SUPERSTITIONS IN THE PHILIPPINES

The Waray and Bisaya peoples believe that when a colugo like that pictured above cries loudly at dawn there will be no rain for the whole day

Common Filipino superstitions: 1) If a person bites his tongue, it means somebody is thinking of him; 2) A girl with white spots on her fingernails is inconstant in love; 3) It is bad to sweep the floor at six o'clock in the evening for it means driving away good fortune and graces; 4) It is bad to sweep the floor when there are people playing cards or gambling because luck is being swept away; 5) One should not open an umbrella while inside a house; a centipede is likely to fall from the ceiling and he will be bitten by it; 6) If a pregnant woman sews her dress while wearing it, her baby will be born without a hole in the rectum; 7) Appearance of a comet foretells war, pestilence and calamity; 8) When a star gets near the moon, it is an omen of war. 8) A traditional belief holds that rain can be prevented during an outdoor event by offering eggs to Santa Clara (Saint Clare). According to custom, the eggs are given to nuns of the Order of Saint Clare, who accept them as an offering, though the sunshine itself is never guaranteed. [Source: livinginthephilippines.com]

Beliefs in anting-anting—amulets or talismans—has been recorded since Spanish colonial times and remains widespread. These charms often contain Christian symbols or Latin words and are believed to grant protection, invisibility, or invincibility. Some people also consider them lucky charms for prosperity or fertility. In folklore, warriors, bandits, and members of religious folk sects are often said to possess especially powerful anting-anting. Gayuma refers to love charms or spells believed to attract or control the affection of another person. When someone suddenly falls deeply in love or becomes attracted to an unlikely partner, people sometimes say the person has been placed under a gayuma. [Source: “Culture Shock!: Philippines” by Alfredo Roces and Grace Roces, Marshall Cavendish International, 2010]

Some Filipinos observe numerical superstitions. The number 13 is often avoided at gatherings or dining tables. When building a house, the steps leading to the main entrance should not fall on numbers divisible by three. A common counting phrase—oro, plata, mata (“gold, silver, death”)—is used while descending steps, and the final step should not land on mata. The lucky dates of the twelve months of the year are the following: January 1, 3, 4, 5, 28, 29; February 2, 4, 5, 17, 26, 27, 28; March 2, 3, 8, 9, 10 April 2, 6, 25, 26, 27; May 1, 2, 3, 4, 12, 13, 18, 20; June 3, 5, 16, 19, 24, 30; July 4, 12, 15, 19, 26; August 6, 9, 14, 19, 26, 31; September 3, 12, 20, 21, 29; October 7, 12, 17, 24, 29, 30; November 1, 2, 11, 18, 23, 28; December 5, 8, 16, 20, 24, 25./~/

The Filipinos have a whole Pantheon of Gods like Bathala, Lakampati, Kabunian, Diyan Masalanta, etc. Most of these stories are passed orally, and some tribes have different names for the same deity. So, there is a lot of confusion about the names of Gods, and the mythology associated with them. Due to Christian and Islamic influence, most Filipinos believe in a single Supreme Being, but follow the ancient traditions. Some people also believe in their native Gods, practicing a blend of animism and Islam or Christianity. Some of the remote tribes and rural populace worship Diwatas (plant or animal spirits), and are generally more superstitious. [Source: Buzzle.com]

Superstitious Filipinos

Sambal and Dumagat peoples believe that the foul odor of takang demonyo or kalumpang pictured above attracts two supernatural creatures, namely the tulung, monstrous tikbalang-like beings, and the binangunan, fire horses

Felisa Daskeo wrote in anthropology.knoji.com: “Filipinos are very superstitious, especially the old people. Added to that, the beliefs have great influence in their day to day life. Many people still believe that these superstitious beliefs can help them cope with life; although many new generations aren't affected by the beliefs and consider them only part of the old ways. Many Filipinos still cling to the traditional practices, beliefs and traditions. They are still strongly rooted to the superstitious beliefs that they believe could help them deal with day to day occurrences and events. [Source: Felisa Daskeo, anthropology.knoji.com, October 1, 2012 -]

“Many Filipinos still spice their life with superstitious beliefs that they strongly believe could help them cope with day to day activities especially the most important events in life such as marriage, finding a job and moving to a new house. To a lot of Filipinos, superstitious beliefs are very crucial in making decisions and planning an important event. The superstitious beliefs of Filipinos are often consulted especially during important occasions such as weddings, trips, moving to a new house, opening a business, finding a job and many more major events in life. -

The Lenten season is associated with many traditional taboos and beliefs. Some people avoid traveling or bathing on Holy Thursday and Good Friday. Others test the supposed power of their anting-anting during this period. A folk belief also says that if children jump high during the offertory at Mass on Holy Saturday, they will grow taller. Former President Joseph Estrada of the Philippines keeps a cracked mirror in his home to ward off bad spirits. Filipinos still slit the throat of a white chicken and sprinkle its blood over the construction site of a new home for good luck.

