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Malaysia is a malting pot of different cultures that happened a long time ago, so it's not surprising that it would also have brought together a mish-mash of superstitions. What is surprising, though, is how many of which are still believed today, dictating what should and should not be done around the house like where a house should be built, how it should be built and what to have and not to have in and around the house. Are you familiar with any of them? 1. Don't buy a home with a front gate that faces a T-junction This one comes from the belief that lost spirits wander along T-junctions as they'd stop to think of where to go next, which increases the chances that you'd have unwanted contact with one of them. Regardless of what you believe, it does make sense if you don't want annoying headlights to shine into your house while you're trying to sleep – or maybe even a car crashing headlong into your front gate. 2. Don't obstruct the front door. The front door should be kept clear as it would block good energy from getting into the house. Well, we like to think of that good energy as good common sense since obstructions not only look ugly but it can make it difficult to move things in and out of the house (maybe even evacuating someone during an emergency). 3. The bigger the main door, the better. What could be better than having a bigger door to let in that good energy! Yes, I'd certainly one a bigger door. Imagine how difficult it would be to get furniture in if the door was too small. Also, a big door helps with ventilation and natural lighting, which prevents mold and germs from proliferating. 4. Say no to the number “4” Associating your house with “dead” and “die”? No, thank you. But that's what the number four sounds like in Chinese - “ser”. So if you've ever walked down a street, looking at house numbers and wondered why some houses had the number “3A” rather than “4”, you know why now. 5. Remove the roof and let the interior space be bathed in sunlight for 49 days to get rid of spirits If by spirits you mean germs, mold and other dangerous microorganisms then, yes, we can definitely understand the basis for this superstition. What we don't understand is how removing the entire roof could possibly be help with it, rain and exposure to more “spirits” notwithstanding. 6. Stay away from cemeteries, electrical power lines, water tanks and telecommunications towers. With the exception of the cemetery (which can seem creepy and be psychologically damaging), this one leaves me completely stumped, but many superstitious people believe that it's bad luck to live near any of these places. Well, okay, maybe just not that obvious, but I think it's taking it a little too far. 7. Unnatural deaths (suicides, accidents) is bad news. This definitely get this one, whether you believe in spirits or not. Unless, of course, you have a morbid curiosity. 8. Don't have drains running parallel to your main door. This one is because drains that run parallel to front doors run through positive energy and disrupts its flow through the front door. We think it's probably they smell bad and someone could possibly fall through it if left open, especially at night. ________________ Superstition or not, you can't go wrong with your home renovation with a Reliable Contractor in Johor Bahru ________________ Superstitions of Malaysian Chinese