If Filipino Superstitions Are True...

... then my baby will look like an orange.

I subscribe to the belief that superstitions are silly (sorry if I offended any superstitious people out there). Maybe it's because I grew up around uber paranoid relatives who truly believed in the things they were saying, and when I became old enough to do things on my own, I realized that some of the things I was taught to believe when I was younger were kind of ridiculous and rarely came true.
There are tons of webpages out there that list common supersitions, but here are some specific examples of the superstitions that my Filipino elders thrusted upon me while growing up:
- If your palm itches, you should buy a lottery ticket or go to the casino because this symbolizes good luck. (Personally, I think this was just an excuse concocted by my relatives to go to a casino! Ha!)
- Do not give shoes as a gift, or else the recipient will end up walking all over you. If you do give shoes as a present, the receiver must give you money in return (even a quarter will do) to reverse the bad luck
- Toss coins around your house on the day of your house warming to bring good luck and properity. (You should also do this at every new year)
- If you have a mole on your back, you are a lazy person (because you like to lay on your back)... Oh wait. I have a HUGE mole on my back and I actually AM lazy... maybe this one IS true!


Anyway, there's this one pregnancy superstition that my mom swears by -- the concept of "lihi". Lihi is basically the condition in which a pregnant woman craves strongly for something, usually food, but can also refer to pregnant women becoming especially fond of something/someone only during pregnancy.


The superstition attached with lihi is that the pregnant woman's offspring will closely resemble whatever its mother craved during pregnancy. When a child resembles an animal - for example, a monkey - it is said that during the gestational period, the mother enjoyed looking at that particular animal...


Interesting, right? Well... my mom said when she was going through lihi while pregnant with my brother, she loved jicamas, which is why my brother is so light-skinned. Disregard the fact that my mom is light-skinned... Ryan is only light because of the jicama - ha! My mom loved bing cherries when she was preggo with me, which explains why I am of a darker complexion, and maybe the fact that my face is round like a cherry!


My paternal grandmother while pregnant with my dad, continuously stared at her Jesus statue, so she believes that is the reason my dad's nose is pointy like Jesus', unlike some of his other siblings who have flatter and rounder noses. Oh - that's also why my dad has a cleft chin...

I don't believe in this superstition, but it is very intriguing to think about! Lately, I've been on an orange binge. I've eaten 3 oranges this morning alone, and everyday I have to have at LEAST one orange. (Side note: This kind of takes me back to freshman year of college when I was on a strict orange and spinach diet that I made up. I only at those two things for 3 months and lost a ton of weight.. which I gained back the moment I ate real food)


So... does this mean Baby will have orange skin? Or maybe he/she will have a round face like Mommy!


However, a few weeks ago, I was all over 2% Milk! I'd have 2-3 glasses of milk every night before going to bed... This is a huge deal for those who know me. I normally hate milk.

So, does this mean my baby will have a super round face like an orange, but white skin like milk!?! Doubt it...

But just in case, maybe I'll stare at some pictures of Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens for a while. Can't hurt, right?!