Actually, number six in Thailand means聽“spill”. Therefore, when people think of a phrase, we would think about six sense. So, in this post, I would write about Thai superstition.
Do not cut the hair on Wednesday
Thai people believe that it is unlucky to get a haircut on Wednesday, and most hair salons are also closed on that day. This is because we believe that Wednesday is the day of growth and development. In the past, the members of royal Thai family had a haircut on Wednesday, so there was a rule that prohibited people to have a haircut on the same day.
If you get the last piece of food or snack, you will get a handsome boyfriend/girlfriend.
Though I research for the origin, and it is still unclear. I think it comes from the fact that, for some reasons, Thai people usually do not want to eat the last piece of food or snack when we are in a group of a lot of people. So, when someone say; a person eating the last piece would have a handsome boyfriend/girlfriend, everyone would want to eat the last piece.
Do not leave home if you hear a gecko.
Thai people believe if you hear a gecko before you leave home, it is a sign that you will experience bad incident. This is because the ancient old people want their kids to be conscious when they are outside.
If you dream of a snake, you will meet your soul mate.
If you dream about a snake wrapping around your body, your soul mate will be on his/her way. If you already have a girlfriend or boyfriend, someone is having crush on you. This is because snake is a symbol of penis, so when Thai people dream about a snake, we would think about sexual relation.
If your right eye twitches, something bad will happen. On the other hand, if your left eye twitches, something good will happen.
This is also a trick of ancient old people to warn people that they are too stress. This is because eye usually twitches when people are stress or worry about something, which is bad for their health.
If you sing a song while you are cooking, you will end up with an old husband.
This belief comes from the fact that rice would be burnt (rice cooker didn鈥檛 exist in the old time, so people used coal). Also, you could accidentally cut yourself when you do not pay attention when you are cooking.
Honk car horns when driving pass a shrine.
Thai drivers believe that when they drive pass a shrine, you should honk your horns to show respect to the souls living in that area. This is also a trick that makes people be aware when they are driving because a shrine usually locates where there are a lot of accidents. So, when people drive passing the area, they would be aware and do not make the same mistakes.
Always consult the monk or fortuneteller to get the good date for wedding, taking a new car out of the showroom, and living in the new house.
Thai people believe in getting the good date would prevent all negative events in the future and also make people have a better luck.
Jane Chung says
Wow! These are so interesting! These superstitions seem so adorable! I want to dream of a snake! Haha apparently in my culture, it is considered rude to snatch the last piece of snack…but if I’ll get a handsome boyfriend from it…it’s worth it!!
Mark Hewertson says
These are all super interesting, my favorite has to be the Gecko one, mostly because I didn’t even know Geckos made a lot of noise, specifically enough to be heard indoors and common enough to begin a stereotype. And I feel bad for anyone who might live next to a shrine, they’d be hearing honking constantly.
Paul Chichura says
This is so cool! I always think that you can learn so much about another culture just by learning interesting tidbits like this though. You find out a little bit more about their values and gain a deeper insight into their lives.
I do have to wonder however, what sound does a gecko make? Since they aren’t native around here, I’ve never actually heard a gecko sound or even thought about whether or not they did make a sound.
Jeevan Prabhakar says
This blog is a really great way for us to step outside of our cultural norms, even just for a minute, and appreciate another culture. I especially like the “Don’t leave your home if you hear a gecko” superstition. Are there a lot of geckos in Thailand? That could be a serious problem if there are.
Thomas Andrews says
Hey Opal!
Thank you so much for these superstitions. I’m going to keep my eye out for that dream snake of yours. If that really works I am going to be shocked :O.
Thanks!
-Thomas
Christine Suhr says
These are all fascinating superstitions! Thanks for sharing! Do you know of any superstitions about the number 108 in Thai culture? I know that it is an auspicious number in many cultures.
Anirudh Mylavarapu says
Hey Opal,
This is very interesting. I had no idea that there were so many superstitions in Thailand. Have you ever gotten a haircut on Wednesday? Thanks for sharing.
Anirudh
Yike Zhao says
Interesting topic! It’s a special way to know about Thai culture and in China we have the similar superstition about eye twitches, but we think left eye twitches will bring you more money~