your head when out alone in wild at night.
A lot more but too lazy to write. LOL
+tiaopiak yes to the turn your head especially if you feel a tap on your shoulders
i'll add on one that i know of.. you cant give shoes to someone or he/she will "walk out" on you
+tiaopiak Yeah! And you cannot cut your hair before 15th of January (lunar calendar), otherwise your uncle (specifically your mother's younger brother) would die or something.
+tiaopiak Yep, and I still do some of them just out of habit.
+lemontea128 Or when someone calls your name from behind even though you KNOW you're alone.
I'm Native American and my grandmother used to say, "never whistle at night because bad spirits can find you and enter you through the sound of your whistle."
i haven't heard any of these, but I remember my parents telling me if i didn't finish my rice my future gf/wife would have pimples
yes the same !
this is one is actually quite well known
+LimitlessZane Isn't a superstition it is a from of operant conditioning lie to get the children to do something, which apparently Chinese parents does a lot according to a research study, just google it.
in Puerto Rico some says thag pregnate women can't eat grains because the baby will have pimple or give the baby kisses on the face will make them have bad skin.
+LimitlessZane samee !! XD
lol same
I went with my cousin to visit her mother's grave once, and we had to visit a busy shopping mall to confuse any ghosts that might have followed us out.
+Ambi Sinistrous not bad idea! haha I heard from my friend before that if you encounter any ghostly stuffs outside, don't go home immediately. So there was a time she encountered it at a chalet, when our friend drove a few of us home she made sure she's the last one to be dropped off.
My parents used to tell me not to play hide and seek at night or else a ghost would kidnap me (Indonesian-chinese right here 🇮🇩🇨🇳)
Josephine Gunarso I'm half Vietnamese 🇺🇸🇻🇳
When I was younger, my parents told me that if I didn't eat fish eyes my skin would get disgusting, like filled with acne. :( Now I know better.
another one my parents told me recently is that a mother -to-be is not allowed near a cemetery. Otherwise, it can bring her or her new born death or illnesses.
My grandma told me that *"if you point at the moon, the moon will come to you while you were sleeping and cut your ears off."* So the first day I went to kindergarten my friend, Katie, pointed at the moon, (you know when you see it at day time) and I freaked out... so embarrassing!!!
+Anime Lover OMG
I've always been told to not share pears, because in Mandarin the word pear li 梨 sounds like to leave (li kai 离开) so it is believe you will be separated from your family either by death or something else... I still don't share pears lol
Love this. Should do a chinese new year superstition special. Like can't sweep the floor or you'll be sweeping away money.
I always heard that if you played the flute at night, you would be blessed with a happy ending. :)
the 1 about new mothers being told not to leave the house is also said ALOT here in jamaica.... the exact same things are said
This video was very interesting! I don't understand why it doesn't have more views. Love from Switzerland!
My mum told me that you get nightmares when you cut nails at night.
And for the door one, you can catch a cold or get sick if your bed is near the door or something, so it's better if you bed is behind or something so you don't catch a cold.
And thank you for talking about pointing at the moon. When I was a child, my mum told me that your ear actually gets cut at the back of the ear. In fact when I was young my ear got cut twice when I did it accidentally. It happened when I did it by accident/ unintentionally but when you do it intentionally(like someone just told you about it and you did it to prove them wrong) then it doesn't work. I actually believe this one as it's happened to me, though some many people still don't believe in it.
Did you know if you don't bless your potatoes before you plant them, gophers might eat them. : O
AYEEE YOUR FROM JKNEWS
+Viet Lee Gophers gon' eat yo taters anyway.
About the nail clipping superstition. my aunt once told me that if a mouse ate one of my nail clippings they would turn into a clone of me and try to take over my life. I don't think that's an actual superstition... I think she was just being mean xD
My dad told me this one, its a Vietnamese superstition
If you are going some where and then see a turtle crossing your path you must return to the way you came from as it is a warning you to go back, but if you don't and continue on something very bad will happen to you (but it doesn't specify how bad it would be)
I'm not Chinese and I did not have Chinese friends growing up but I've heard some of these. Must be from TV and movies. Ex..the keeping of new moms indoors and the second hand thing
Here are some of what I was told:
1. My version of the bed with feet facing front door. I wasn't told that it would invite ghosts, instead, I would end up spirited away or worse case dying because the one who takes/guides the dead's souls would be mistaken thinking I'm dead.
2. Related to 'spirited away', I was told not to sleep with make up on or with eye mask, or any mask... it's believed our spirits leave our bodies when we sleep and with make up/mask on, our spirits may not be able to recognize our face and thus, unable to return to our body. So those Chinese opera performers... that's a no-no to fall asleep with make up on.
