Superstitions of Indonesia

In this article we present a collection of local "superstitions" in Indonesia regarding everyday life and the meanings of the omens of Nature.

Avoid sweeping the house at night as this would make it difficult to attract luck.

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 woud always fail in your efforts in making a living.

Avoid combimg your hair while walking as you will find youself in an embarassing situation.

Avoid being in the bathroom too long as this would make your face appear old.

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.

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 alot of chicken wings if they wish to eventually visit overseas.

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.

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 spendrift.

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 bankrupcy 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.

While moving 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.

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 pregnency as this would cause the child to be unfaithful and disrespectful towards the parents.

Avoid slaughtering an animal when your wife is pregnent 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 pregnent as this would cause your child to resemble the animal.

Avoid disliking someone intensely while pregnent as this would cause your child to adopt the features of the disliked person.

Avoid mocking at a handicapped person during pregnency as this would cause your child to be born disabled.

Avoid keeping a spoon with the salt container during pregnency 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.

Avoid wearing earings commencing from the third month of pregnency as this would cause you to dream of being intimate with your husband whereas in reality it is an incubus impersonating him.

A man should avoid eating while lying down as this would cause his wife to have difficulties during labor.

It is unfortunate if a guest suddenly gives birth in your home as this causes bad luck. It is advisable to move house quickly.

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 somwhere in the ground at the backdoor of the house so that the child will never be in want.

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 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 isa 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.

It isa 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.

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 mistreating one's daughter as this would cause her to be mistreated later on by her husband.

Avoid singing or whistling while at a meal as this causes failures in one's endeavours.

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.

Avoid making payments at night as this would result in bad luck and bankrupcy.

Women should avoid pulling the hairs of their eyebrows as this would result in frgidity and difficulty in acquiring sexual satisfaction.

Avoid cleaning the ears at night as this would result in bad luck.

One should avoid whistling often in one's home as this would attract negative entities.

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.

Avoid opening umbrellas in the home as this would result in difficulties in life.

Avoid wiping one's face with a shirt as this would result in the indifference of others towards oneself.

Avoid looking at onseself in the mirror too often as this would result in others being bored and repulsed with one.

Avoid peeping at others bathing as this would cause one's eyes to swell.

Avoid eating a meal before the elders have done so as this would result in bad luck.

Avoid cutting one's hair in one's home at night as this would attract negative entities that would appear in one's dreams.

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).

Avoid shouting or using vulgar words while in the woods or wilderness as this would cause oneself to be possessed by negative entities.

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.

If a dog howls at midnight signifies a visit from ancestral spirits.

If a dog howls as though weeping at midnight signifies death in the family

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 exorcising possessing spirits.

It is advisable for pregnant women to place a pair of scissors underneath the pillow while sleeping to protect against psychic attack and black magick.

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.

Placing red onions, chillis and turmeric in a bag and hung above the front door protects the house and family against black magick and negative entities.

If a cat licks one's foot signifies that someone close to us will acquire a windfall within one month.
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'shome signifies a visit from an important visitor.

Avoid giving a cat a bath as this would result in storms and hurricanes.

Carry the rare hollowless piece of bamboo to ward-off black magick.

It is advisable to state one's wishes during a falling star so that it would come true.

It is advisable to swim in a lake during full moon as this would cause one to become highly attractive.

It is advisable to sleep beyond midnight to avoid psychic attacks.

It is advisable to sleep on the floor to avoid psychic attacks.

It is advisable to keep sacred objects in the home to protect one's family.

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