Common Practices

A list of weird and uncommon superstitions as practiced by the Chinese are as follows:

• Hitting others with a broom will result in bad luck for many years to come.
• Brooms are to be kept during the Chinese New year period and no sweeping of the house is allowed because this will result in bad luck and loss of wealth for the household.
• Wearing a moustache and not shaving will bring about bad luck. This belief is contrary to the common portrayal of Chinese in the olden times.
• Cutting or trimming one's nail at night is not encouraged as this practice will attract wandering spirits to one.
• Dogs are believed to be able to see ghosts and spirits due to the fluid in their eyes. By applying this fluid over one's eyes, one can actually see ghosts. This is how temple medium see ghosts.
• When dogs howl for long periods at the wee hours of the mornings, this signifies death in the surrounding area.
• Babies can also sense spirits. When they sense 'unclean' spirits, they will wail without reason.
• When one dreams of teeth or snow, it means death of one's parent.
• Pointing at the moon will result in one's ears to be cut off. (This belief appears to be most fictious, mainly because the result does not happen. However, parents continue to pass on this belief as they often use this story to scare their children. Jokingly, of course.)

Point of Interest

Why are the Chinese so afraid to leave their homes at night during the seventh month of the Lunar calendar?