The racial diversity in cosmopolitan Singapore, where our different ethnic groups live and interact in harmony, is a marvel. On our small city-island, we have intermingled over the years to share certain common customs and beliefs and still keep some unique ones as well.
Most, if not all, Singaporeans do follow some form of superstition regardless of religion. Be it at home, at work or out travelling. Do you know which ethnic groups practice these customs? And how many of these do you believe in?
1. Friday the 13th is an inauspicious date for work and major events
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Singapore was previously a British colony, so there is definitely a little Western influence on our beliefs. When the 13th day of a month falls on a Friday in the Gregorian calendar, many would lament that it will not be a good day. This is regardless of which ethnic group you are in but more so in our Eurasian community. Most will stay away from making major decisions and try to get through the day peacefully.
2. Go on a pilgrimage in the hopes of improving health and wealth
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We all may know of friends or family members who make a trip once a year to Thailand to pray or join pilgrimage tours to Mecca or Rome. These trips are most of the time associated with religion but also believed to improve one’s well-being overall by devoting some time to God.
3. Accident car plate numbers are “lucky” for 4D
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Traffic jams are not rare in Singapore. However, they do get pretty heavy especially when there is an accident as drivers slow down to catch a glimpse of car plate numbers. It is believed that one would strike 4D as these numbers are lucky. It had become a natural response if you are Singaporean or lived here long enough, to just subconsciously look out for the car plates as you pass by the accident site. There is no record of when this practice started or by which ethnic group though we are pretty sure everyone would love to strike 4D once in a while.
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