15th June 2011. It's Lunar Eclipse. Another day when multiple superstitions are attached to it. In India, some of the popular superstitions are -
* Food cooked during the eclipse should be thrown away because it is impure.
* Pregnant women should not touch their belly during a lunar eclipse, else the baby will be born with a noticeable birthmark.
* Pregnant women should not cut anything, else the baby will be born with a cleft lip.
* If need be, pregnant women should not cook at all.
Again, these are superstitions passed on through generations because of the fear of the unknown or total ignorance. Most of the elders who pass on the superstitions are themselves ignorant about the facts behind the eclipse. There is no scientific reasons behind these superstitions.
I won't ever comply to these unwarranted superstitions.
Come on people, wake up!
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Superstitions!
In India, superstitions are still strong in many households. Why only India, superstitions are prevalant in many other parts of the world too.
To begin with, what is superstition? Anybody? Well, as per me, superstitions are nothing but irrational beliefs arising from fear of the unknown or ignorance. Many common examples in India being if a black cat or in fact cat of any color (let's not discriminate now on the basis of color) crosses your path, people who are superstitious will go back few steps before proceeding further. Oh come on! It's just a poor cat wanting to gp from one place to another. What's the rationale behind this superstition? Nothing. Zero. Zilch. Shunya. Sunna.
Take another example. Milk should be boiled without covering it. Boiling the milk with the lid on is inauspicious. On asking how is it inauspicious, people following this superstition don't know the reason. It's just been followed blindly over by generations altogether. If you ask me, it's always better to cover the milk while boiling, because,
(1) milk is boiled quickly & therefore time is saved, &
(2) since the milk is boiled quickly, there is a saving in the gas too.
There are many more such examples, such as -
- Do not ever leave home without consulting an astrologer. Rahu and Ketu, two ominous planets, are waiting to ruin things for you. Wait for the shubh mahurat, based on the Hindu calendar. [Oh please! Is this possible? You may end up missing many of your important appointments or business.]
- A dog howling at night chills the blood – a portent of approaching death. [The dog may be having a severe stomach ache or maybe feeling lonely since you went on a vacation leaving your dog all alone locked up in the home.]
It's very difficult to get people who believe in supersttions blindly to change over a period of time or change them at all. They hold on to these superstitions so strongly because they are unaware of the reasons behind the "why."
Personally, I don't have any superstitions! If someone has a superstition, I try finding the rationale of it & have failed to find any valid rationale for the same. Just because people who follow these superstitions are themselves unaware of the reasons. And therefore, I don't believe in any superstitions.
The only way to eradicate superstitions is to educate people & increase awareness amongst them.
Are you superstitious too? Why don't you write to me about it & the rationale of your following the superstition?
Talk to me!
To begin with, what is superstition? Anybody? Well, as per me, superstitions are nothing but irrational beliefs arising from fear of the unknown or ignorance. Many common examples in India being if a black cat or in fact cat of any color (let's not discriminate now on the basis of color) crosses your path, people who are superstitious will go back few steps before proceeding further. Oh come on! It's just a poor cat wanting to gp from one place to another. What's the rationale behind this superstition? Nothing. Zero. Zilch. Shunya. Sunna.
Take another example. Milk should be boiled without covering it. Boiling the milk with the lid on is inauspicious. On asking how is it inauspicious, people following this superstition don't know the reason. It's just been followed blindly over by generations altogether. If you ask me, it's always better to cover the milk while boiling, because,
(1) milk is boiled quickly & therefore time is saved, &
(2) since the milk is boiled quickly, there is a saving in the gas too.
There are many more such examples, such as -
- Do not ever leave home without consulting an astrologer. Rahu and Ketu, two ominous planets, are waiting to ruin things for you. Wait for the shubh mahurat, based on the Hindu calendar. [Oh please! Is this possible? You may end up missing many of your important appointments or business.]
- A dog howling at night chills the blood – a portent of approaching death. [The dog may be having a severe stomach ache or maybe feeling lonely since you went on a vacation leaving your dog all alone locked up in the home.]
It's very difficult to get people who believe in supersttions blindly to change over a period of time or change them at all. They hold on to these superstitions so strongly because they are unaware of the reasons behind the "why."
Personally, I don't have any superstitions! If someone has a superstition, I try finding the rationale of it & have failed to find any valid rationale for the same. Just because people who follow these superstitions are themselves unaware of the reasons. And therefore, I don't believe in any superstitions.
The only way to eradicate superstitions is to educate people & increase awareness amongst them.
Are you superstitious too? Why don't you write to me about it & the rationale of your following the superstition?
Talk to me!
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