A curious Chinese ritual when people move into a new house/flat is that the new inhabitants bless the house first........called "Yap Foh"
Blessing the house involves quite a few steps......
Burning charcoal in a clay charcoal pot in front of the main door, draping a red cloth surrounding the door, and one has to step over the charcoal before actually entering the house.......starting with the 'man of the house' first.......
Different kinds of dishes have to be whipped up and strangely to some......rice intermixed with salt is thrown into all corners of every room..........
Rice = staple food of Asia thus the symbolic meaning of it that it will provide steady, continued food on the table....and as for salt.......that's to ward off 'bad' entities to enter the house and disturb its new inhabitants.
You might think by now, what a load of bollocks, .......but like all legends and myths there is a core of truth........to these kind of rituals. Now don't ask me what the underlying message of these rituals are...........
At least it provides a peace of mind for the new inhabitants.............
The owners of this particular house are Christians and besides doing the Chinese rituals, they also brought in a pastor who blessed the house with Holy Water...........double protection and double blessing indeed.........
Ow, I just found out that a new owner is not supposed to sweep the floor of the new house on its first day of occupancy......as customs say that this will sweep away all the blessings............
But apparently, no one was aware of this little, but important detail..........as it is, the maids did sweep and mop the floor on that very same first day of occupancy...........and with it gone were the 'blessings'......
Sssshhhhhhhhhhhhhh................don't inform the owners of this detail................bless their ignorance
No comments:
Post a Comment