HERITAGE

2.  The Chinese Almanac  (t’ong soo)   was often consulted  on matters relating to marriages etc. 

3.  If  given a knife or any sharp instrument by a friend, or relative, a small red packet (ang pau)   must be given in return as a gesture of goodwill so that their friendship might not be severed by the knife. Similarly if given a plant, the gift  should be reciprocated by an ang pau..  Good luck  or wealth was also attached to the Adenium flower or foo koo hua. 

4.  If visitors entered by the front door,  they must depart by the same door, otherwise the host's daughter might end up a spinster! 

5.  At death, all mirrors and other reflecting surfaces were covered or concealed while all household deities were covered with red paper. Superstition and fear had it that the ghost of the deceased might catch the soul of the living relative to accompany it to the underworld 

6. Ever fearful of demons on her wedding day, over her wedding gown the Nyonya bride wore a Phoenix collar - an embroidered multilayered neck band with long tassels  and ribbons dangling down the back from which small reflecting mirrors hung,  facing away from the bride to protect her against evil spirits. 

7.  Pat kua  boards  or  octagonal  mirrors  surrounded  by  the  eight trig rams for extra protection were hung above main door-ways. It was believed that evil spirits, approaching with intent to harm, would see themselves reflected in all their hideousness, got so frightened by their own reflection that they scooted off without causing any mischief. This old-fashioned practice prevails to this day. 

9. Many a superstitious Nyonya would refuse to have a group photograph taken of her and two others for fear that the one in the centre would be the first to die. It is said that one grandma, upon seeing her grandchild placed in the centre in a group photo, not only gave the child's parents a lecture but unhesitatingly removed the child with a snip of her scissors. 

10. While  the  Nyonya  generally  favoured things in identical pairs such as lanterns, oil lamps, candle stands, vases etc. the mention of the number 4 (see) which has the same sound as ‘death’ is discretely avoided. 

11.  It was taboo for children to point at the full moon, for which  the feared punishment was a cut around the ear  by  the  Moon Goddess. 

12. Positioning oneself at the corner of the dining table was considered taboo, it was as if a sharp knife was pointed at the person seated there. 

13. Cutting one's finger nails,  toe nails or hair at night was considered taboo; it seemed that ghosts would pick them up and haunt the owner. 

14. One should never sleep with one's legs pointing towards the door - it was the ‘death position’, when the ch’i or good  forces would flow out. 

15. One should refrain from using words associated with death, especially in the morning. Yeow siew, tay miah was a curse often uttered by an enraged Nyonya with the wish that the cursed person would have a short life. K’ee see lah  (go and die)  was another familiar curse. Such harsh utterances might be prophetic. 

16. While sweeping the floor,  care must be taken to avoid touching anyone with the broom for it was considered bad luck or suay. The offender should say pai and the whole  incident would be forgotten. Usually, during the first three days of the Chinese New Year, no sweeping was done for fear that good luck would be swept away. On the fourth day, one could only sweep the rubbish inwards so that good luck would flow in, not out for the rest of the year. 

17. Children were often encouraged to stay up late on Chinese New Year eve to usher in the new year and also to promote longevity for the elders and one's parents. 

18. In a Nyonya household,  three deities would have to sit on the main altar  table, but  not  two, for fear that they would quarrel. The presence of the third deity provided an arbitrator in case of  disagreement. 

19.  Being believers in hong sui  (geomancy) the Nyonya believed that in death the  best  possible site for a grave would be one that chay snuah kn’ua hai (sitting on a hill, viewing the sea). It was believed that living family members and future generations to come would enjoy prosperity and long life  if their ancestors occupied such a propitious site. 

20. It was considered inappropriate to give a piece of salt fish kiam hoo  (which could be a reference to a corpse) to a friend or relative though it would be all right as a cooked dish.#