Some Filipino Christians believe in the existence and power of anitos (minor deities which are revered and esteemed as intermediaries to God); they believe in the power of quacks and faith-healers to cure certain ailments that physicians could not; they believe in the power of witches to inflict illness on any individual who has incurred their displeasure. Many Filipino Christians still cling to ancient beliefs and practices. Superstition is a fixed irrational idea; a notion maintained in spite of evidence to the contrary. A person may be said to be superstitious if he believes in, is addicted to, or is swayed by ideas or notions contrary to reason or scientific knowledge. [Source: Buzzle.com]

Ten Superstitions That Influence The Lives of Filipinos

Felisa Daskeo wrote in anthropology.knoji.com: “Here are 10 superstitious beliefs that many Filipinos believe can help them deal with life. 1) The phase of the moon is very important when planning very important events. According to Filipino beliefs, the phase of the moon is crucial when planning something. Thus, it is better to find a job during the waxing period of the moon rather than during the waning period. 2) A black cat crossing your path means bad luck. Many people in the Philippines believe that when a cat crosses their path they should go back to their house and postpone their plan or errand for the day because pushing with the plan may produce bad results. To some, the black cat means a warning that something dangerous maybe waiting to happen. In order to be safe, people prefer to stay at home first. [Source: Felisa Daskeo, anthropology.knoji.com, October 1, 2012 -]

3) The bride should never try on the wedding dress. It is believed that if the bride tries on the wedding dress before the wedding takes place, the wedding will not pursue or something negative will occur. 4) A single woman who sings while cooking will marry a widower. Single women are often advised not to sing while cooking because they will marry a widower. 5) Combing hair at night means you are inviting the early death of your parents. The old people forbid combing hair at night because of the belief. 6) Black ants inside the house means good luck. When black ants are parading inside the house, you should be happy because it means that there is something good brewing. It could mean money coming or a job promotion. -

7) Taking pictures with your boyfriend or girlfriend means engagement will be broken. If you want to marry your boyfriend or girlfriend then avoid taking pictures with him or her. In some instances, young men and women who are just playing around with their girlfriend or boyfriend would invite their sweetheart to take pictures with them in the hope that their relationship will end. Some surprisingly achieve their wish but others end up marching to the altar. -

8) Before moving to a new house; you should bring the following to the house first: salt, rice, water and a religious image. According to Filipino beliefs, these things will help bring positive energy to the house which will help the occupants become successful. 9) You should not sit on a pillow because it will mean slow recovery from an illness. According to beliefs, a person who sits on his pillow will undergo a slow recovery process when he gets sick. 10) A child becomes smarter if you trim his hair when he is exactly one year old then insert his cut hair between books. According to beliefs of some Filipinos; children are supposed to have their hair trimmed only if they are already one year old. Some strongly forbid trimming the kids’ hair if they are not yet one year old. According to some, it is best if you trim the child’s hair and insert the cut hair in books. -

These are only superstitious beliefs but many Filipinos make these beliefs part of their day to day life. Whether they are advantageous or disadvantageous depends on how the person involved sees the situation. The modern age has made many Filipinos changed their lifestyle including the traditions. Most of the younger generations do not anymore believe in superstitious beliefs. -

117 Common Superstitions in the Philippines

According to livinginthephilippines.com: 1) If one passes through the window instead of the door, a ghost will come. 2) When two dogs bark at night there is a ghost. 3) Before six o'clock at night, children should be in the house or else they may bump into a person without a head. 4) When one passes by an anthill, one should ask to be excused, otherwise, a spirit will play tricks on that person. 5) A person who always uses a bandage on Fridays is a witch. 1) If a person bites his tongue, it means somebody is thinking of him. 2) A girl with white spots on her fingernails is inconstant in love. 3) It is bad to sweep the floor at six o'clock in the evening for it means driving away good fortune and graces. 4) It is bad to sweep the floor when there are people playing cards or gambling because luck is being swept away. 5) One should not open an umbrella while inside a house; a centipede is likely to fall from the ceiling and he will be bitten by it. 6) If a pregnant woman sews her dress while wearing it, her baby will be born without a hole in the rectum.

