Old habits die hard, especially if they’ve been in place for centuries. From a purely logical standpoint, superstitions should have been eradicated long ago. They came into being as our great-great-great-great-great-great grandparents’ way of explaining the mysterious natural phenomena that was happening all around them. And yet, there are still plenty among us who say “tabi tabi po” while passing through a secluded garden or refrain from getting haircuts at night for fear of the supernatural consequences.
If the trove of superstitions I’ve compiled below is any indication, abiding by their rules at the dinner table nowadays can be more complicated than following the most uptight etiquette manual.