SUPERSTITIONS IN INDONESIA

In Indonesia, clipping one’s nails at night is said to invite death or evil spirits

Indonesians are very superstitious. Even though the majority of them are Muslim many believe in traditional cosmology and black magic and regularly consult fortunetellers. Even the head of the nation’s religion ministry admitted that he consulted fortunetellers. “Dalang” (shadow puppeteers) and some Islamic leaders are believed to possess magical powers. Presidents Suharto and Yudhoyono were famous their use of spiritual advisors and beliefs in the supernatural.

Until recently store numbers were more likely to be a personal choice of a lucky or favorite number rather than a number that fit into a logical system of location. On Sumatra, there are jungle taboos such as bathing naked, sharing food from the same pot or dangling one’s leg over the edge of the platform they sleep on. Many local people regard the tiger as an enforcer of proper behavior and believe that a person who is killed by a tiger is being punished for some crime or transgression or broken taboo.

Indonesia is home to thousands of superstitions. With hundreds of ethnic groups spread across the archipelago, each with its own traditions and beliefs, it is no surprise there are that many. Some Indonesian superstitions are not unique. For example, the belief that opening an umbrella indoors brings misfortune—or even death—is thought to trace back to ancient Egypt, where doing so away from the sun was believed to offend the sun god Ra. Similarly, the idea that cutting one’s nails at night invites death or evil spirits is common throughout much of Asia..[Source: Yudhistira Agato, Jakarta Post, October 29, 2021]

“There are so many ghosts in Java alone, let alone all over Indonesia,” Toetik Koesbardiati, a Doctor of Philosophy and lecturer in the faculty of social and political sciences of Airlangga University told the Jakarta Post. “These beliefs and superstitions are passed down for generations.” While some of these superstitions become no longer relevant over time, those which are associated with negative consequences will not go away anytime soon. “Who wants to take the risk of getting into accidents or having unfortunate things happen for not abiding by some of these beliefs?” Toetik said, “People would rather play it safe, it’s not about superstition anymore, but it’s about being safe.” “For example, when a driver passes a bridge, he would honk his horn,” referring to a belief that quiet spots such as bridges have supernatural residents, and honking is a polite way to ask for permission, Toetik continued, “He doesn’t have to do it, but it doesn’t take a lot of effort. And the most important thing is the relief he feels after doing it.”

Suharto and Superstition

Suharto is said to have been very superstitious

The late Indonesian president Suharto considered himself a devout Muslim but was very superstitious. He regularly consulted traditional Javanese mystics, sorcerers and astrologers. He often consulted a “dukan” before making important decisions and reportedly believed that events were sometimes driven by forces manifested through a relationship between retail bar codes and the number 666. Suharto liked to visit a sacred cave on Java's Dieng plateau, the spiritual home of Semar, the infamous Javanese buffoon-god, and meditate there.

Suharto regularly consulted astrologers and made policy on their recommendations. Describing one of Suharto's dukun in action, Dorinda Elliot wrote in Time, "Working himself into a trance, Kusandi tenses, pating, growling, lunging with knuckles flexed. With spirits help, he says, he has 'become a tiger.'"

Suharto tried to develop his own mystical powers. When one of his spiritual advisors was asked by National Geographic how Suharto could be forced from power if he had mystical powers, the advisor said, “He didn’t listen to me.”

Some Indonesians believed that former president Abdurrahman Wahid (leader of Indonesia 1999-2001) had magical powers. A taxi driver told the New York Times, "Gus Dur has a sixth sense and can send you bad luck." An Indonesian journalist said people often drank from his unfinished glasses of water in hopes of being blessed. Wahid was particularly revered in East Java, where many people considered him a living saint, with some saying they had personally seen Wahid perform miracles and appear in dreams and visions.

Superstitions on Java

Superstitions are very much alive on Java. One widely shared idea concerns Tuesday, which many Javanese consider an inauspicious day. In some areas, public transportation sees noticeably fewer passengers, and a number of shop owners choose to close their businesses. This belief is often linked to the proverb “seloso – selo selone menungso” (Tuesday is the quietest point of human activity), suggesting a time better suited for reflection than for starting important endeavors. [Source: Yudhistira Agato, Jakarta Post, October 29, 2021]

Other superstitions center on dreams and omens. In the village of Siman in Lamongan, it is believed that dreaming of defecation signals the impending loss of something valuable. Although not everyone finds this to be true, the belief persists among families who pass it down through generations, illustrating how symbolic interpretations of dreams remain embedded in local culture.

Family life is also shaped by cautionary beliefs. Some Javanese hold that including a romantic partner in a family photograph before marriage can bring misfortune and even lead to the end of the relationship. Despite family approval or expectations of marriage, such relationships are thought to be “jinxed” once prematurely symbolized in a family portrait. As a result, some families avoid taking such photos altogether until a partner has officially become part of the family.

