CHINESE
LUCKY CHARMS
The good trade relations between the Philippines and China in the 10th century brought about a beautiful exchange of ideas and culture between the traders and the natives, and paved way in developing a fused culture of Filipinos and Chinese (Garcia). Today, the country, with its openness to acculturation and cultural syncretism, provides space for the ‘red’ culture especially the Chinese beliefs in lucky charms.
Scholars aver that the first lucky charms appeared in China during the Han Dynasty and developed during the period from the Six Dynasties to the Yuan Dynasty. During this time, wordings on charms to wish for "happiness" and "longevity" became more common and widespread. These charms were made from such various materials as gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, lead, jade, porcelain, and paper (Chin).
VARIOUS Chinese Lucky Charms sold at Plaza Miranda, Quiapo
With the Filipino’s predilection for ornaments, Chinese lucky charms nowadays have proliferated in the country. Aside from the ‘native’ anting-anting, these charms are also available in the country’s center of mysticism, Quiapo. Many Filipinos and Chinese, alike in their own special ways, spend a fortune to buy lucky charms and utilize them as adornments in the body or at home. Prior to the onset of the Chinese New Year in the country, every Filipino-Chinese household tries to preserve and uphold their rituals of cleansing the auspicious sections of their homes in order to prevent the presence of negative energies which tend to affect the flow of positive vibrations within the parameters of their respective abodes. And charms are believed to be of great help in warding off the negativities and generating more luck.
Among the lucky charms available in the district are the different colored gem stones and triangles which are made up of marble and are all called lapis na suli. The blue triangle is a lucky charm for students who wish to obtain academic excellence; the green one is a lucky charm for anyone who desires wealth; the red triangle is a lucky charm for the ones who want to avoid sorcery; and the yellow one is a lucky charm for those who have businesses. Other lucky charms for businesses are the cingular shell-like with a dark eye on the top and the fortune plant. The coconut-like shell with an eye on the top is said to be the one of the most popular lucky charms for businessmen and entrepreneurs. Moreover, Quiapo offers the rose quartz bracelet, which is an all-luck charm, the double happiness symbol, which is for love and marriage, and the peach blossom animals, which attract lovers and bring love.
OTHER Chinese lucky charms available in Quiapo
Today, Quiapo is filled to the brim with all sorts of good luck charms. Menfolk who look for these items can visit the Red and Gold Merchandising at Carlos Palanca Street. The vendors can even give them a basic rundown of their luck forecast for the coming year and recommend charms that are particular for their zodiac animals.
Despite the good luck that these items promise, they may engender the other kind of luck opposite to the desired upshot. That is why the EcoWaste Coalition has warned Filipinos fond of charms to be careful. In 2015, twenty charms bought from sidewalk vendors of Quiapo were screened using an X-ray fluorescence; results showed that thirteen charms contained lead, arsenic, chromium, antimony, and cadmium which are among the World Health Organization’s Top 10 chemicals of major public health concern (Andrade and Sauler). According to Thony Dizon, coordinator of EcoWaste Coalition Project Protect, exposure to these toxic metals has been associated with a range of health issues from reproductive disorders, birth defects, developmental delays, hormonal imbalances, heart ailments, neurological problems to cancers (Merlican).
In spite of this admonition from the environmental advocacy group, the Filipinos are still fascinated and captivated by the good luck that these Chinese charms may bring into their lives.
WORKS CITED
“Chinese New Year in the Philippines: The Cultural Adaptation of Prosperity and Good Life.” Driftwood Journeys, www.driftwoodjourneys.com/chinese-new-year-in-the-philippines-the-cultural-adaptation-of-prosperity-and-good-life/. Accessed 02 Nov. 2017.
Andrade, Jeannette I. and Sauler, Erika. “Beware of charms in Chinese New Year bearing harm.” Inquirer.net, 06 Feb. 2013, www.lifestyle.inquirer.net/88477/beware-of-charms-in-chinese-new-year-bearing-harm/. Accessed 02 Nov. 2017.
Chin. “Ancient Chinese Charms and Coins.” Primal Trek, 16 Nov. 2016, www.primaltrek.com/. Accessed 02 Nov. 2017.
Garcia, Pie. “Ties That Bind: The Filipino-Chinese Culture.” CNN Philippines, 6 Feb. 2016, www.cnnphilippines.com/lifestyle/2016/02/06/filipino-chinese-culture.html. Accessed 02 Nov. 2017.
Merlican, Nathaniel R. “Lead, Arsenic Found in Lucky Charms Sold in Manila.” Inquirer.net, 17 Feb. 2015, www.newsinfo.inquirer.net/673373/lead-arsenic-found-in-lucky-charms-sold-in-manila. Accessed 02 Nov. 2017.
Spellbound by ‘Red’ Culture: Quiapo's Chinese Lucky Charms
Carlo D. De Dios | November 5, 2017