7) If a pregnant woman sits on the stairs, she will have a difficult time in delivering her baby. 8) If a pregnant woman wears a necklace or a choker, the umbilical cord of her baby will also be wound around its neck endangering its life. 9) If the direction of the wooden slats of a floor are not parallel to the stairs, good fortune will not come to the dwellers of the house. 10) If sweethearts give each other gifts like shoes or slippers, their relationship will not last long. 11) If a boy gives his sweetheart a necklace as a gift and the necklace is broken, it means that they are not meant for each other. 12) If the coffin of a dead person bumps against something during the funeral, someone will soon die. 13) If the coffin of a dead person is too big for his size, someone will also die soon. 14) In bringing the coffin down the house, the head should be the first so that the dead will have an easy journey to his destiny. 15) The dead in the coffin should face the rising sun upon interment so that his soul will not suffer very much. 16) If two sisters or two brothers get married within the same year, one will have a prosperous married life; the other, a sorrowful life. 17) If a couple receives a urinal as a wedding gift they wife have luck, prosperity and riches. 18) If a couple receives a crucifix as a wedding gift, they will have a peaceful relationship. 19) In a church wedding ceremony, the first of the couple to reach the altar and to go out of the church will be the dominant one. [Source: livinginthephilippines.com /~/]

20) If the veil sponsor in the wedding ceremony is still single, she is doomed to be an old maid. 21) He whose candle is put off during the wedding ceremony wife die first. 22) If a pregnant woman looks beautiful and kind, she will have a baby girl; if she looks ugly and cruel, she will have a baby boy. 23) A pregnant woman who gives birth to a baby boy will have a painful delivery; one who has a girl will have an easy delivery. 24) If one combs his hair at night, his parents will die. 25) If one puts his used plates over those of others while some are still eating, the last one to leave the table will have many problems. 26) If one gives a wallet or a bag as a gift, he must put some money in it or else such wallet or bag will bring bad luck. 27) Counting money on the midnights of December 24 up to January 1 of the New Year will bring a person endless wealth during the whole year.

28) One must pay all his debts before January 1st of the New Year or else he will always be in debt the whole year. 29) Rice bags and salt containers in the home must always be full to maintain a bountiful life. 30) On Good Fridays one must not do hard work, take a bath, eat meat or make any noise because God is dead. 31) On Easter Sunday, all children must jump high upon hearing the sound of the church Easter bells so that they will grow taller. 32) There must be a feast or banquet on Easter Sunday to celebrate the new life of Jesus Christ. 33) When a person receives as a gift a statue of Buddha with children around him, the receiver will be lucky with his children. 34) When a person receives as a gift a statue of Buddha without children around him, the receiver's business will fail. 35) If one receives a jade stone or his own birth stone as a gift, he wife be lucky in life. 36) If one receives a diamond as a gift, he will be lucky in business. 37) Putting a statue of Sto) Niño(The Holy Child) in one's store or business place brings good luck. 38) One must make the sign of the cross before he leaves his house or before taking a long journey so that he will arrive safely at his destination. 39) If one breaks a mirror, he will have seven years of bad luck./~/

40) Upon transferring to a new house, the occupants must bring rice and salt first so that they will have a prosperous life in that house) 41) If a relative dies, the children related to the dead must be lifted across the coffin before it is put into the grave so that the soul of the dead will not visit them. 42) During interment of the dead, the children should wear red clothes so that the soul of the dead will not bother them. 43) The people in the first house to which a newly-baptized child is brought should voluntarily give some money so that a good and prosperous life will come to the child. 44) Eating peanuts makes a person intelligent. 45) If parents want their child to be a good orator or speaker when he grows, they must feed him with the cooked female organ of a pig. 46) If the umbilical cord of a baby is inserted in the staircase of the house, its grasp will be strong.

47) If red ants are abundant in a certain part of a house, good fortune will come to the occupants of the house) 48) If one's left palm is itchy, money is coming to him; if his right palm is itchy, money will be spent by him. 49) If a black butterfly enters the house, someone in the family will die. 50) If a baby is born with a mole on his forehead, he will grow up an intelligent man. 51) If a baby is born with a mole on his shoulder, he will have a lot of hardships and sorrow in life. 52) If a baby is born with a mole on his foot, he will travel a lot. 53) If a baby is born with a mole near his eye, he will be easily widowed, and for several times. 54) When the temporary tooth of a child is extracted, that tooth should be thrown out with a request that the rats should give him another new and fine tooth. 55) Broken mirrors or glasses in the house should be removed; otherwise, good luck will not come to that house. 56) A man with natural curly hair is temperamental and moody. 57) A man with a hairline that is elongated at the back is stingy. 58) A man with a deep nape is stingy. 59) A woman with a mole at the nape will have many suitors. /~/

60) A child with two cowlicks on his head is a hard-headed but lucky child. 61) There should be pansit or noodles in a birth celebration so that the celebrant will have a long life. 62) If there is a pregnant woman in a house, garlic, vinegar and a bob should be placed on the window so that vampires will not eat the fetus. 63) A woman who has just delivered a baby should take hot soup after her first bath so that she will regain her youthful skin. 64) If one wants to be remembered by a friend, she should put that friend's picture under her own pillow when she sleeps at night. 65) Upon entering a town church for the first time, one should make a wish so that good luck will come to him. 66) In constructing a house, silver coins or cash money are put within the principal posts so that prosperity will come to the dwellers of that house. 67) If one gets lost on his way to a certain place, he should invert his shirt and he will find his way. 68) A woman with thick and rounded heels is by nature lazy. 69) A person with a flat foot is by nature a slow-foot.

