The Art of Getting Lucky: Superstition in China

The Art of Getting Lucky: Superstition in China
Dec 25, 2010 By Stephen Roach , eChinacities.com

After living in China for more than three years I have developed an involuntary case of “tetraphobia,” which means a shadow of menace perpetually hangs over the number 4. Its presence sends a grim feeling through me, not unlike when a black cat gets across my path, or I wake up and realize that it’s Friday the 13th.

Not that I really believe in any of it. I wouldn’t pay extra for a mobile phone number devoid of 4s, mind you – but I’d have no choice but to think twice about renting an apartment on the fourth floor, or wearing a t-shirt with China’s death number emblazoned on my chest. Such considerations provide insight into how the multi-layered and homonymic nature of China’s language affects its culture, since much of the superstition here is based on the pronunciation of one word sounding like another.

The subtle pervasiveness of superstitious belief relies on the fact that we were all raised with it from childhood and can’t avoid its irrational influence. To that end, my Western upbringing has instilled in me a level of paranoia about certain things; I will never choose to walk beneath a ladder, for example, and being in the presence of a black cat always makes me momentarily nervous. I also sometimes have the strange habit of analyzing superstition in order to discredit it. If a black cat walks in front of me, I might wonder to myself, “What if it was a white cat? Would that mean good luck? What about a red cat? Or, what about a red cat with a number 8 painted on it? In China, that should make it a very lucky cat indeed, right?”

But I’m mixing up my cultures. 

China is full of its own unique superstitions, most of them harmless and amusing and sometimes even vaguely practical. Feng Shui is essentially superstitious architectural and interior design, but there is generally no harm in using it and sometimes it makes perfect sense – don’t put an upstairs bathroom above the dining room, for example. I can’t argue with that (plumbing mishaps during meals could be disastrous), although what damage could be done by having your bed facing a door escapes me.

Yet some of China’s superstition is just downright weird, and even sometimes socially irresponsible, depending on your point of view. Many of the rules governing childbirth in China are particularly confusing, such as confining a mother for a month after giving birth, during which time she is not supposed to bathe. Far more troubling is the practice of getting a cesarean section in order to deliver a baby on an “auspicious” day. That strikes me as fanatical and disturbing. Wearing red or eating long noodles is one thing; surgery to bear your child prematurely is another. Good luck isn’t worth going under the knife.

But who am I to judge? I come from a culture whose rituals include dunking infants underwater as a religious rite of passage and drinking wine as if it was the “blood” of the Son of God (and eating crackers as if they were his flesh). It is some relief that in China the satanic connotations of the number “666” are rendered obsolete, proving that one man’s mere numeral is another man’s abject and fearful curse. It all depends on what side of the planet you’re on.

New Year is by far one of the most superstitious times in China. Along with refraining from using bad language or visiting the hospital, one should follow some pretty rigorous rules about sweeping one’s house, keeping all windows and doors open at midnight, and making sure that the family is well decked out in the color red. These practices – along with the seemingly endless baijiu-fueled firework extravaganza raging in the hutongs of Beijing – probably make Spring Festival one of the most extreme times for expats to immerse themselves in Chinese culture. In other words, if you hope to relax and enjoy a peaceful holiday, you are very much out of luck.

I would never admit to being a superstitious person. My fears and concerns don’t generally involve the appeasement of ghosts or strange rituals designed to control the flow of positive or negative energy. But like religion in Western countries, China’s superstitious practices often serve to make people feel better about their lives, as if eating a long noodle might actually have anything to do with extending your lifespan. At any rate, it doesn’t hurt to hedge your bets and be on the safe side. So, this holiday season, be sure to wear your red underwear, eat plenty of fish (don’t flip it) and, for heaven’s sake, don’t sweep your house for at least four or five days after the New Year. And, if you do everything just right, who knows? Maybe 2011 will be a banner year for you and yours.
 

Related links
The Sound and the Fury: What NOT to Give Your Chinese Friends
Zuo Yue Zi and China's Traditional Childbirth Culture
Causes and Social Consciousness: Does China Lack Both?

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Keywords: luck china superstitious childbirth china superstitious practices china new year superstitions china superstition china

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