3. Outsiders aren't allowed to visit a friend's newborn baby yet until the baby is at least 12 days old. It's believed outsiders would bring "bad spirits" that may harm the pure baby. Now that I think about it, it must be germs (lol).
4. Expecting mother isn't allowed to cut something while sitting on the bed (must it be on the bed?), else the mother may 'cut' the baby's mouth and then born with cleft lip.
5. We're not allowed to scare people by hitting their shoulders. Believed each of our shoulder has 'lights' that chase away bad omens. Scaring them that way may put out the 'lights'.
6. Do not whistle or play the flute at night else 'someone' will sing along.
The pointing to the moon similar to our Hmong Culture too I remember when point to the moon my mom and grandma said I will get my ear cut I not listen until tomorrow I got scar on my ear creepy
in the hmong culture, your ears get a small cut when you point at the moon. plus when you're pregnant, you can't cut your hair because it'll be like cutting away you and your child's luck or something.
plus cutting your hair at night is bad cause ghosts will come and pick it up or something..also dont whistle at night cause ghosts will be following you or whistle back at you..so many superstitious huh..
+laceitup96 interesting, in my culture we tell kids that if they whistle at night an owl will come and eat their eyes and also that if you point at rainbows they'll disapeer
+Ari “SalvadorianAquaristOtaku” A. A. wow..what culture are you? (does that make sense? ) plus og ij my culture says that whenever there's a rainbow, it's a water dragon that comes out or just their scale shining..
laceitup96 I'm salvadorian, it's surprising that our cultures have similar superstitions even though im not asian
+Ari “SalvadorianAquaristOtaku” A. A. haha..wow
Another one that pops up is you are not suppose to give an elder person a "clock" as gift.
well i've clearly been inviting ghosts to my house for the past 15 years XD my bed has always faced the front door, woops!
I love how you two look at each other and especially how Mia looks at Felicias lips all the time lol
my mother always told me not to go out of her sight when we go shopping. she said: then a "goldfish"man (litarilly translated) will kidnap you.
i didn't know what it meant cuz i was little so i thought it was some random dude dressed up like a magikarp who would take you away. later i understand it means a child molester/kidnapper who uses (back then) goldfishes to distract children.
nah,it means a "white man"
My mom, uncle and three other friends have told me they pointed at the moon and got a cut behind their ear the next day :O I've never dared to point at the moon.
Also, not to use an umbrella indoors or a ghost will seat on the top of the umbrella. Another is to not seat under the table unless you want to remain short haha
I know one theory behind why the clipping of nails at night is a superstition. It has to do with the belief that metal tools are magical and the act of cutting was believed to create a "supernatural gap" where unwelcome spirits can enter. This predates nail clippers, it related to any cutting at night.
We forget how much forged metal seemed downright magical to our ancestors when it was the height of technology. It's also why European faeries avoided cold iron, that forged metal was somehow magical and could repel them.
Also, I LOVE your videos!
The one about pointing at the moon seems quite well known!
I believe the reason why they said not to orientate the foot of one's bed towards the door is that when one sleeps at night, it's easier for one's soul to wander off... =S
Here in Southeast Asia we also don't sweep the floor during Chinese New Year because it'd sweep away all the wealth.
You two Rock! Awesome video
+Robert Crowley woo hoo! thankss
In the description, when it said "did you know if you point at the moon your finger will get CHOPPED OFF?!" it scared me so much I was like "OH MY GOD!!!!"
“Don't sit close to the tv or you'll go blind" is what my grandmother and my mom told me when I was little and actually believed until I was 9
They look so much alike!
no way
Sarcasm?
I'm Asian.
I have same feel with you when I saw westerners..
They are look alike!
Especially black, I can't to differentiate.
+ss905313.....you are referring to what is known as the "other race effect". It is a common trait among all cultures. If someone has had little experience with members of another culture the most common characteristics of that culture stands out in that person's mind so that person will think "they all look alike to me".
One superstition my mom told me when I was little was if you got a splinter in your finger from climbing a tree then a branch would grow from your finger. We all know who loved climbing trees when we were younger now don't we lol. I loved this video 😀 Great job you 2!
when I was young I've pointed towards a crescent moon and when I woke up from sleep in the next morning I get wounds like cuts on the back of my ear. My father then told me to be respectful to the moon in the evening and the next day my sores disappear without a trace.
Just saw you guys in Flushing! Should've stopped you for a photo ;)
+sosir7182 omg yes should've said hi!
