Lunar Eclipse Superstitions You may Recognize

A lot of superstitions are still around from age old times relating to eclipses. There are many superstitions regarding lunar eclipses in many cultures around the world. The origins of superstitions regarding lunar eclipses are basically from India and China. Some people in India still do not come out of the house during eclipses. They try to protect themselves from the bad rays emitted by the sun during a solar eclipse. They bang huge drums in order to scare away the evil energy of the moon during a lunar eclipse.

This diagram shows how the moon appears reddish orange during a lunar eclipse. Click image for larger view.

Some Indians also do not cook food or eat during a lunar eclipse. After the eclipse is over, they cleanse themselves by taking a bath in the holy rivers. It is also said that they put basil leaves and Darba grass over food items and in many places of the house as this type of grass is said to repel harmful radiations. Back in ancient times the Babylonians took lunar eclipses as a sign of doom or damage. Many predictions were done by soothsayers and astrologers regarding lunar eclipses so any necessary steps could be taken to avoid mishaps.

According to the Holy book ‘The Bible’, a lunar eclipse is a sign of the coming of the Apocalypse and this can happen only when the moon turns red. Some cultures believe that an eclipse is a symbol of a calamity’s end.

Superstitious Greeks take the lunar eclipse as a force of the Greek Gods. The Japanese still shoot guns during a lunar eclipse in order to end the phenomenon as quickly as possible, though it is done just to perform a ritual prevalent since their ancestor’s times.

A Lunar Eclipse Affects People in Different Ways?

There are still other superstitions that say a lunar eclipse has an effect on human behavior and nature. Some people are said to go insane during a lunar eclipse, while in others it has a less, but still a powerful effect on some people’s minds, bringing out the violent nature of the person at that particular time. Some people are insecure regarding their house, property and life during lunar eclipses.

See how nature – trees, flowers, grass – grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence…we need silence to be able to touch souls.
~ Mother Teresa of Calcutta

The stars shine brightest when the moon is gone.
~ Nigerian Proverb

When the moon is not full, the stars shine more brightly.
~ Ugandan Proverb

He who waits for the moon waits for darkness.
~ African Proverb

The moon grows darker as it gets nearer to the sun.
~ Tibetan Proverb

Pregnant women do not come out of the house during lunar eclipses as it is a superstition that an unborn child may be born deformed or unhealthy. Kneading, weaving, cutting, sewing and mending work should be avoided by pregnant women when there is a lunar eclipse. A baby born during a lunar eclipse will have distorted limbs, cleft lips or scars on their body as the superstition goes. Women who have conceived during a lunar eclipse should not brush their hair during that time as it is said that the umbilical cord might strangle the neck of the unborn baby.

In ancient times, the Chinese believed that the moon had been eaten up by a dragon. So it was a sign of ill omen by them as it depicted the anger and wrath of the sun upon the moon. They also took it as a heavenly sign from the supernatural power which predicted the future of their kings. In spite of the amazing and spectacular beauty of this natural phenomenon, some superstitions are still prevalent today that make it a bit scary and fearful when there is a lunar eclipse.