70) A person with a wide forehead is intelligent. 71) A person with a narrow forehead is dull. 72) A person with a mole on the lips is talkative. 73) A person with a mole between the two eyes is lucky in business. 74) A person with a wide shoulder is lazy. 75) One must not spend money on a Monday because money will be going out of his pocket the whole week. 76) A businessman must make sure that his first customer on Mondays buys from him, otherwise business the whole week will not be good. 77) A sponsor in a house blessing must toss coins as he holds a lighted candle inside the house so that prosperity and good luck will come to the dwellers. 78) Lending or giving out rice from your house at night brings bad luck. 79) The main door of the house should face the rising sun so that good luck and abundance will come inside the house. /~/

“80) Using broken plates inside the house brings bad luck. 81) Flowerpots should not be placed one over the other because there will be misfortune for the family year after year. 82) When there is hard rain and strong lightning, one should spray vinegar au over the house and cover all the mirrors so that the lightning will not strike the house. 83) A baby's eyelashes should be cut short within its first three months so that they will grow long and curly. 84) A newly-born baby should be tossed up into the air after its first bath so that it will not grow up a frightful person. 85) Changing the name of a baby who is critically ill may save his life. 86)Cutting one's fingernails on days when the Sorrowful Mysteries is prayed brings bad luck. 87) When a person changes his place from one to another while eating, he will be unfaithful to his life partner. 88) Sweeping the floor when there is a wake for the dead in that house is never done because someone else in the family will also die. 89) Helping a baby to turn on its stomach for the first time is not good for it will grow up a very dependent person.

90) One must avoid giving handkerchiefs as gifts because the recipient of the handkerchiefs is likely to cause grief to the giver. 91) Sweethearts should not be baptismal sponsors of the same child; therwise, their relationship will not end up in marriage. 92) A pregnant woman should not have her picture taken because her baby will be born abnormal. 93) A pregnant woman should not act as a baptismal sponsor because her baby might die. 94) The first time a baby lies face down, he should be placed sitting on a basin so that he will be wealthy when he grows up. 95) A hungry person must not greet a child; otherwise, the child will grow thin from a bad stomach ache. 96) During the first three months of a woman's pregnancy she should not be fond of babies or else she will vomit and become uncomfortable. 97) During the period of intense craving felt by a conceiving woman, she should not take notice of fruit-bearing trees for the trees might die. 98) A woman who sings while cooking will not be able to marry throughout her life. 99) A younger child in the family should not get married ahead of the older one because misfortune will befall him; the older one may not get married anymore. /~/

“100) Bad luck will come to the dwellers of a house whose last step of the stairs faces the main exit of the house. 101) Houses on dead end street should not have gates directly facing the street; otherwise, an occupant of the house will die from an accident. 102) If tears are shed on the coffin of the dead, the soul of the dead person will never have peace. 103) When there are cats fighting in the neighborhood, children of one family will soon also be fighting one another. 104) When one goes to borrow money from a friend and on the way a cat crosses his path, she should not go on with his intention because the cat is an indication that his friend will not lend him money. 105) Talking when eating something is an act of rejecting God's grace. 106) Visitors should be asked to enter the house at once and not stop at the door or else the pregnant woman in the house will have some suffering. 107) The new-born should be given ampalaya (bitter melon) juice before the first breast feeding to improve the baby's appetite and prevent his becoming choosey or finicky about food when he grows up. 108) The child's bath should be withheld on Fridays to prevent his developing serious illness. 109) The baby's first nail trimmings should be buried under the stairway to prevent falls.

