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  • Taiwan Trivia Episode 2

  • How red is your underwear?

  • Hey!

  • Did you ever feel that life is difficult?

  • Did you ever feel so challenged that you wished for a different fate?

  • But what exactly can you do to turn your luck around?

  • In Taiwan, people are very passionate about "Kai-Yun",

  • which means praying for good luck and avoiding bad fortune in our daily lives.

  • If you are someone who believes in fate,

  • in Taiwan, there is something called Auspicious dates.

  • If you do certain things at a certain time,

  • it will change your life for the better.

  • For example:

  • If Taiwanese people wish for a year of good fortune,

  • They would fight to be the first one to rush into a temple on the morning of Chinese New Year's Day

  • OH! He's put the first incense into the burner.

  • If they think they don't have enough money,

  • they will borrow money from the God of Wealth or Cai Shen

  • because they believe that spending the money of the gods will bring even more prosperity in the future.

  • When they are hungry, they will eat food with different colors and food with rounded shape or a lot of stuffing to summon good fortune.

  • What about marriage? If Taiwanese people can't find a good match, their parents will take their children to Yue Lao or God of Marriage.

  • They will ask for a red string or buy peach blossoms to try and find their better half.

  • If someone is ill, they will take the clothes of the patient and go around the incense burner three times.

  • They will light the candles before the Gods, and wear a kind of herb called Le-goo-mi-nu-si to pray for safety.

  • If they wish for luck, some Taiwanese even take baths at night using flower petals and leaves.

  • Some people would even wear red underwear or put lucky charms next to the bed for good luck.

  • Do you think this is too superstitious?

  • In fact, for a lot of Taiwanese people, they would be restless if they didn't do it!

  • The religious belief in Taiwan is influenced by many countries.

  • Their ancestors are mostly immigrants arriving through dangerous waters.

  • Due to the hardships and uncertainty they face, most believe that besides hard work,

  • praying for good fortune and avoiding evil is the key to a fulfilled life.

  • The Taiwanese value of life is a combination of religion, customs, Feng-Shui, the five elements, and Chinese astrology.

  • So when students are about to take a big test, most parents will take them to the temple for prayers instead of encouraging them.

  • Parents: "prayers bring blessings."

  • The Taiwanese people believe that man proposes, God disposes.

  • In other words, they believe that there will be order from the spiritual world.

  • This belief is different from the mindset of the West: Where there is a will, there is a way.

  • Taiwanese people are not as confident. Apart from self-motivated diligence, they entrust their success to the care of the gods.

  • So naturally, when the gods don't bring good results, they will become furious!

  • Nevertheless, in this island where people elevate spiritual fortune,

  • you will find that many religions coexist peacefully along with their abundant varieties of customs.

  • You can even buy a Kai-yun lucky red underwear in a 24/7 convenience store.

  • Next time you visit Taiwan, why don't you bring some good fortune home as well?

  • This video is brought to you by Taiwan Trivia.

  • Oh! If you like this video, please click the subscribe button for future updates!

  • To bring good fortune to our dear viewers, we have already prayed for blessing from the Goddess Mazu.

Taiwan Trivia Episode 2

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