Facts

Period Superstitions from Around the World

Can’t touch plants on your period? Or bake bread? You will find numerous myths around the world about the “time of the month”. Most of these are behavioral precincts that, that are not only false but also play a role in gender-based taboos and discrimination.

Owing to these myths has made it increasingly difficult for women to freely talk about their period — which leads to silence, shame, and misconception.

Here are just a few of the global myths which are practiced by women on their period:

via medium.com

US/UK

via clue.com

1. You’re clumsy.

2. Tampons will break your hymen and make you impure.

3. Can’t take a bath.

4. PMS is always manifested as crankiness/irritability, and everyone gets PMS.

5. Don’t go camping because the bears can smell it from far away.

6. You cannot perm your hair until after you have had your first period.

7. You are forbidden to touch any vegetable before or during the pickling process lest they would not pickle and would go bad.

Nepal

via ImNepal.com

8. You can’t be in homes or have contact with anybody.

Israel

via clue.com

9. Want to have beautiful red cheeks? Get slapped on your period.

10. Showering with hot water on your period can result in heavy flow.

Columbia

via clue.com

11. Cramps might be caused by cold drink or other beverages, so you are not allowed to consume them during your period.

via buzzfeed.com

12. Don’t wash or cut your hair.

Poland

via seriousfacts.com

13. Having sex can kill your partner.

Romania

via clue.com

14. You can’t touch flowers because they’ll die quicker.

Malaysia

via clue.com

15. You need to wash your pads before throwing them out. Otherwise, ghosts will come and haunt you.

India

16. You can’t enter a kitchen or cook food for anyone else.

17. You can’t enter a place of worship.

18. You can only enter a place of prayer once you’ve washed your hair on or after the fourth day.

19. Washing your hair on the first day of the period is mandatory to clean yourself completely. Butttttt on the contrary…

20. If you wash your hair, your flow will be less and it will affect your fertility later in life.

via thclabs.org

Mexico

via clue.com

21. Dancing to active rhythms is advised against to take care of your uterus.

Dominican Republic

via clue.com

22. Painting your nails, washing your hair, or drinking lemonade is avoided.

Brazil

via clue.com

23. You can’t wash your hair.

24. You can’t walk barefoot (you might get cramps).

Argentina

via socialunderground.com

25. You can’t make whipped cream, it will curdle.

26. It is believed that taking a bath during this time will stop your bleeding which is harmful to your health.

Philippines

via clue.com

27. When you get your first period you need to wash your face with the first menstrual blood to have clear skin.

Italy

28. The dough won’t rise.

29. You can’t touch plants.

30. Everything you cook will be a disaster.

31. You can’t go to the beach or pool (no contact with water basically).

via telegraph.com

France

via clue.com

32. You can’t make mayonnaise, it will curdle.

Japan

 
via clue.com

33. You can’t make sushi because you have an imbalance in taste.

Taiwan

via clue.com

34. You must blow dry your hair after a shower.

Venezuela

via clue.com

35. Avoid shaving your bikini line as the skin will get darker.

Bolivia

via clue.com

36. You can’t cradle babies or you’ll cause them to get sick.

via BuzzFeed.com

So, these were a few myths from various countries of the world, which shows that we have to still accept menstruation as a natural and life-sustaining cycle.

Read also- Myth Behind Why Pencils Are Yellow In Color.

Suhasini Garg

A joyous soul, with a passion for dancing and reading. I'm a Potterhead to the core. I believe the world is a human library and there is always something you can learn.

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Back to top button