A New Year visit to Dazaifu in Fukuoka, from shrine crowds and side prayers to goshuin stamps, daruma dolls, and a good luck exam pen.…
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Indonesian believe in sticking an onion and a chilli on a stick in your yard to ward off the rain. And I must say, Indonesian hoodoo works!…
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A little Google back home shed a bit more information on Nimbu Mirchi. As the shop owner said, it's usually hung in place of business to ward off the evil eye - kind of like Indian Feng Shui, if I may.…
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This means that when I wear my Amma's jade bangle, I'd have her motherly vibe surrounding me. I'd very much like that.…
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The Strength in tarot draws a similar cultural understanding of the card — of bravery, control, power, influence and literally, strength.…
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The first time I heard about Kami was when we were on the bus to Mount Fuji. After we finished singing the Mount Fuji song as directed by the guide, he told us that Mount Fuji is a Kami and proceeded to explain more about it. Kami in Japanese Culture Kami is the spirit…
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My friend, Priscila, told me recently that the Rain Shaman story is her favourite part of our Indian wedding in Bali. Oh yes, while the Japanese have Teru Teru Bozu, we Indonesian have Pawang Hujan. Rain Shaman in Indonesian Culture Pawang Hujan, or Rain Shaman, is an Indonesian shaman believed to be able to control…
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Ema is a small wooden board where Shinto worshippers in Japanese culture write their prayers. The Ema board will be burned on special days.…
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Invited by the smell of of incense, I turned into a small alley in Osaka and saw people surrounding a mini temple called Hozenji Temple. Hozenji Temple I stepped closer to observe what was going on. The temple devotees were queuing to pour water over the Buddha statue called Mizukake (water-throwing) Fudo. Later I…
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Dia De Muertos (Day of the Dead) is an annual celebration of life and death in Mexican culture. It originated with the Aztecs in Mexico about 3,000 years ago. The Aztecs saw death as an inevitable part of life, like birth, and believed it should be celebrated. It’s a popular holiday in Mexico and…
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When you want to bring back a piece of Swedish culture as a souvenir from Sweden, look no further than a hand-painted wooden Dala horse.…
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