Old practices - for your protection

This is a random post...

As a boy, my mum would bring me to the temple regularly and whenever she did so, she’d bring back a talisman. Then she’d fill a glass with water, hold the talisman over it and burn the talisman. She would hold the burning talisman until it nears her finger and drop the burned ashes into the glass of water. She would then stir the glass of ashes in water and make me drink the content...

Trust you me - the content tasted horigible!!! And I never failed to protest. And of cos, she’d insist that it's for my own good cos after drinking it, I will be blessed and will be protected from all sorts of evil. “Peng peng an an” (Hokkien for peace) she would call out loud... And she’d reward me with some sweets once I swallowed all the content... Superstitious practises of the older generation. But it was certainly borne of noble intent. It's kinda sweet, thinking back. And I doubt people do such things anymore.

:-)