One is "EAT THAT FISH MAKE YOU SMART!" And I'm like "But I'm already ahead of my school! Is that enough?"
Great video btw, really interesting!
I love these kind of videos :3
Sitting the month is probably the best part about childbirth. When I was little I always looked forward to it as something I'd get to do when I got old and had babies XD
Two superstitions about fish:
1) There will ALWAYS be fish for New Year's Eve Feast. DO NOT FINISH THE FISH BEFORE NEW YEAR'S DAY. This is because you'll be "leaving the fish" (liu yu), which is a homonym for "having a surplus", so your New Year will be prosperous.
2) When you're eating fish, and finish one side, never flip it on the other side. Remove the bones instead. This is an old fisherwives' tale, because flipping the fish would signify that their husbands' boats would flip. Nowadays people apply it to automobiles.
Will there be more "Journey to the East" videos? I really love that series :)
And maybe you could also make a video about Chinese proverbs?
Thank you for the video :) I love learning about the topics that you cover:)
my household superstition: If you shake your leg you will lose money in the future, because when a tree shakes it loses its leaves
you forgot a major one!
-don't stick our chopsticks into your bowl of rice vertically-
I have never heard of any of these aside from the hair thing haha. I don't know if this is considered a superstition and maybe a health thing but till this day my mom will remind me NOT to sit on a seat (train, bus) when someone gets up or I'll end up getting worms in my butt?
+ReenLuvsGreens ... what
+ReenLuvsGreens for me I heard you'll get pimples on your butt
lemontea128
Jason Lui hahaha she says its worms ... i mean yes there can be parasites (helminths) living inside you from eating animals that contain them, as well as contaminated water, so I suppose the warmth of the other person sitting on the seat is enough to incubate the eggs to hatch. Yes gross, but it happens!!! Raw fish, pork!!!
Lol my mom said almost the same thing except she said if I sit on a warm seat I might get STD from them . No kidding it scares me till this day and I NEVER take a warm seat. I'd rather stand haha.
TKay64 hahaha, that's highly unlikely unless you arent wearing pants! X-) I ALWAYS take a seat, just not when I'm with mom. :P
Filipino moms will say "GHOST WILL EAT YOU" for even the slightest thing. Like, say a chair is unstable.
"There are ghosts in that chair!"
Not exaggerating. Seriously.
Thanks!!
It's a very interesting and useful video)
AS for purchasing thing in the secondhand stores, we have a similar attitude or superstition in Ukraine .
Actually I can think of a couple of superstitions that all my school friends had heard in Australia that were meant to give you seven years bad luck - one was to walk under a ladder and the other to break a mirror.
Growing up my mom would tell me to never wash my hair on Chinese New Year because that will bring bad luck. Till this day, I can't figure out why. Lol
+Fanny Feng it has to do with washing away the good luck you get on CNY...
+reapermistress1210 that makes sense.
My mom says it will wash away my good luck
paper sons is a good topic to cover. I bet a lot of ppl are saying "paper what"? there are history of paper sons in my family. I find it very interesting.
Ooh, two more about spirits:
1) If a neighbour has died recently, you're supposed to hang a sword above the front door at night, so their ghost can't come in and haunt you. If you don't have a sword, paste a piece of red paper over the doorcracks.
2) Hang a pair of scissors outside your front door, so that they'll "cut" the spirits trying to enter your house.
I also heard that if you have a bamboo plant that you can't put it in your room.
I have another version of the nail clipping one at night. My auntie said that if you clip your nails at night and accidentally cut your skin, you won't stop bleeding. That was a little alarming...
The superstition of not cutting nails at night is common in india as well
The fact that a lot of these superstitions also exist in my native country of Bangladesh is pretty fascinating. What is more interesting is that I have 17% east asian DNA.
Hi ladies! Please do another video about superstitions from China, that us foreigners or people in general should know about when having social interactions with Chinese people. For example, when eating, do not stick your chopsticks upright in your rice bowl....
My bed faces towards my front door but it's more comfortable for me to sleep the other way for some reason..... I rearrange my sleeping position, blankets and pillows so my head instead in facing the door
I think the newest one I've heard is that if you cut/shave/alter you eyebrows you'd see ghosts or something along those lines
i don't give a single care about superstitions - but factually, you two are drop dead gorgeous!!!
I'm Mexican and one superstition I was told by my grandma was that you are not supposed to sweep at night because you are sweeping away the money from your home and if you pick the trash and throw it away you are throwing the money away to the trash. Also, if you just had a baby you are not supposed to shower or go out for 40 days. Similar to the Chinese one only that it's for 40 days.
