#73 Chinese superstition 中国人的迷信

大家好，欢迎回来MaoMi Chinese！

每一个国家，每一种文化，都有一些奇怪的说法。比如，很多西方人认为，如果我们看到一只黑猫过马路，那么今天可能会发生一些不好的事情。比如，在英语文化里，十三可能是一个不好的数字，十三号的星期五更是不吉利的一天。当然，现在黑色星期五已经变成了一个人们疯狂购物的日子。这些，在中文里都叫做“迷信”。那么，在中国文化里，有什么样的迷信呢？今天我们一起来聊一聊，中国人的迷信吧！

中国文化里的迷信太多了！首先，我们先来聊一聊和谐音(phonetic pun)有关的迷信。比如，如果我们要给人送礼物，一定不能送钟和表，因为送钟听起来和送终一模一样。送终，意思是一个人父母去世了，他／她要去看着父母下葬。所以，送礼物千万不能，一定不能，绝对不能送钟，因为太不吉利了。还有，吃梨这种水果的时候，最好整个吃，不要分着吃。因为“分梨”，听起来像“分离”。我们都不喜欢和我们爱的人分离。除此以外，买房子的时候，你会发现所有和数字4有关的房子都特别便宜。比如，第四层或者第十四层的公寓很便宜，四号的房子很便宜，等等。因为四听起来很像“死”。很多人不太喜欢谈死，所以四这个数字也不太吉利。相反的，数字8就特别吉利，因为听起来和发财的“发”很像。当然，谁会不喜欢发财呢？

还有一种迷信，是和鬼神有关的迷信。比如，吃饭的时候，千万不要把筷子插在饭碗里。为什么呢？因为这样的饭是给去世的人吃的。中国人去墓地看祖先时，常常会烧香。筷子插在饭碗里，看起来就像烧香。中国人也相信本命年。什么是本命年呢？比如，今年的生肖是老虎，如果你是虎年出生的，那么你今年刚好12岁，24岁，36岁，48岁……等等，今年就是你的本命年。中国人相信在本命年的时候，常常会有不好的事情发生，所以我们要穿红色的内衣内裤，穿红色的衣服，因为我们相信红色可以吓跑不好的东西。

还有一些迷信，应该只是为了让小朋友更有礼貌，不要做傻事。比如，吃饭的时候不要用筷子敲空碗。为什么呢？因为以前的乞丐经常一边敲空碗，一边求着别人给吃的。我很小时候，曾经在别人的婚礼的晚餐上用筷子敲空碗，当时被大人严肃地批评了，所以我记得特别清楚。

中国文化里的迷信数不胜数，今天我们先说这么多。在你的文化里，有什么迷信呢？欢迎在评论和大家分享哦！

Hello everyone. Welcome back to MaoMi Chinese!

In every country, every culture, there are some strange sayings. For example, many Westerners believe that if we see a black cat crossing the road, something bad might happen today. For example, in English culture, thirteen can be a bad number, and Friday the thirteenth is an unlucky day. Of course, Black Friday has now become a day when people go on a shopping spree. These are called "superstitions" in Chinese. What kind of superstitions are there in Chinese culture? Today, let's talk about Chinese superstitions!

There are too many superstitions in Chinese culture! Firstly, let's talk about superstitions related to phonetic puns. For example, if we're going to give someone a gift, we must not give a clock or a watch, because giving a clock sounds exactly the same as ‘burying a parent’. 送终means that a person's parents have passed away, and he/she is going to watch the parents' burial. Therefore, you must never, absolutely never, definitely never give a clock as a gift, because it is too unlucky. Also, when eating a pear, it is best to eat it whole instead of cutting it apart. Because "split the pear", it sounds like "separate". Neither of us like to be separated from those we love. In addition, when buying a house, you will find that all houses related to the number 4 are particularly cheap. For example, an apartment on the fourth or fourteenth floor is cheap, a house on the fourth floor is cheap, and so on. Because four sounds like "dead". Many people don't like to talk about death, so the number four is not very auspicious. On the contrary, the number 8 is particularly auspicious, because it sounds similar to the "fa" of making a fortune. Of course, who doesn't like getting rich?

There is another kind of superstition, which is related to ghosts and gods. For example, when eating, never put chopsticks in the rice bowl. why? Because this kind of meal is for the dead. When Chinese go to the cemetery to see their ancestors, they often burn incense. The chopsticks inserted into the rice bowl look like burning incense. The Chinese also believe in the Benming Year. What is the Benming year? For example, this year's zodiac is the tiger. If you were born in the year of the tiger, then you are exactly 12 years old, 24 years old, 36 years old, 48 years old... This year is your Benming year. The Chinese believe that bad things often happen during the Benming year, so we have to wear red underwear and red clothes because we believe that red can scare away bad spirits.

There are also some superstitions, which should be just to make children behave and not do stupid things. For example, don't knock empty bowls with chopsticks when eating. Why? Because the beggars in the past often knocked on empty bowls while begging others for food. When I was very little, I used chopsticks to knock the empty bowl at someone's wedding dinner and was severely told off by adults, so I remember it very clearly.

There are countless superstitions in Chinese culture, and these are just small parts of them. What superstitions do you have in your culture? Feel free to share with everyone in the comments!