110) The placenta should be buried near the kitchen to keep both mother and baby healthy. 111) The cord stump should be carefully watched and kept immediately if it falls off, for if a mouse gets hold of it the baby would be sickly. 112) To ensure a bright future for the child, the mother places coins, papers, pencils or diamond rings in the basin used for his first bath. 113) Eczematous children are dressed in black clothes to make the course of the disease shorter. 114) Skin eruptions are treated with saliva and chewed buyo leaves applied on the skin. 115) A house in which a member of the family dies is burned or abandoned to prevent illness and death of the other members of the family. 116) Seven (7) is a lucky number and all other odd numbers are lucky). 117) The premature delivery of a baby is an evidence of sin. /~/

Groupings of Superstitions Among Filipinos

Filipinos have their own set of superstitious beliefs they have inherited from their ancestors. Such superstitions cover all departments of life like building a house, birth, romance, marriage, how to attract good luck and shoo away bad luck, promotion of sound health and avoiding sickness, and superstitions on death itself. Some of these superstitious are distinctly Filipino while others have been derived from other cultures. Some are amusing others appear downright ridiculous if not exasperating. While most of these beliefs are national in scope, some are confined to a particular ethnic or regional group. Below are examples of these superstitious beliefs. [Source: felixfojas.wordpress.com , March 6, 2012 ^*^]

Money-related Superstitions: 1) Paying a debt at night brings bad luck. 2) Never let money pass through a window because money will run away from you. 3) Avoid borrowing money on the first hour of the day, the first day of the week, the first week of the month, and the first month of the year. You will never become rich and will always be haunted by creditors. 4) Black ants inside the house are an omen of good fortune. 5) Placing money bills or coins on top of the dining table attracts bad luck for it means that all your income will go to food expenses and nothing will be left for other things. 6) Showering the rooms of a new house with coins before moving in will bring prosperity. 7) Ornamental plants with round leaves inside the house are signs of good luck, while keeping vines that grow downward are bad luck. 8) Bills should be arranged neatly inside the wallet or purse from the largest to the smallest denomination in such a way that when you open your wallet the first to be seen will be the largest bill. 9) Do not shun or avoid keeping creased or dirty money. You should not regard money as something filthy. 10) Don’t put your bag or wallet on the ground because it is debasing the worth of money. 11) Do not hoard money. Let it circulate by putting it in a bank or buying something with it. 12) Use your right hand when paying money and the left hand when receiving money. 13) Use green-colored objects to attract money. 14) If you keep money in a pouch roll the bills into circles because circles represent infinity. ^*^

New Year Superstitions: 1) Wear a polka-dot shirt or dress to prosperity on New Year’s Eve to attract prosperity the whole year round. 2) Exploding firecrackers and ringing bells at the stroke of midnight on New Year will bring good luck. 3) If the first sound one hears at the stroke of midnight is a dog barking or a cock crowing, the coming year will be gloomy for such is an omen of financial difficulties ahead, sickness, typhoons and other calamities. But if the first sound is that of a goat, a cow or a carabao (water buffalo), the year ahead will be prosperous. 4) On New Year one must refrain from buying a lot of things, instead one must save money to increase one’s savings the whole year. 5) Merchants should sell their wares at a low price during New Year to attract more business. 6) Raining on New Year means prosperity and a bountiful harvest for the year. 7) Everyone must rise early and keep busy on New Year. 8) Whatever one does on New Year, whether constructive or counter-productive, will determine how he will fare for the rest of the year. ^*^

Sundry Superstitions: 1) Meeting a funeral entourage, riding a vehicle with 13 passengers, or traveling on a Good Friday invites bad luck and accidents. 2) Among the Maranaws of Mindanao, hearing the sound of a house lizard is an omen that one should not travel on that day. 3) Walking under a ladder is bad luck. 4) Cavitenos believe that a son or daughter who is devoted to his or her parents will receive a lot of blessings after the death of the parents. 5) A baby greeted and kissed by a stranger will get sick. 6) A person whose face does not reflect in the mirror is either a vampire or a witch. 7) If a person cannot look another in the eye, he is surely possessed by an evil spirit. 8) Opening an umbrella indoors brings bad luck. 9) A maiden who sings in front of a stove will marry a widower.

10) A spoon that accidentally drops on the floor means that an unexpected female visitor will arrive. If it is a fork that drops means that the surprise visitor will be a man. 11) It is unlucky to cut one’s hair or fingernails after sundown. 12) If one accidentally bites his tongue people are talking about him. 13) It is bad luck to comb one’s hair after dark. 14) If one sleeps while his hair is still wet, he will develop bad eyesight. 15) If a bad spirit tries to confuse and mislead a traveller, reversing his shirt will enable him to reach his destination safely. 16) If one catches a two-tailed lizard, he will be lucky in gambling. 17) Throwing a handful of salt into the fire will bring instant relief to a depressed person. ^*^

