Introduction to Korean Superstitions #2 - MUFKO

Introduction to Korean Superstitions #2

Hello everyone, I’m Park Juyeon.

Today I will introduce you to Korean Superstitions Season 2.

This article will be filled with more interesting superstitions than the previous article. Come with me!

1. If you sleep on a fan in an enclosed room, you will die.

Journalisimo

This is a superstition that if you sleep with a fan on in an enclosed space, you will run out of oxygen and it will lead you to death. In fact, this is a myth that lacks scientific evidence.

Although, it is found that this is scientifically false, still many Koreans believe that they will die when they close the door and turn the fan on before sleep.

2. Inserting a spoon vertically into a rice bowl means unlucky.

영주시민신문

In Korea, when a child put a spoon in the middle of the rice, parents often nag him.

The reason is, there is a superstition that has been passed down from Korea for a years and years. If you put a spoon vertically in a rice bowl, unlucky things will happen.

It is because of the tradition that a spoon is put vertically so that ghosts of ancestors can eat while performing a ritual.

Similar to this, when putting down spoons with flipped or dropping down it is also believed to kick your lucks away.

3. Apples eaten at night are ‘poisonous apples’

미디어데일

In Korea, apples eaten in the morning are called “golden apples”, and apples eaten in the evening are called “poisonous apples.”

The reason for this superstition is that the organic acid contained in apples damages the stomach wall, making it impossible to fall asleep.

However, this is just a superstition, and eating apples in the evening is not fatal to health.

In fact, eating a few foods just before going to sleep puts a strain on your sleep.

4. Crying of a crow puts a jinx on a person.

livescience

In Korea, crow’s crying has long been considered as a bad sign.

This is because in Korea, the crow is believed to be an envoy who convey bad news and travels between this life and afterlife.

Also, the reason crows are considered ominous signs is because they ate corpse during war in the past, and this strongly affected Korean culture.

5. If you lie down after a meal, you will be a cow.


If you lie down immediately after a meal without giving an enough time for a digestion, you become a cow, and this superstition contains the teachings of our ancestors to beware of laziness.

But scientifically, lying down right after eating is not good for your body.

Because gastric acid produced in the digestive process can rise to the esophagus due to gravity and it cause reflux esophagitis.

Next time, I will come back with other korean superstitions.

See you next time!

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