Religion or Superstition?

Many Asian cultures are tagged as being superstitious. According to one of my Chinese–Singaporean friends, Singaporeans are even more "superstitious" than Chinese. From avoiding certain events at particular times of the year or placement of objects in the home in a particular way (or the home itself), it is easy to see how particular habits and beliefs may be labeled as "superstitious."

But where does religion end and superstition begin (or vice versa)? Regardless of denomination or creed, could what we consider superstitious in fact function like religion? To get to the crux of the matter, let's look at something considered "superstitious" by Western and Eastern cultures alike: Ghost Month (zhong yuan jie).

A friend here in Singapore, who considers himself a bit "superstitious," warned me of the unlucky month of July. In Chinese tradition, the number 7 is considered "spiritist" or "ghostly"; hence, the celebration of Ghost Month in July. This is when ancestors are thought to come out from the lower realm. You are not suppose to swim or stay out late, and you won't see many weddings since this is not an auspicious month, my friend told me.

Admittedly, this did seem a bit "superstitious" at first. But consider it in comparison to All Saint's or All Soul's Day and Dia de los Muertos. The first are considered highly religious, with All Saint's Day being a Holy Day of Obligation for this who are Roman Catholic (a mortal sin if you don't attend Mass). These days commemorate deceased ancestors and saints that both have and have not attained "entrance" into heaven.

Finding its roots in the Roman Catholic All Soul's Day, Dia de los Muertos is celebrated by Spanish-speaking communities worldwide. It is thought the dead souls find it easier to congregate among the living on this day. As in Chinese tradition, where often meals are prepared with empty seats around the dinner table, favorite foods and memorabilia of the departed are placed on altars on the Day of the Dead to encourage visits from ancestors.

All three commemorations mentioned above actually seem more similar than different. And while getting married in July may be considered superstitiously unlucky for the Chinese, I for one would think twice before celebrating marriage on Friday the 13th or Halloween. Perhaps before labeling something "superstitious" we should take a look at our own definition of "religious."