Flower and Plant Omens: 1) The kalachuchi, a Philippine ornamental plant, is believed to be a harbinger of death. 2) A family living in a house surrounded by flowers called bandera espanola will always run into debt, no matter how large its income. 3) The barrio folks of Negros Occidental believe that the fragrance of the dama de noche attracts witches. 4) The Cebuanos believe that the azucena flower brings misfortune and even death. In contrast young swains in Northern Mindanao consider the same flower as a lucky love charm. 5) In Cebu the century plant, a hardy ornamental vine, is also considered as a plant that attracts death in the family. 6) In the mountain barrio of Igboras, Iloilo, the tree of the fragrant ilang-ilang is regarded as bad luck because evil spirits always haunts it. 7) The fishermen of Semirara Island in Antique believe that the everlasting flower is lucky because it brings a big catch to fishermen and staves off danger at sea. 8) Many folks subscribe to the superstition that the wood rose can ward off lightning and brings long life. ^*^

Meaning of Moles in the Philippines

1) A mole on the back of a man augurs conflict and misfortune, while on a woman it foretells hardship in life and difficulty in giving birth. 2) A mole on the back of the neck means that the person is a liar and is an unfaithful lover. 3) A mole on the left shoulder means that the person will carry a heavy burden in life. 4) A mole on the temple is a sign of wisdom and courage. 5) A mole in between the eyebrows means that a person easily attracts the opposite sex and has magnetic appeal. 6 ) A mole on the eyebrow in a man means that he is a flirt and is inconstant in affairs of the heart. In the case of a woman it means loyalty when it comes to love. [Source: felixfojas.wordpress.com , March 6, 2012 ^*^]

7) For both men and women, a mole on the corner of the eye where the tears flow means the person will always survive his or her mate and marry many times. 8) A person who has a mole on the center of his forehead means that he possesses an acute intellect and will be successful in business. 9) A mole on the nose means that a person is oversexed. 10) A mole on the left chin is a sign of prosperity and many children. 11) A mole on the right chin means that the person has a good heart and knows how to manage his financial resources. 12) A mole on the upper lip means good luck in marriage. 13) A mole on the neck means lung problems but also a big inheritance. ^*^

14) A mole on the center of the chest means that the person will always be happy, loyal, and brave and is protective of his name and honor. 15) A mole on a man’s heart means that he is a flirt while on a woman means that she is loyal when it comes to love. 16) A person who has a mole on the right side of his chest just above the ribs is a sign of cowardice and a low intelligence. 17) A mole on the stomach indicates that the person is a glutton, is selfish, and is untidy in the way he grooms himself. 18) In a woman a mole near the navel means she will bear a lot of children, while in a man it means that he will always be energetic. 19) A mole on the hips signifies that the person will have many children, has a sound health, is industrious and has forbearance. 20) A mole on the right thigh means prosperity and happiness in marriage. 21) A mole on the left thigh means a life of hardship and lack of friendship. 22) A mole on the right knee means that a person will have a happy marriage but will lack friends. 23) A mole on the leg is a sign of a lazy and irresponsible person. 24) In a man a mole on the heel indicates that he is fond of grooming himself and wearing stylish clothes. In a woman it means that she is stubborn but industrious.

House Building Superstitions

1) Palm fronds consecrated by a priest are placed in the different corners of the house to prevent the entry of evil spirits. 2) In the Tagalog region, house plans in the shape of a cross are supposed to be a jinx. 3) The owner of a new house that has been superimposed on an old house will have a short life. 4) A sunken living room brings bad luck and sickness to the house. 5) Doors that face west will bring quarrels, diseases and death in the family. 6) A mirror placed on the wall facing the main door of a house will deflect good luck that enters the house. 7) The foundation of a post should be bathed with the blood of a pig or white chicken to appease the spirits presiding on the land on which the house was erected. This is based on an ancient Filipino tradition. 8) To make a house typhoon-resistant, the posts should be turned clockwise before being permanently cemented and secured. 9) Allowing the shadow of a post to fall on you while erecting it is a bad omen. Shadows falling in the holes dug for securing the posts also bring bad luck. [Source: felixfojas.wordpress.com , March 6, 2012 ^*^]

10) Using posts with cracks will attract bad luck. 11) The ridge of the roof should face neither east nor west. 12) To bring good luck to a child, its first extracted milk tooth is hidden under the roof. 13) It is bad luck to sweep the floor at night. Aside from sweeping away the wealth in the house, it will also cause centipedes crawling on the ceiling to fall down. 14) Erecting a house in front of a dead-end street will bring bad luck to its occupants, whether it is the original owners or tenants. Although this superstition is locally attributed to the Pampangos of Central Luzon, it probably originated from the Chinese who believe that a house with such a location is bad feng sui and will bring financial misfortune or a death in the family. 15) Another popular house-building superstition is the cornerstone laying ritual of burying coins under the posts of a house being erected to attract prosperity and good luck. This practice originated from the Ilocanos of Northern Luzon. ^*^