Another common practice involves leaving behind personal items in places one does not wish to return to. In regions such as Batang Regency, families may intentionally leave objects like towels or clothing in hospitals, hotels, or other locations associated with unpleasant experiences. The act is believed to symbolically sever ties with the place, ensuring that one will not have to return. This custom is often passed down through generations and reflects a broader worldview in which physical objects can carry spiritual or emotional significance.

Many of these beliefs are connected to Kejawen, a traditional system of spirituality that blends mysticism, metaphysics, and elements of older religious practices. Historically associated with royal courts such as the Cirebon Kraton, Kejawen continues to influence how many Javanese interpret signs, maintain harmony, and navigate uncertainty in daily life.

Body and Hygiene Superstitions in Indonesia

Avoid habitually biting the lower lip as this causes bad luck. Avoid habitually biting the upper lip as this would cause lots of monetary debts in life. Avoid pretending to cry as this would cause one's parents to be quickly deceased. Avoid wiping one's face with a shirt as this would result in the indifference of others towards oneself. Avoid cutting one's hair in one's home at night as this would attract negative entities that would appear in one's dreams. [Source: Luxamore]

Avoid singing or whistling while at a meal as this causes failures in one's endeavors. Women should avoid pulling the hairs of their eyebrows as this would result in frigidity and difficulty in acquiring sexual satisfaction. It is advisable to swim in a lake during full moon as this would cause one to become highly attractive. Avoid cleaning the ears at night as this would result in bad luck. Avoid giving a cat a bath as this would result in storms and hurricanes.

After examining him with a looking glass, searching for the evil eye, a sorcerer in the Riau islands told writer Tiziano Terzani to never urinate into the sun. Yudhistira Agato wrote in the Jakarta Post: In Indonesia, men have to ask for permission by literally saying phrases such as “excuse me” when urinating in public spaces such as on a tree, in a bush or next to an empty building; otherwise the resident supernatural forces of the site would “bother” them and curse them with a swollen penis. Yogyakarta-born Yogha Prasiddhamukti Wicaksana said he did it out of manners. “You’re urinating in places you shouldn’t be, so it makes sense to ask for permission,” the 34-year-old said, “I usually just say it in my head.” [Source: Yudhistira Agato, Jakarta Post, October 29, 2021]

Food Superstitions in Indonesia

Avoid eating a meal before the elders have done so as this would result in bad luck. Avoid wearing red or green swimwear at beaches as this would result in the wearer becoming a bride or bridegroom to spirit entities (incubus, succubus). [Source: Luxamore]

If you come across a piece of cayene chili in a pan for no apparent reason, this is a sign that a disaster is about to occur. If someone cooks a meal that is too salty, this is a sign that the person is in love and wishes to marry. Avoid eating rice from a small plate as this would cause your close relations to spurn you.

Avoid eating from the corner of a table as this would cause problems with the in-laws and your marriage will be in a wreck. Avoid eating in front of the door as this would cause one difficulty in finding a marriage partner.

Children should avoid moving places at the table during a meal as this would cause them to have a step-father or mother. Children should eat a lot of chicken wings if they wish to eventually visit overseas.

House Superstitions in Indonesia

Placing red onions, challis and turmeric in a bag and hung above the front door protects the house and family against black magic and negative entities. If you have a bad feeling when you are about to leave the house — then don't! As this is a sign that something disastrous might occur while out. When moving into a new house it is advisable to take along some soil from the garden of the old home and sprinkle it in the vicinity of the new so as to perpetuate the harmony established.[Source: Luxamore]

Avoid sweeping the house at night as this would make it difficult to attract luck. One should avoid whistling often in one's home as this would attract negative entities. Avoid opening umbrellas in the home as this would result in difficulties in life.

Avoid building a house facing north as this would cause the owner to fail to acquire riches. Avoid building a house facing an open field as this would cause the owner to become spendthrift. Avoid building a kitchen facing the front door as this would cause sorrows and sufferings because of money.

Avoid building a garage at the back of the house as this would always cause unfortunate circumstances. Avoid building a wall fence as high as 2-3 meters around the home as this would cause bankruptcy and to be stranded by one's business partners. Avoid building a pool inside the house as this would cause bad luck and the members of the family will alternately be stricken with illnesses. Avoid building a house with no back door as the dwellers will always be physically ill.

Sex and Appearance Superstitions in Indonesia

Avoid scratching one's head while being sexually intimate as this would result in bad luck and slander from people. Avoid looking at the sexual organs of your spouse while intercourse as this would result in bad luck for a week. Avoid intercourse commencing from the seventh-month pregnancy as this would cause the child to be unfaithful and disrespectful towards the parents. [Source: Luxamore]

Avoid peeping at others bathing as this would cause one's eyes to swell. Avoid looking at oneself in the mirror too often as this would result in others being bored and repulsed with one. Avoid being in the bathroom too long as this would make your face appear old.

Avoid combing your hair while walking as you will find yourself in an embarrassing situation. Avoid taking a bath or shower during afternoon hours as this would accelerate the aging process.

