Multicultural Manners : Moving In on the Ground Floor

Rick and Mai-Wan have worked hard putting their new home in order. They are about to receive their first guests, Rick’s parents.

Mai-Wan proudly shows her in-laws through the meticulously prepared house. However, the older couple is surprised when they look into the master bedroom. Although the furniture is in place, Rick and Mai-Wan have been sleeping on the floor.

What’s going on?

Taiwanese-born Mai-Wan had consulted with a Chinese almanac about the most propitious time for the couple to settle into their new home. The book had recommended a date more than three weeks after she and Rick actually moved in. However, Mai-Wan believed that if they did not sleep in the bed, technically they would not have taken possession and thus might ensure good luck while living there.

Chinese almanacs are not the only ones to give advice about moving. The Old Farmer’s 1994 Almanac recommends the new moon as the best time. The UCLA Archive of American Popular Beliefs and Superstitions contains myriad examples of days considered either good or bad to change residences. Friday seems by far the most risky, as expressed in this proverb: “Friday flits have not long sits.”

Rule: Many people believe that particular days for moving can affect the new resident’s future.

Norine Dresser is a folklorist and author of “I Felt Like I Was From Another Planet,” (Addison Wesley). Tell her your experiences c/o Voices.