Folk Wisdom
- If you play with fire, you will wet your bed. (It makes children become aware of the danger of fire.)
- If you rest just after eating, you will become a cow/pig/elephant. (This means not to be lazy.)
- If you whistle or play a flute at night, snakes will come to you. (This means not to bother your neighbors.) (When they say snake, it means a thief.)
- A cold midsection will cause diarrhea
- The first dream of a new year will come true
- Breaking a comb or the cloth strap of a "geta" wooden sandal is an omen of misfortune.
- Stepping on the cloth border of a tatami mat brings bad luck.
Read more about this topic: Japanese Superstitions
Famous quotes containing the words folk and/or wisdom:
“The ties between gentle folk are as pure as water; the links between scoundrels are as thick as honey.”
—Chinese proverb.
“My children have taught me things. Things I thought I knew. The most profound wisdom they have given me is a respect for human vulnerability. I have known that people are resilient, but I didn’t appreciate how fragile they are. Until children learn to hide their feelings, you read them in their faces, gestures, and postures. The sheer visibility of shyness, pain, and rejection let me recognize and remember them.”
—Shirley Nelson Garner (20th century)