Cuisine & Culture the Chinese Family Way
Is Ji Shi Teng 鸡屎藤 (a Chinese medicinal vine herb) able to ward off evil spirits? According to the older generation — like my mum and some of my elderly relatives — they truly believe so! I first came across Ji Shi Teng while listening to Mr Zhou’s Ghost Stories podcast on 13 May 2022.
Are creepers and climbing plants bad for feng shui? Recently, my mum came to the UK to visit us, and she noticed that I had a climbing plant outside my son’s room. He lives in an annexe away from the main house, and she wasn’t very pleased about it. She told me that, according to feng shui masters, climbing plants are a big no-no for a house. Not only can they damage the structure of the walls, but they are also believed to create a strong negative force for everyone living in the home.
Several years ago, I wrote an article about gifts to avoid buying for Chinese people, and one of the items was an umbrella. Today, I would like to expand on the Chinese superstitions surrounding the umbrella taboo in Chinese culture. In feng shui, it is believed that, when used correctly, an umbrella can bring luck and wealth. However, if used incorrectly, it may bring misfortune. Do you believe it?
I hadn’t heard of this taboo of never hanging clothing out overnight until I heard from Mr Zhou’s Ghost Stories podcast. Some people believe that hanging clothing at night will attract wandering spirits to get attached to the clothing. It will cause us to have bad luck. I will list a few examples later in the post.
Buying your new home is a very proud moment for you and your family. It is likely one of the most expensive purchases you will make and therefore it’s a big deal for everyone involved. Many Chinese people observe or believe in several Chinese customs.
Many Chinese people are very superstitious, particularly the elderly—and I would include myself among them. If you read the blog post I wrote earlier this year on the meaning of the 15 days of Lunar New Year, you may recall that some Chinese (in Taoism and Buddhism) pray to the God of Wealth for blessings. This “blessing money” is referred to in Chinese as 偏财 (Piān cái), meaning unexpected income or windfalls such as bonuses, lottery winnings, or stock gains.
In my earlier post on the meaning of the 15 days of the Lunar New Year, I mentioned that on the fourth day, it is the day to pray 太岁/Tài Suì for a year of protection and to avert adversities. Now I am going to tell you more about him.
In many of my Chinese New Year blog and craft posts, I’ve often mentioned that the Lunar New Year celebration lasts for 15 days. However, I realised I had never fully explained the meaning, traditions, and significance behind each day of the festival. Finally, I managed to sit down and gather all the information about the 15 days of Lunar New Year celebrations.
Yes, the 15 days are already over and we are now nearing the end of the first lunar month of the Water Rabbit year 2023! Nevertheless, these traditions are fascinating to learn about and are passed down through generations, so I hope you will still enjoy reading about them.
Four colour cards or 四色牌 was my grandmother’s favourite game to play when she was still around. Every Saturday afternoon, her sisters and her children, like my mum and aunties, will gather around her house to play. It was a regular thing even on Chinese New Year. There was always a big group of at least six to eight of them sitting around the big round table to play with at least two sets of Four Colour cards (224 cards) mixed.
Do you believe that the soul of a deceased person returns to visit their family home on the seventh day after death? Some Chinese believe in what is known as 回魂夜 (Huí Hún Yè) — the “Return of the Soul Night” — or 头七 (Tóu Qī).
During my visit to Haw Par Villa in August this year, one of the free exhibitions was the Yeo Swee Huat Paper Agency, which runs until the end of December 2022. It is located at the Cloud Pavilion that is next to the Culture Courtyard. It is an exhibition on the vanishing paper offerings trade which is typically used for temple festivities and funeral offerings.
A few months ago, I blogged about my Singapore trip to Haw Par Villa’s Hell Museum and the Ten Courts of Hell. One of the highlights of that trip was learning about our dying cultural heritage: the traditional Chinese grave. This prompted me to research Chinese tombstones, and my uncle was able to provide a photo of my maternal grandfather’s tombstone, which no longer exists. His grave was exhumed in 2013, and his remains were placed alongside my grandmother’s at Toa Payoh Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery. I’ll explain why we needed to exhume him shortly.
One of the highlights of Haw Par Villa Hell’s museum in Singapore is their infamous 10 Courts of Hell. We Chinese believe that in the afterlife, we will get judged by our sins and punishments evolved as ancient civilisations shared their cultures across time and space.
I’ve had a few strange hotel experiences—but this is the one I still can’t explain.
It happened during a family trip in England. Back then, we often stayed at Travelodge—simple, affordable, and predictable. I’ve never been one for hotel rituals. It’s not that I don’t believe in ghosts; I just prefer not to acknowledge them, especially in unfamiliar places.
This was my second supernatural encounter in a hotel—this time in Osaka. If you haven’t already, you might want to read my post on Chinese superstitions when entering a hotel room… I wish I had followed them more closely on this trip.
It happened on 16 May 2010. My husband, my sister-in-law, and I travelled to Japan for a holiday. She had her own room, while my husband and I shared another. Like most Japanese hotel rooms, ours was compact but thoughtfully laid out. As you entered, there was a narrow landing with a bathroom on the left. Beyond that sat a double bed and, by the window, a small table neatly arranged with books.
