17 Korean Superstitions That Will Blow Your Mind
Korea, like any other culture, has some superstitious beliefs about luck, misfortune, and even death. Some of these superstitions fascinate me because they are also practiced here in the Philippines. Let's take a look at each of them individually, as well as the reasons for their existence.
#1 Shaking your leg shakes away your fortune
Shaking one's leg is associated with boredom and anxiety. Korean beliefs, on the other hand, are unique. In Korean culture, legs are a symbol of wealth and prosperity. Shaking your legs is a bad idea because it will make your luck fade. This superstition, I believe, is beneficial because it discourages people from shaking their legs in public or in private.
#2 Sleeping with the fan turned on is deadly
Some Koreans believe that sleeping with all of your windows and doors closed and an electric fan on will result in a lack of fresh air and oxygen. It is possible to die from suffocation or hypothermia. Although some claim that this belief spread in order to limit the use of electricity during the 1970s energy crisis. In the modern era, some fans have been designed with a timer to turn off when you go to sleep.
#3 Feeding your husband chicken wings is bad luck
If a wife feeds her husband chicken wings, it is believed that the husband will be unfaithful and flee. The same can be said about a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship.
#4 Writing a name in red is a bad idea
Writing a person's name in red ink means you're wishing him death or threatening him with death. The primary reason for this is that the names of the deceased are written in red in records and on funeral banners. It is thought that doing so wards off evil spirits, but when red ink is used to write the name of a living person, the opposite effect occurs. The only time red ink is acceptable is for a personal stamp that is used instead of a signature.
#5 You will wet the bed if you play with fire
Unlike the other superstitions, I couldn't find much information about this one's history. I suppose telling children that if they play with fire, they will wet the bed was the parents' way of discouraging them from doing so.
#6 Crows are associated with bad luck
Seeing a crow early in the morning, according to Korean superstitions, will result in a very bad day. Koreans, like people in other cultures, believe that blackbirds bring bad luck.
#7 Dreaming about pigs is a foreshadowing of good fortune.
Pigs are a symbol of wealth and fertility in Korea. Because the Chinese pronunciation of pig is similar to that of jade, the pig is synonymous with riches. Pigs were so expensive in the 1970s that students could pay for their education simply by selling one. Even today, many people believe that seeing a pig in a dream is a good omen. It is a sign that great fortune is on its way.
#8 The number 4 is synonymous with death
This superstition originated in China, where the word four resembles the word death. This, I believe, is shared by more than just Koreans and Chinese. It is also practiced in other Asian countries. In many buildings, the letter F, rather than the number 4, is used to denote the fourth floor. Doing big events on the 4th of the month is also avoided.
#9 Giving shoes for a gift is a big NO
This superstition states that if you give your lover a pair of shoes, he/she will run away from you. Likely in the same pair of shoes! So giving shoes as a gift should be out of the question unless you are giving the person a signal for a breakup.
#10 Nail trimming at night attracts doppelgangers
Don’t trim your nails at night. According to this belief, mice will eat your nail clippings and become your doppelganger if you cut your nails at night. They will go around doing evil things in a human form that looks like you before returning to steal your soul and identity. The main reason why people passed on this belief is to prevent people from injuring themselves while trimming nails at night when most Korean homes did not have electricity.
#11 Lying down right after eating will turn you into a cow
According to this superstition, if you lie down or sleep immediately after eating, you will turn into a cow. This was most likely made public to discourage people from lying down after eating because it is a sure way to gain weight. Scientifically, it’s also not recommended to lie down after a meal to allow your body to digest food and to avoid indigestion or heartburn.
#12 Taffy can get you through that exam
Eating sticky foods like taffy or sticky rice cake on exam days brings good luck. It is thought that if students eat something sticky, knowledge will stick in their minds as well. The superstition also states that eating slippery food, such as seaweed soup, will have the opposite effect. The student's knowledge will fade, and the student will fail the exam.
#13 Mirrors on front doors are unlucky.
Koreans avoid putting mirrors on their front doors because they believe it brings bad luck. If a mirror is placed on a front door, it will keep good luck away from their homes. It's as if the good fortune will bounce back instead of entering the house.
#14 Whistling late at night attracts ghosts.
Another eerie Korean superstition involves nighttime whistling. It is thought that doing so attracts spirits, ghosts, and other supernatural beings. As a result, whistling at night is strongly discouraged. Another version of this is that instead of a ghost, a snake appears. In any case, we might want to avoid whistling after dark.
#15 You may go blind if you touch a butterfly.
Butterflies are lovely, but this superstition warns us not to touch them. According to this Korean belief, if you touch a butterfly (or a moth) and then touch your eyes, you will go blind. This is similar to what our elders told us when we were children. When I was growing up in the Philippines, we were also taught to wash our hands immediately after touching a butterfly or a moth, or to avoid touching completely.
#16 Washing your hair washes your luck away
Though it's nice to start the New Year with clean hair, Koreans believe that washing your hair on the first day of the year will also wash away your luck. Similarly, some students will not wash their hair on exam days because it will wash away the knowledge they have gained from studying.