An unmarried woman should avoid washing her hair on a Saturday as this would cause her to marry a man difficult to please. Avoid sewing a button on your shirt while wearing it as this would cause a serious illness not long after that would last for about a month and you would always fail in your efforts in making a living.

Pregnancy and Birth Superstitions in Indonesia

Avoid slaughtering an animal when your wife is pregnant as this would cause the child to be born with a scar on its neck. Avoid hunting or torturing an animal when your wife is pregnant as this would cause your child to resemble the animal. Avoid wearing earrings commencing from the third month of pregnancy as this would cause you to dream of being intimate with your husband whereas in reality it is an incubus impersonating him. [Source: Luxamore]

Avoid disliking someone intensely while pregnant as this would cause your child to adopt the features of the disliked person. Avoid mocking at a handicapped person during pregnancy as this would cause your child to be born disabled. A man should avoid eating while lying down as this would cause his wife to have difficulties during labor.

Avoid keeping a spoon with the salt container during pregnancy as this would cause difficulties during labor. Avoid standing at the front door in the evenings during pregnancy as this would cause negative spirits to attack the fetus.

It is advisable to drink coconut water during the latter stage of pregnancy so that the child will be born fair of face. It is advisable for a pregnant mother to look at beautiful pictures so that her baby would be born beautiful as well. It is advisable for a pregnant mother not to be sad during pregnancy as this would cause the child to be born to become a whiner.

It is advisable to open the doors and windows of your home so that your wife will give birth without complications. It is advisable to bury the placenta of the new-born child somewhere in the ground at the backdoor of the house so that the child will never be in want. It is unfortunate if a guest suddenly gives birth in your home as this causes bad luck. It is advisable to move house quickly.

Spirit, Mental Health and Funeral Superstitions in Indonesia

Avoid shouting or using vulgar words while in the woods or wilderness as this would cause oneself to be possessed by negative entities. If a dog howls at midnight signifies a visit from ancestral spirits. If a dog howls past midnight signifies a wandering earthbound spirit in the premises. It is said that the blood of a black dog is capable of exorcizing possessing spirits. [Source: Luxamore]

Making a wish during a falling star can make that wish come true. Avoid urinating at the foot of big trees as this would inflame the tree-spirits and cause them to possess oneself. Avoid keeping the dust or soil from a grave as this would cause the spirit related to the grave to haunt the place where the soil is kept. Carry the rare not hollow piece of bamboo to ward-off black magic.

It is advisable to sleep beyond midnight and sleep on the floor to avoid psychic attacks. It is advisable to keep sacred objects in the home to protect one's family. It is advisable for pregnant women to place a pair of scissors underneath the pillow while sleeping to protect against psychic attack and black magic.

It is advisable not to look at a coffin when it is being lowered into the ground as this could result in a serious illness. It is advisable not to look at a coffin being closed and nailed as this could cause bad luck for a year. It is advisable to wash one's face after escorting a coffin to its grave so as to avoid being followed by the ghost of the deceased.

If a lamp goes off in a room where the deceased is kept prior to burial, indicates that another member of the family will soon face death. If a dog howls as though weeping at midnight signifies death in the family

Money, Menstruation, Family and Friend Superstitions in Indonesia

Avoid mistreating one's daughter as this would cause her to be mistreated later on by her husband. Avoid beating one's daughter at her buttocks as this would cause her later on to become sexually hyperactive and would cause much domestic problems. [Source: Luxamore]

One should avoid giving handkerchiefs to one's lover as this would result in a break in the relationship. Avoid taking pictures with odd-numbers of people present as this would result in the quick death of one of them. If a sparrow finds its way in one's home signifies a marriage in one's family. If a butterfly finds its way in one’s home signifies a visit from an important visitor.

Avoid making payments at night as this would result in bad luck and bankruptcy. If a cat licks one's foot signifies that someone close to us will acquire a windfall within one month.

If you begin menstruating on a Sunday you will meet an old friend. If you begin menstruating on a Monday you will soon acquire luck. If you begin menstruating on a Tuesday you will soon be enjoying yourself in the following days. If you begin menstruating on a Wednesday you will soon clash with someone. If you begin menstruating on a Thursday you will soon experience unfortunate incidents and be in much sorrow. If you begin menstruating on a Friday you will soon have fun. If you begin menstruating on a Saturday you will soon have a pleasant surprise.

Image Sources: Wikimedia Commons

Text Sources: “Encyclopedia of World Cultures Volume 5: East/Southeast Asia:” edited by Paul Hockings, 1993; “Culture and Customs of Indonesia” by Jill Forshee, Greenwood Press, 2006; National Geographic, New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Smithsonian magazine, Encyclopedia.com, Library of Congress, Indonesia Tourism website (indonesia.travel), Indonesia government websites, Live Science, The Conversation, The New Yorker, Time, BBC, CNN, Reuters, Associated Press, AFP, Lonely Planet Guides, Google AI, Wikipedia, The Guardian and various websites, books and other publications.

Last updated April 2026