Hey everyone!
Since it’s Friday the 13th, I wanted to make a quick list about my favorite Filipino superstitions. These are only the ones that I’ve been told by my family or are the most commonly known. The Philippines in made up of islands so each region will have their own unique superstitions. I find that the “tamer” ones are on the main island where the capital Manila is. My family has experienced a lot of paranormal activity over the years so I’m used to hearing about many different superstitions and stories.
Don’t take photos of three people or the one of them will die. // Usually the middle one will die, but I’ve been told that anyone in the photo could have their days numbered.
Don’t stand from tallest to shortest or the middle person will stop growing or die. // This one is similar to the photo one. One of my friends always made sure that none of us stood from tallest to shortest since she’s very superstition like me.
Don’t sleep with wet hair or you’ll go blind. // There’s a lot of variations to this superstition. I know my family also doesn’t like braiding their hair when it’s wet for a similar reason.
Always have money in your wallet so you may have a full wallet. // Every time I get a new wallet, one of my family members will give me a dollar or a penny to put into it. Even if you’re not using the wallet, you must have a penny or a dollar in it so you don’t tempt anything into depleting your savings account.
Put coconut oil at the front door, windows, and other doorways to ward off a manananggal. // A manananggal is a vampire like woman who splits herself apart from the waist up and down. The bottom part of her body would walk around while the top half will fly. They usually take on the appearance of a beautiful woman in the daylight hours. Manananggals eat unborn children so the coconut oil is used to ward them off.
Don’t sleep under certain trees or you will be taken by their spirits or killed. // This superstition includes specific trees, but each one differs from region to region. If you sleep under a tree you’re not suppose to, the spirit or being that lives in that tree will either take you away or kill you for disturbing it.
There’s a lot more superstitions that can be found in the Philippines. These are the ones that I know intimately as I’ve heard them throughout my life or learned of it from friends.
