Have You Also Heard These Seven Absurd Superstitions Around Menstruation?

Women often come across absurd superstitions around menstruation which commonly tag them or their periods as "impure". This practice is rooted in patriarchy and has tabooed any talk surrounding menstruation so much that women are shamed for being vocal about menstruation. When are we going to accept it as a natural process? When are we going to stop shaming women for their femininity? When will society stop subjecting women to absurd superstitions around menstruation?

Menstruation has always been considered impure, subjected to superstitions. Even so, many people consider menstruators to be impure while they are menstruating. The menstrual blood consists of both blood and tissues, yet society thinks of it as some kind of an evil magic potion which may ruin their lives somehow.

When women first start menstruating, she is instructed to 'take care of the spots' caused by leakage because what if people see it. They are supposed to talk about menstruation in hushed voices while the news of pregnancy is celebrated with vigour and enthusiasm. One of the most common superstitions around menstruation says that women should avoid going to religious places considering that they are 'impure' during their menstrual cycles and would pollute the sanctity of the place as well.

If this was not enough, people started connecting bad moods with 'that time of the month' as a common stereotype. Dear society, it is not necessary that I am on my periods if I am in a bad mood, it can also be the result of your belief in absurd superstitions around menstruations and conditioned stereotypes.

Suggested Reading: Menstruation And Euphemisms: Why Can’t We Call It Just Periods?

Most Absurd Superstitions Around Menstruation

Bad Omen

"It's a bad omen if men see menstruating women before leaving for work," menstruating women are told. How does that make any sense? How will it make your day any better or worse if you see my face if I am menstruating? You wouldn't even know I'm on my periods if I didn't tell you! Snap out of such a mentality.

Avoid Washing Hair During Periods

"You shouldn't take a head bath during your periods," menstruators are told. And let my hair go all greasy and untidy for an entire week? Thanks, but no thanks. I'd rather deal with the bad luck than give in to such superstitions around menstruation.

Do Not Enter the Kitchen

It's a common superstition that if menstruators enter the kitchen while on their periods because everything they cook or touch will rot. I wished it worked with humans too so I could touch people who give their unsolicited advice and opinions endorsing such stupid superstitions around menstruation and they would rot away just like that. Life would have been so much easier!

Holding An Infant

"Holding the baby during your periods will make the baby sick," women say to menstruators. How? I am the one who's sick with all the menstrual cramps, mood swings, diarrhoea, backaches and whatnot. How will all of that transfer into the baby?

Menstrual Cloth Makes People Go Blind

It's a common superstition that looking at a used menstrual cloth makes a man go blind. Yeah, because he loses his sight of what's reasonable and what's not being blinded by the faith in the patriarchy. He refuses to see the troubles a woman has to endure while being on her period and shame her for the same. If it isn't blind, then what is?

Staying Away From Family

"You cannot sit and eat with your family while you are on your periods." It's not like my cravings make me want to eat the food for the entire family. Why to treat menstruating women like outcasts? It's not a sin, you know?

Menstruating Women Cast Black Magic Spell

"Men should stay away from menstruating women because they might cast a black magic spell on them," is a common superstition. Men who believe such superstitions around menstruation should definitely stay away from menstruating women because they are low on tolerance during 'that time of the month' and simply can't take such rubbish.

Views expressed are the author's own