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Superstitions From Around the World

GHOST-PROOF YOUR HOUSE 11 Tried-and-True Ways to Keep Evil Spirits at Bay AVOID THE 13TH FLOOR If you live in a high-rise building, pay attention to those elevator buttons: chances are, the 13th floor is missing. It's a common practice in cultures where the number 13 is considered unlucky. The number 13 has held superstition for over a millennium; skip from floor 12 straight to 14, and ghosts, which could only reside on the 13th floor, have no place to call home. CURVE THE ROOFTOPS Traditional Chinese architecture has curved rooftops because Buddhists believe that the fluid shape helps ward off evil spirits. Ghosts can only travel in straight lines. NAIL A HORSESHOE TO YOUR DOOR The horseshoe has long been viewed as a good luck charm, but it is also believed to ward off evil spirits. Keep them out by nailing one to your front door. "ORO, PLATA, MATA" YOUR STAIRS In Filipino tradition, a staircase should never have a number of stairs that is divisible by three. Once the stairs are set into place you should recite "oro" (gold), "plata" (silver), and "mata" (death). You wouldn't want DROP THE 4S Just as Americans are superstitious of the number 13, the Chinese consider 4 an unlucky number. As a result, many buildings in East Asia do not have a 4th floor, and some go as far as missing all floors ending in "4". to reach the top or bottom step only to meet your doom. PAINT THE PORCH "HAINT" BLUE Ghosts are afraid of water, so in the Southern states porches are painted "Haint" blue. Haint is a colloquial name for "ghost" or "lost soul." While you're at it, why not paint the whole house Haint blue? BUILD A "SPIRIT HOUSE" Some Southeast Asian cultures believe that spirits dwell upon all properties, so special "spirit houses" - or shrines - are set up to entice the spirits away from the inhabited buildings. Spirits are especially drawn to things like candy, money, soda, incense, and bright-colored flowers. NAIL A MEZEZUAH TO YOUR DOOR According to the Kabbalah, or Jewish mysticism, a Mezuzah is placed on the door to protect the house at all times. A Mezuzah is made of a rolled up parchment containing Hebrew verses and is placed, in a fancy casing, diagonally on the door. PROTECT THE NORTHEAST CORNER The Northeast of a building is especially susceptible to ghost penetration - according to Japanese beliefs. Build a tall spire on the Northeast corner of the property to fight off those evil spirits. Or simply forgo building windows or doors into this corner. CREATE AN EXIT LOWER THAN THE BASEMENT In the Philippines, it is believed that spirits love to hang out in the basement. Frustratingly enough, the only way to make sure they don't enter the house is by building them an exit that is lower than the MAKE THE DRIVEWAY AS CURVED AS POSSIBLE A winding road can ward off evil spirits the same way as a curved roof. basement itself. SOURCES: www.neca.gov.ph/about-culture-and-arts/articles-on-e-n-a/article.php?igm=18i-106 www.lbrary.think quest.org/18778/roofs.htm www.associatedcontent.com/article/1274441/does_painting_your_porch_ceiling_blue.html?cat-37 www.chiangmai-chiangrai.com/spirit_house.html credit sesame BY: www.aredits esame.com

Superstitions From Around the World

shared by ColumnFive on Oct 20
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For most, Halloween is a day to dress up in a Halloween costume and take the kids trick-or-treating. But in may cultures around the world, ghostly superstitions are taken seriously enough to affect th...

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