Korean Superstitions and the Red Kiss of Death

It's always intriguing to me the superstitions that exists in different cultures and societies. Take, for instance, the Western notion of "Friday the 13th" as a veritably unlucky day, or walking under a ladder, which would most certainly result in some terrible kind of bad luck to befall you. Ever see a coin lying on the sidewalk and bent down to pick it up, only to notice that it wasn't heads-up... and kept walking? I know I have. Yes, superstitions are deeply rooted in our culture -- even the simple blowing out of one's birthday cake candles is the embodiment of a superstition: if you blow them all out, after all, you'll get your wish. And how about the tooth fairy... you can't tell me you never put a lost tooth underneath your pillow...

During my stint in Taiwan, I had a chance to observe the superstitions of an entirely new culture. The most iconic, at least for me, were the liberal swaths of red that drummed up quite a visual feast in temples, homes, and businesses. Red is the token color for good luck, prosperity, and happiness. Take, for instance, the highly celebrated Lunar New Year holiday, in which children are given red envelopes, filled with money, as gifts. For ceremonies of all kinds, including wedding ceremonies, it is only befitting that red be a part of the performance (red shoes for the bride, or a red tie for the groom, even).

Which brings me to Korea. Nearly every day that I'm at work, I find myself red in hand, in the middle of grading papers, and stumbling upon one with no name. I'll do my detective work to find out which student the paper belongs to, poise my hand to write his or her name at the top, and then, in a moment which I can only credit to Korean deities watching from above, I realize the pen I'm holding is RED. I have sidestepped once again the heinous act of writing a person's name in red, which as everybody knows, is equal to giving them the kiss of death.

Wait a minute, you're saying, RED is RED, right? Red in Taiwan is good luck and prosperity, and red in Korea is... death and destruction? Yes, my friend, that's exactly right. The Koreans, for as far back as I imagine we white people have been sidestepping ladders (no, I take that back -- much, MUCH longer), have been writing the names of the dead in red ink. A couple of times I've nearly slipped in front of my students, and have been met with sighs and snorts of terror, signaling to me that I am about to make a grave (pardon the pun) mistake.

So if you're ever in mixed company with Koreans, do yourself a favor, and refrain from pulling that red pen out of your briefcase or purse of backpack when it comes time to swap contact info. A name writ in red might get you blacklisted :)