Superstitions, whether or not we believe in them, find ways to come into our lives and challenge us. Even if we are amongst the non-believers, we might have parents or family members who are adamant that we don’t buy clothes on Mondays or clip off our nails at night. Or, it might be that some superstitions have become an inherent habit that we feel uncomfortable not following them.[break]
This week on Campus Talk, students from International School of Management and Technology (ISMT) in Tinkune talk about their belief or non-belief in superstitions that are part of our Nepali culture.
Dipesh Shrestha/Republica
From L to R : Tshering Lama, Sandil Acharya, Apsara Thapa, Rashmita Sharma, Sadhana Bajagain, Jerusha Subedi, Aakash Joshi and Umesh Kisore Baral.
Apsara Thapa, Tshering Lama, Sadhana Bajagain, Sandil Acharya, Jerusha Subedi, Aakash Joshi and Rashmita Sharma are all Bachelors of Business Administration (BBA) students while Umesh Kishor Baral is pursuing Bachelor in Information Technology (BIT) at ISMT.
Do you believe in superstitions?
Umesh: A little bit. Superstitions have been in our society for long and reinforced by our parents and family. I think I’m about 40 to 50 per cent superstitious.
Rashmita: I tend to believe in certain superstitions. For example, I think it’s unlucky if a black cat crosses your path.
Aakash: I don’t believe in superstitions. When my parents tell me to follow a certain superstitious belief and act accordingly, I end up doing exactly the opposite of what I was supposed to do.
Sandil: Even in my family, there are very few who hold superstitious beliefs. And I do the same. But I think it’s a matter of individual perception because while some people think that a black cat is unlucky, there are countries like Japan where black cats are considered lucky.
Tshering: I don’t believe in all the superstitions but I do follow some, like while I’m on my way to somewhere, and if I see an empty water vessel, then I feel that something bad will happen during the day.
Apsara: I believe in horoscopes but not much in superstitions. However, my parents do.
Sadhana: It’s exactly the opposite with me. While my parents don’t believe in superstitions and think that such beliefs aren’t valid in the 21st century, I strongly believe in superstitions.
Jerusha: Neither my family nor I hold superstitious beliefs.
Have you had any experience that has made you believe in superstitions?
Rashmita: They say that when you buy clothes on a Monday, it’s bad luck. I’ve experienced that. Whenever I buy clothes on a Monday, it turns out that there’s some damage in whatever it is that I bought.
Umesh: I’ve personally gone through an incident where I went for an interview on a Tuesday and failed. There’s a belief that one shouldn’t start new initiatives on a Tuesday and I think that’s what happened to me.
Sadhana: Whenever I come across an empty water vessel, something goes wrong during my day. I’ve experienced that many times.
Do you read horoscopes?
Umesh: Somehow, when I read the newspaper, I tend to look at the horoscopes.
Sandil: Sometimes when my horoscopes say that I’ll be getting a lot of money, I end up spending money instead of gaining it. I think if something written in one’s horoscopes comes true, then that’s a matter of coincidence.
Sadhana: I read horoscopes given in different newspapers and while some readings are accurate, some are not.
Jerusha: While I’m reading it, I feel that they will be true. But I forget about it all during the day.
Apsara: I read it for my own satisfaction. But if there’s something bad, I don’t let it affect me.
Tshering: I read horoscopes and keep a tally of the readings and how my day unfolds, but it never matches.
What about astrologers? Have you ever been to one?
Apsara: I don’t trust the so-called astrologers at all. I think they are bluffing all the time.
Sadhana: I’ve been to an astrologer once and whatever he’s said to me about my past has been true. So I believe in them.
Jerusha: Once, an astrologer gave me a reading and said that I had a boyfriend, even when I didn’t. My family was also present at that moment. My grandmother scolded me because she believed the astrologer but my parent’s trusted me.
Umesh: After much insistence from my family, I went to an astrologer and since then I’ve been wearing a blue sapphire ring.
Rashmita: I’ve gone to an astrologer and gotten a reading of my astrological chart. Whatever he had predicted about me has been true so far.
Tshering: I’ve never been to an astrologer and I don’t plan to go, either.
Do you think superstitions are here to stay?
Sandil: The belief in superstitions is getting reduced day by day.
Umesh: I think these beliefs will gradually be removed from our society as the generations progress.
Aakash: Like Umesh said, superstitious beliefs will get weaker and weaker from one generation to the next. This is happening right now, too. My grandmother is more superstitious than my parents and I’m less superstitious than them. So the effect of superstitions will keep on lessening.
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