16) Among the Tagalogs of Southern Luzon, the number of the stair-steps is crucial and must be counted in a series of threes called oro, plata and mata or gold, silver and death, respectively. The counting should start from the bottom rung and end on the topmost rung. If the topmost rung coincides with oro or plata, it will attract good. If, however, the aforementioned rung coincides with mata, it will bring bad luck. 17) For those living in concrete houses, an old coin must be imprinted on the cemented doorstep to ensure a steady flow of money. 18) It is imperative that a house faces east where the sun rises to guarantee prosperity. In contrast, a house that faces west where the sun sets is a jinx and will bring bad luck. This superstition was borrowed from the Ancient Chinese. 19) Doors should always be on the right side of the house and the stairs should always turn to the right to keep a married couple loyal to each other for life. Doors erected on the left side of the house and stairs that turn to the left will encourage infidelity. 20) Doors should not be built facing each other for it portends that money will come in easily but will also rush out quickly. As a stopgap measure, doors can be built parallel to walls so that money entering the house will stay in the house and be saved. 21) Septic tanks must not be constructed higher than the ground for it would demand a sacrifice in human life. Neither should septic tanks and toilets be built near the kitchen because it would contaminate the food in a psychic sense and will bring sickness to the family. 22) The owner must transfer to the new house not later than six in the morning during the new moon to attract good luck and prosperity, and the first things that must be brought inside the house are salt, rice and coins. ^*^

23) No part of the house should cover or hang over the stump of a newly cut tree. Neither should a new house overlap any portion of an old house. 24) A two-story building that is remodeled into a single story will shorten the lives of its occupants. 25) A snake that enters the house brings good luck as long as it doesn’t bite any of the occupants. This is probably based on the practice of Filipinos during the Spanish colonial times to keep pythons in the partition between the roof and the ceiling to reduce the rodent population the house. 26) While number 7 and 11 bring good luck, number 13 is never used as an address number or the number of a story in a building. 27) An injury to a construction worker while a house or building is being erected is an omen of bad luck that can be neutralized by killing a pig or a white chicken and sacrificing its blood to the spirits. 28) A balete tree is considered to be haunted and must not be cut down when building a house or else the spirits will attack the construction workers as well as the owner of a house. ^*^

Conception, Pregnancy and Birth Superstitions

1) A conceiving woman should only be shown photographs of beautiful women and handsome men in order to give birth to a beautiful baby. If she sees photos of ugly people, she might give birth to an ugly babe. Likewise, a woman’s favorite food during conception will affect the physical characteristics of her child. Say if a woman likes to eat pork a lot, she might give birth to a baby that looks like a pig or has a hairy birthmark just like the skin of a pig. 2) If the pregnant woman hops over her husband, her morning sickness will transfer to her husband. 3) Anyone who shares the food being eaten by a pregnant woman will suffer from spells of drowsiness, dizziness and vomiting. 4) Plants will wither and trees will bear sour fruits if touched by a pregnant woman. [Source: felixfojas.wordpress.com , March 6, 2012 ^*^]

5) If a pregnant woman eats eggplants her baby will have violet discolorations on its skin, while eating twin bananas will cause her to give birth to twins. 6) If a woman looks pretty during pregnancy she will give birth to a girl, whereas if she looks ugly she will give birth to a boy. In the same vein, if the woman’s stomach is rounded, it will be a girl; but if the stomach is pointed, the baby will be a boy. 7) A pregnant woman must not attend funerals, have her picture taken, or stand under doorways for it will lead to a difficult delivery or even death of the baby. 8) A woman who accidentally falls down hard will deliver a hare-lipped baby. 9) Pregnant women are prone to aswang (vampire) attacks. Garlic should be hung near the windows and the husband must always keep a stingray tail in the bedroom to discourage vampires from entering it and eating the foetus. ^*^

10) Pregnant women should bathe in the afternoon to prevent hypertension. 11) A pregnant woman who watches a lunar eclipse is in danger of having a miscarriage. She must not leave the house at sundown or twilight without wearing a shawl on her head to prevent giving birth to a bald child. 12) The birth of a child signals good luck in the family. 13) To make a baby fortunate wrap it in old or borrowed clothes. 14) It is unlucky to show a baby’s clothes before it is born. 15) When breast-feeding a woman’s milk will curdle if she eats watermelon, mangoes or any sour fruit for that matter. 16) Breast-feeding mothers should drink a lot of milk to produce a good supply of milk. 17) A baby’s umbilical cord must be immediately buried upon the birth of a child to attract good luck. A baby with its umbilical cord wrapped around its neck like a noose will mean good luck. 18) A baby born with its head covered with a hood of thin skin will not die by drowning and will become famous when it grows up. ^*^

