India is a country of diverse cultures and traditions. From hanging lemon and chilies to not proceeding when a cat crosses your path, we are introduced to various superstitions almost every day. A lot of these superstitions that we come across have been backed up by science.
Here are some superstitions we cannot label is being illogical:
1. Eat curd and sugar before stepping out
Most of us are fed with curd and sugar while heading out for work, as it is considered to be good luck. The scientific reason behind it is that curd has cooling effect on stomach and sugar provides instant glucose. This combination is essential as a kick-start for the day.
2. Don’t step out during an eclipse
If you observe Sun during eclipse, it can cause ‘eclipse blindness’. According to science, a person should not step out of the house during eclipse to keep away from the harmful UV rays.
3. Do not sleep with head facing towards North
Sleeping with your head facing towards North may cause harmful effects related to blood pressure and other diseases that asymmetry with the Earth’s magnetic field would create. Probably our ancestors had figured out the relation between Earth’s magnetic field and bio-magnetism back then.
4. Do not sweep the house after sunset
During the olden times, there was no electricity and the light of lamp wasn’t enough to see tiny things. As the chances of losing something precious due to the dark were high, it was asked to avoid sweeping after sunset.
5. Stop when a cat crosses your path
In olden days, when people used to travel by carts. During the journey, they would cross dense forest where there were high chances of wild cats such as Cheetahs, Tiger and Leopard to cross paths. The carriage animals used to get scared and chaotic due to that, which is why travellers were warned to stop when a cat crosses path.
6. No loitering around Peepal Tree at night
Have you ever heard the ghost stories woven around the trees at night? Well, that is not the reason behind not going near Peepal Tree. As we all learnt, plants take in oxygen and give out carbon-dioxide at night, which is why people are discouraged to go near the Peepal Tree after it is dark.
Also, read our previous blog, Travelling Back and Forth in Time
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