Picture courtesy of Dan Edwards

When it is qing ming, otherwise none as the Chinese All Souls Day, many parents would advise their children to stay indoors when the sun has set. This is because, some believe that wandering outside at night on that day, would lead to unfortunate encounters with spirits. I cannot guarantee the truth of that claim but what I am sure is, festivals related to the after-life and the dead, always bring with them a long list of superstitions.
Since Halloween is around the corner, I decided to do a little homework on the Internet and managed to rake up some rather interesting superstitions related to this night of trick-or-treating. It is funny to know how silly some of these beliefs are and the things that people come up with, in order to feel safer on a night like October 30th, sometimes make no sense at all. But then again, I guess it is better to be safe than sorry. So, let us get down to business and have you decide whether there is an ounce of truth in these beliefs or are they merely false notions…

I am sure many of you are familiar with the superstition related to black cats. Black cats are often seen as creatures of evil and are associated with witches (think Salem of Sabrina the Teenage Witch) and all things bad. Some say that if one crosses your path on Halloween, it meant that negative things would befall upon you in the future. Personally, I think this is the stupidest superstition ever. Period. Why should a black cat be singled out? Maybe it is just the animal-loving nature in me but I think people who hate black cats because of this reason are silly. I have a black cat living in the alley behind my house that I feed all the time and nothing is evil about it at all.

Picture courtesy of Steph Payne

If you are a girl, then you might be interested in this next superstition. Apparently, on Halloween, if you retreat into a dark room with one lit candle as your only light source, sit in front of a mirror and stare into it while combing your hair, you would be able to see the image of your future husband. Judging from the many similar stories that I have read in the True Singapore Ghost Stories series, I am assuming that this superstition is somewhat true. But I really do not condone doing anything like this because messing around with the supernatural is never a wise thing to do. Plus, seeing an image of your future husband will only ruin the element of surprise!
As I went on with my search for more Halloween superstitions, I realise that many of them are based on the girl-wants-to-see-future-husband theme, like the one mentioned above. Nothing spoke of ways for a guy to see the face of his future wife. I guess it only emphasises the keh poh chi nature (the busybody nature) in females! Anyway, another example of such superstition is one that involves a pillow, rosemary herbs and a silver sixpence. Some say that if you, assuming that you are single and a girl, put a rosemary herb and a silver sixpence under your pillow before you go to sleep on the night of Halloween, there is a high percentage that in your sleep, you would dream of your future husband. Sounds interesting to me but too bad, we do not have silver sixpences in Malaysia! Hmm, I wonder if a twenty cent coin would work?

Picture courtesy of Denise Yap

This might sound a tad bit scary but if you hear footsteps behind you on the night of Halloween, do not turn to look. Rumour has it that the footsteps are those of Death. If one makes the mistake of turning to look, one would be a victim of Death and die in a short period of time. Honestly, this sounds too much like a scene out of a horror movie than a superstition. However, as unreal as it may be, I do not want to take any chances. So come Halloween, if you hear footsteps behind you, and feel that the hairs behind your neck are standing, keep walking.

Are you planning to throw a Halloween party? If yes, serve mashed potatoes. An interesting tradition on Halloween day, serving mashed potatoes with a ring, a penny, a button, a heart-shaped charm, a key and a shell mixed into in can tell your dinner guests something about their future. It is something like tarot cards only without the cards but with mashed potatoes and a whole heap of other stuffs. During dinner, serve each guest a spoonful of the mashed potatoes and the one who finds the ring is likely to be the first to tie the knot. Additionally, the penny signifies incoming wealth, the button represents bachelorhood or spinsterhood, the heart-shaped charm means passionate love, the key symbolises great success and power while the shell signifies a long journey.

In conclusion, these superstitions are merely for your general knowledge. Some sound silly, some are freaky while some look fun but they may or may not be true. I believe that if we choose to believe that a superstition is true, then we would find ways to make it true. For example, if you believe in the black cat thingamajig, you will blame the black kitten you saw last week for causing you to lose your purse. So what are you going to do on Halloween? Will you be carrying a rabbit’s foot in your pocket for good luck and protection? Or are you going to go through the festival as if it is just another ordinary day?

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