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As part of my university degree requirements, I had to take Intro to Public Relations. Press releases, radio spots, and of course public service announcements were in the mix. I don't remember much from the class, but one thing I do remember is that you cannot scare your audience. If you are dealing with a topic regarding health, bad habits, or dangers that cause injury or death, you cannot elicit too much fear or the audience won't listen. Apparently this PR strategy is not heeded here in Singapore. Rather, campaigns in Singapore seem to take the fear factor approach.
When I first arrived in Singapore, I remember waiting patiently for the MRT and watching the TV monitor displays to pass the time. It was an anti-terrorism campaign. Same stuff I had seen before...if you see a suspicious person, report it...if you see a bag unattended, report it. All of a sudden the TV monitor showed a massive explosion spreading throughout an unidentified train tunnel. "Don't let this happen to you," it implied. Holy Moly! That wouldn't be the last time I would be taken aback by government-issued warnings.
Upon entry into Singapore, visitors experience this fear-instilling approach as soon as they touch domestic soil. The backside of all entry cards gives an unmistakable warning to anyone carrying drugs: "Death for Drug Traffickers." Could misidentification of my prescription drugs cause a problem? What if I'm the victim of clandestine trafficking being an unknowing mule for another? Holy, Holy Moly!
Even buying cigarettes here can really scare the beejeebies out of you. All cigarette packets display in graphic detail diseases you can contract from smoking habitually. It makes you think twice before lighting up. So perhaps this fear factor approach has some merit; after all, I don't encounter too many smokers here, and Singapore is one of the safest countries in the world. But I for one still look away when the anti-terrorism video plays in the MRT station.
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!
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."
As part of my university degree requirements, I had to take Intro to Public Relations. Press releases, radio spots, and of course public service announcements were in the mix. I don't remember much from the class, but one thing I do remember is that you cannot scare your audience. If you are dealing with a topic regarding health, bad habits, or dangers that cause injury or death, you cannot elicit too much fear or the audience won't listen. Apparently this PR strategy is not heeded here in Singapore. Rather, campaigns in Singapore seem to take the fear factor approach.
