Luck of the...Asian?

Whether one is superstitious or not, one concept ingrained in Chinese-Singaporean culture (and perhaps other cultures around Asia) is auspiciousness. To be honest, when I first heard the word "auspicious" in conversation (and yes, it is used in conversation here) I didn't know exactly what it meant. Sure I had heard the word before, but always in the context of something philosophical or magical, never in the course of my everyday encounters.

For those who aren't sure about its meaning, it is a combination of being prosperous and lucky but with prophetic undertones. So one might be born in an auspicious year or have auspicious energy or plan a big event on an auspicious date. In any case, it speaks to just how much "prophetic luck" affects life here in Singapore.

Many a bride will avoid the month of July (see my July 23 blog) as it is not considered an auspicious month. I've found a woman in Kuala Lumpur who devotes her entire blog to finding an "auspicious date" for her upcoming wedding (the 1st, 3rd, 4th, and 7th months should be avoided), and singaporebrides.com hosts discussion boards on how to find auspicious wedding dates. It's obvious auspiciousness is important, especially with life-changing events.

But even with everyday circumstances auspiciousness seems to play a role in the good, the bad, and the ugly. A friend of mind relayed to me his year-long struggle to find a job. He attributed his bad luck to un-auspicious timing for those born in the year of the dragon. Luckily some tithes at the temple helped rectify the situation. He has now worked over 8 years for the same employer.

Many believe everyday struggles and triumphs as well as life-changing experiences are related to auspicious timing. And for those who don't believe, stick with the year of the sheep for big events...just in case!