Usog (Filipino Evil Eye)

Usog or balis is a topic in psycho-medicine in Filipino Psychology (but considered just as a Filipino superstition in Western Psychology) where an affliction or psychological disorder is attributed to a greeting by a stranger, or an evil eye hex. It usually affects an unsuspecting child, usually an infant or toddler, who has been greeted by a visitor or a stranger. In some limited areas, it is said that the condition is also caused by the stranger having an evil eye or masamang mata in Tagalog, lurking around. This may have been influenced by the advent of the Spaniards who long believed in the mal de ojo superstition. [Source: Wikipedia]

Once affected, the child begins to develop fever, and sometimes convulsions. Supposedly, the child can be cured by placing its clothing in hot water and boiling it. In most other places, to counter the effects of the "usog" the stranger or newcomer is asked to put some of his or her saliva on the baby's abdomen, shoulder or forehead before leaving the house. The newcomer then leaves while saying: "Pwera usog... pwera usog..." The saliva is placed on the finger first, before the finger is rubbed on the baby's abdomen or forehead. The stranger is never to lick the child. The practice is that the stranger or visitor is asked to touch his or her finger with saliva to the child's body, arm or foot ("lawayan") to prevent the child from getting overpowered ("upang hindi mausog").

One theory explains usog in terms of child distress that leads to greater susceptibility to illness and diseases. There are observations that a stranger (or a newcomer or even a visiting relative) especially someone with a strong personality (physically big, boisterous, has strong smell, domineering, etc.) may easily distress a child. Thus, the child is said to be "overpowered" or nauusog and thus may feel afraid, develop fever, get sick, etc.

One person posted on philurbanlegends.blogspot.jp; “I don't know if usog still exist to Filipinos. Well maybe to old-fashioned Filipinos, but to modern youngsters, they ignore and don't believe on it any more. I am not saying all of the kids today, but definitely most of them including me. My parents still talk about this. I asked my grandmother about it and she told me she still believe in usog. I asked her why people insist to be licked in their stomach. She answered me, "Not always. You don't need to be licked, you just need their saliva. Just let them wet your stomach with it." Then I asked her again, "what's about saliva?" Well, the only thing she respond to me is, "Ewan ko ... Sabi nila eh." (I don't know ... That's what others said.) I'm still wondering who are those "nila" she was talking about. I think she was referring to those people who first told her about it.[Source: http://philurbanlegends.blogspot.jp ]

“Usog (others call it Balis and Hinsuokan) is an affliction that causes the affected person a headache, stomach pain, fever, convulsion and some more severe pains or disease. This is often discussed in Filipino Psychology. Usually, the victims of this are kids, but in some occasion adults. If an adult is still experiencing usog, it means that he or she is still a weak person (Usogin). The person who causes usog are said to be overpowering. Not all people can cause usog to somebody. Actually, there are only few people who (I think) has a power to do this, like an evil eye. In folkloric explanation, there might be some mangkukulam (witch), who are looking badly at you, as if cursing you. Usog may had been influenced by the Spanish mal de ojo.

“Cure: When you ask somebody how to counteract usog, most of them would answer the use of saliva. Usually, they will tell you to "Dilaan mo ako." (Lick me.) and/or "Lawayan mo ako." (Put saliva on me.) to avoid usog to the child you greeted. While doing so, he/she should say Pwera usog ... or Pwera barang .... If the person tells you to lick him, it doesn't mean to lick him in other parts of his body, but to his abdomen. The same place where you need to put the saliva. You just need to wet your finger with it, then rub it to him. In some cases, especially to babies, the finger is rubbed to his heel or sometimes in the forehead. In these two ways, rubbing finger wet with saliva is more used and preferrable. Other ways on healing or preventing usog is by means of placing the clothing of the afflicted kid or adult in a hot water and then boiling it.

Santelmo, or Santo Elmo, is a fireball seen by dozens of Filipinos, especially those living in the Sierra Madre Mountains. It was scientifically explained as electric fields which have diverged from the lines. However, the sightings were reported since the Spanish era (16th-19th centuries). (See also Shinen and Will-o-Wisps) There were also sightings in the Alps and Himalayas.

Image Sources: Wikimedia Commons

Text Sources: “Encyclopedia of World Cultures Volume 5: East/Southeast Asia:” edited by Paul Hockings, 1993; “Culture Shock!: Philippines” by Alfredo Roces and Grace Roces, Marshall Cavendish International, 2010; National Geographic, Live Science, Philippines Department of Tourism, New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Smithsonian magazine, Encyclopedia.com, Library of Congress, 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 March 2026