Superstition "refers to any belief or practice which is explained by the Supernatural Causality. A superstition is something that is believed by many people all around the globe based on myth, magic or irrational thoughts and beliefs".
Oh dear, as you are on your way to the stream in case the rainbow is out never point your fingers at it remember? Why is that Mom? I asked with a curious little mind.
If you do that, your hand will begin to fold until it reaches your chest 🤨. Okay, Mom, I won't do that when I see the rainbow. I promise!
Also remember you can't sing while holding a bucket of water on your head, if you do that we could all get sick because it is a taboo.
And what is a taboo Mom? A taboo is something we are forbidden to do because of their bad consequence.
After this conversation with Mom, I held down to the stream and took to her warning like an obedient child that I'm. Before she could even remember sending me to the stream, I'm already back home with my bucket of water. Even if the rainbow came out while I was on my way, I will only admire its beauty for just a little while, and never will I dare point a finger at it.
But in my little curious mind, I kept on thinking about what is a taboo, and why those actions were forbidden. Of course, I was never satisfied with Mom's explanation but I was also not used to disobeying her.
There came one fateful day, that day I had grown a bit as I was already in my third year in secondary school. It was our usual morning devotion On the assembly ground. After our morning singing and prayers section. A teacher on duty, who happens to be my favorite, asked us if any of us had questions for him.
I raised my hands and said, what is a taboo and why was I told I should not point my fingers at a rainbow?
His name is Mr. Joseph, a great and hard-working teacher. I have always loved to be in his class and asking him questions has always been something I like doing, he knows how to provide me with satisfying answers no matter how many times I ask a question or how silly I sounded.
He smiled, and began, as a lot of us were already eager to hear his say on the matter. Apparently, I was not the only one who had her mind been bugged by the question.
Mr. Joseph told us that, most of those things we were told were nothing but superstitions, our parents or elders told us those things just to make us to be well behaved and save us from unforeseen dangers most especially when they are not around to guide us. Because they knew how mischievous we children can be.
Like singing while holding a bucket of water on my head could distract me and let me fall.
Or pointing a finger at the rainbow could make me stay out later than I should.
Well, I was happy and satisfied with his answers, I guess he was my favorite teacher for a reason.
Ever since then, I don't take those superstitions seriously. Like when someone close by said, 'oh my ear is making a sound, someone must have been saying something about me somewhere' I will just smile and sometimes act like I believe them but deep down I know it is just a mere belief, and not real.
Or when they said don't whisper at night, it will invite snakes into your house I will just smile and say, well I would love to summon some snakes lol.😅
This is my entry into this week's Hivenaija weekly prompt. Answering the question.
1️⃣ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴀʀᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍʏᴛʜs ᴀɴᴅ ᴍɪsᴄᴏɴᴄᴇᴘᴛɪᴏɴs ᴡᴇ ʙᴇʟɪᴇᴠᴇᴅ ɪɴ ᴏᴜʀ ᴄʜɪʟᴅʜᴏᴏᴅ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴡʜᴇɴ ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴏᴡ ᴅɪᴅ ᴡᴇ ᴜɴᴄᴏᴠᴇʀ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴡᴇʀᴇɴ'ᴛ ʀᴇᴀʟɪsᴛɪᴄ?