+rcb2418 Reading at some other ones I just remembered we are not supposed to cut our hair when we're pregnant. It's bad for the baby and if there's an eclipse and you need to wear red or else you will have a miscarriage because red blocks the forces from the moon so it won't affect your water (where you hold the baby while pregnant). Also, the baby should always wear a red bracelet since when they're born because if they don't someone can pass a bad omen to the baby. In Spanish for it's called mal de ojo. By wearing red the attention and focus goes to the bracelet instead of the baby. One last one is going if someone wants to touch or carry your baby you should let them like that they don't pass bad vibes and omens to the baby. I actually did this after having my kids just in case.
There's also the one that if you go to the beach or the cemetery, before you leave you need to scream out to the baby that it's time to go especially if they're asleep or else their soul will stay there and the baby will be fussy the whole time. This is one I continue to do even now that my kids are older.
My mom told me the pointing moon superstition when I was a child.One day, I pointed the moon to make sure if it is true,few days later,my ears did hurt because I check my ears too often.
I had a homebirth and we didn't leave the house for the first 12 days. It was nice.
Sleeping with an onion will bring good luck and a strong immune system.
Boy, december must be a rough month in China this year.
With all the
"May the fours be with you" going around and all
I am a sheep/ram. My ex was from India and one day, a cousin of mine got into a fatal car crash and my ex told me it was MY fault because I clipped my nails at night. Wtf?? My cousin had been drinking and speeding and that is what caused the crash, I doubt my clipping my nails at night had anything to do with it.
+InnannasRainbow Its obviously your fault
+Jason Lui Yes, me and my murderous grooming habits!!
+Jason Lui lol
+InnannasRainbow I'm glad he's your ex now >.> That's a horrible thing to say to someone.
+AcentricOm Yeah, he was always saying something cruel.
Perhaps the nail clipping thing really stems from others not wanting to eat those noises at night? The same can be said for Japanese weaving looms. "Don't use them at night or you'll be dragged off to hell,"
Asian people like quiet. Nothing wrong with that :)
tq for this. reminds me of my childhood
i love you girls , i do miss mike and dan , but you girls are dear to my heart !, btw i feel there are some superstitions in china similar to my culture in turkey !
Nail-cuting at night thing exists in Turkey too. Maybe it was from a time from our Central Asian past.
Is it just me or are those two like really beautiful on top of having great personalities? It kinda seems that way doesn't it? So... natural... can't explain it too well.
+Pandaa Bro So are the guys in other videos. I wanna have a natural aura like them. Wonder if I have, but I don't think so.
#2 is the same in Indian culture! Haha so weird
#4 same in Indian and Islamic tradition to stay home for 40 days so you and the baby avoid getting I'll etc haha
So adorable!
If someone hands you a knife, you have to hand it back to them the same way they handed it to you (ex. if they give it to you with the blade pointing to you, you have to give it back with the blade pointing to them)
i remember being told that a wedding should be a grim sobering event coz if it starts realy bad then the people will have good times for a long time. not sure were it came from.
When I point at the moon my ear the back got a huge cut and now I have a scar
Has this channel ever made a video about the history of Chinese immigration in the United States?
+Krystal Tiffer Not yet, but I can recommend a terrific graphic novel called, "Escape to Gold Mountain."
+Nick Hentschel Interesting I am guessing that may have been one of the inspirations for the moving Iron Road.
They haven't done the history of Chinese immigration, but they did share their stories of growing up in the States with immigrant parents
in India we (or at least i am)not allowed to go out of the house if I sneeze and then I have to wait for sometime before going out....
Perhaps you guys can make a video on chinese drama as well! I seldom watch Chinese dramas yet my friend from the mainland recommends me to watch 瑯琊榜(Nirvana in the fire) recently and I think it's really good! I wonder if you guys have watched it too hahaa
I am not sure, but for one thing it would be gifting a clock, because that means you want a person to die. The number four is also another one because it sounds like death and no building that is owned by Chinese people like in Chinatown in NY would have just bar structures there. There is also eating before taking a shower because of blood circulation and such.
The nail clipping is also associated with Japanese culture apparently if you have watched the anime XXX:Holic. You won't be around to see your parents' funeral.
+TomoyaKun100 My mother always told me that only wild people and animals eat before shower. LOL
idk... I remember it more of a digestion reason
the japenese superstition says "if you clip your nails at night you won´t see your parents on their deathbed" so it kind points the same fact of inviting ghosts while clipping your nails, I do believe on the superstition of not buying any 2nd hand item, you might get the 1st owner ´s bad luck
Wow, the Hmong bed position is to not have your head faced toward the door because we carry out the dead head first.
