What is love without a little “delulu”, standards, and even superstitions? For Filipinos, beliefs and traditions play a big role in shaping relationships—sometimes consciously and other times subconsciously. These notions provide a sense of assurance and security, making them deeply ingrained in our culture.
Here are six superstitions Filipinos bet on with their relationships:
Wearing red underwear attracts love
Looking for “the one”? Superstition says that wearing red underwear—especially on New Year’s Eve or Valentine’s Day—can help you find love as the color red is believed to symbolize passion and good fortune, increasing your chances of romance.
Even Chinita Princess Kim Chiu revealed in one of her vlogs that she tried the superstition of wearing brand-new red underwear to find love.
“Maswerte rin mag-wear ng red underwear para sa mga single diyan na gusto magka-love life. Ito proven and tested talaga ito kasi ginawa ko ito. And then shinare ko ito sa mga friends ko and nagkaroon sila ng love life. Kailangan brand-new red underwear para brand new you, brand new feeling,” the actress said.
Gifting shoes means they’ll walk away
Thinking of buying your partner a new pair of kicks? Think twice! It is believed that giving new shoes as a gift to your significant other will make them “walk away” from the relationship. If you must, ask them to pay you even just a small amount—a coin of two—to break the bad luck.
Eating chicken neck makes you clingy
Love munching on “leeg ng manok” or chicken neck? Be careful, as superstitions warn that those who eat it will become overly attached to their partners, always hovering over them. If you don’t want to be toxic or clingy, maybe go for another chicken cut.
Avoid teardrop jewelry for a tear-free marriage
They say fashion makes a statement, but when it comes to weddings, the wrong accessory might send the wrong message. This might be an old wives tale, but it’s still a good idea to avoid teardrop-shaped accessories on your big day, as well as pearls, as they are also known as “oyster’s tears”—foreshadowing a marriage full of sadness and sobbing.
No talking the day before the wedding
For blessing of luck and peaceful union, tradition dictates that the bride and groom must not see each other for 24 hours, not even in text or calls. The next contact the couple will have is at the church during the ceremony. It implies the idea of the first words you exchange after this silent period will be vows of love at the altar.
Cakes and bites: size matters!
There is also the belief that the layers of the wedding cake is associated with prosperity of the couple, and coincidentally, Filipinos also believe that the amount of cake you feed your partner equates to the amount of love you have for them, and so the bride and groom take turns feeding each other big pieces of cake. With that sweet bite, make sure to go big!
In the face of the unknown and unsureness, people cling to whatever conspiracy theories, superstitions, or beliefs are spread and passed among them. It is the act of putting a name to something inexplicable, a way to make sense of something by assigning meaning to randomness.
But love by nature is not uncertain and, in all its beauty and chaos, follows no rules at all. Perhaps that’s why we turn to superstitions—not because love is unsure, but because we are. In seeking control, we assign meaning to the inexplicable, hoping to make sense of what the heart and mind already know.