These two ladies are dead gorgeous :)
The crusts thing is Australian. Don't know why, but my dad used to tell me the same thing.
that bed one am aware of as a Jamaican. because of the existing of the dead too.
Sicilians would say, how you treat your parents growing up is the way your children will treat you, when you have them. Also if you spill salt on the table, you must throw a pinch of salt over your shoulder for good luck.
So cool Lady's. I love learning anything Chinese.
My mom brought me up in Hindu Religion..( although were white American), but when yus mentioned about not facing the feet twords the front Door, reminded me how in Hindu Culture there is something called Vastu. In this Vastu philosophy, it tells us which way to place furniture, and the like, that will be more positive. Feng shui, is very similar concept. So cool.
I have to have my feet pointing to the door so I can see it (the door) my reason is if someone was ever to brake in id have a spilt second longer to react to someone coming into my room
I grew up in a small fishing town in Maine and they have a lot of superstitions about the sea/fishing. One big one is that pigs are VERY bad luck on any sort of boat or sea-faring vessel. when on a boat you must refer to them as "curly tails," "squealers," or something else so as not to say the word "pig." Also you couldn't bring any sort of pork onto a boat, so not bacon or ham sandwiches. My grandfather once had a fight with another fisherman and so as revenge he took a small wooden cutting board that was shaped like a pig and nailed it to the side of this other fisherman's boat. The other fisherman didn't know who did it, but did not want to use a cursed boat so he immediately sold the boat to buy a new one.
Another superstition is that women are bad luck on boats. This is thought to be because the ocean is female, so if another woman has the attention of the fishermen/sailors, the sea becomes jealous. If you then thought "So why then do they have female figure heads on boats?" remember, that all those figureheads are made to look super slutty. This is thought to make the sea embarrassed for the boat so she would avoid sending bad weather their way.
The last big one is to never whistle while on a boat. whistling is thought to taunt the wind and so either a large storm will come in to shut you up, by smashing your boat. If you whistle while on a boat, and there is an older sea captain, be ready to get smacked upside the head for being ignorant and foolhardy.
"If you don't eat this broccoli, your gonna get sick," my mom used to say.
my grandma said that if I ate broccoli I would turn into a flower and apparently I wanted to be a flower when I was like 4
Strange.. ive heard most of these but variations of them. e.g. If you point at the moon your finger will go crooked, you cant brush your hair at night or whistle. lol
Very funny interesting by these two beautiful ladies
I heard that you can't leave your chopsticks vertically in your bowl of food, as this is how it was presented to the dead.
I heard that if you sleep with your head towards a closet and closet is gui zi, it means at night there's someone (gui) kneeling by your head while you sleep.
+suna yi its not next to your head, its when then the top of your head is facing your closet
theres too many superstition here,like black cat bring misfortune,butterfly coming into room mean there will be guest,if you talk about someone and he/she came thats mean he/she will live long(whut?),dont pee on big tree or you might get haunted, and many more
the advise for new moms is not a superstition. a new mom should avoid having wind enter her body (hence stay inside for a month) and if wind and wetness get into her head she'll suffer from migrates later in life. these are based on chinese medical method of how one takes care of one's body. not a myth at all like those bad luck things.
My mom used to tell me that if I make a funny face and thee clock strikes an hour my face would stay like that
Makes sense since houyi was given an ear by the immortal queen of the west she sees it as mockery and sskkkrt
I I've hears once of the finger pointing that if someone dk soenthing bad or you do soemyhing bad and point it to some else u have the other three finger pointing at you like you have the foult. In Puerto Rico the new moms cant watch there hair but i defently cant do that i need to watch my hair at least ones a week ....those are very intresting. the one that got my thinking was the one of the beds facing the front door so creppy.
Oh! I know the toe-nail one. When you clip your nail there will be a ghost with a giant nail clipper. For each clip, the ghost will clip his BIG CLIPPER AS WELL, for each clip the ghost will inch in closer and closer with his clipper. The main point is to get close enough to clip off your head.
There's a reason for this story though. It's to tell people not to annoy people when everyone is sleeping or else, the one with low tolerance will come out of their room and beat the crap out of you. True story.
I have heard some of these, but I ignore all of them unless my parent known.
We, Kazakhs, have a superstition: you can't step on a door's threshold. Not sure where it comes from, but it might be viewed as some kind of a border between two worlds or smth.
+Sanjar Mukanov Same applies to Chinese.
+tiaopiak Oh really? Yeah I guess we have many common or similar ones.