Why do the elderly say that pregnant women should not enter temples?
According to folk beliefs, pregnant women are not allowed to go to temples, and there are three common explanations:First, it is considered unlucky.
In folk belief, although temples enshrine deities, they may be surrounded by bad things outside the temple gates. Therefore, pregnant women who go to worship may be followed by impurities on their way back, which can have a negative impact on both the mother and the fetus, increasing the risk of miscarriage.
In traditional mythological stories, there is a concept that demons and monsters can take a body to be reborn, so this taboo is similar to that idea. Therefore, pregnant women should avoid going to temples. If they do go, they must pay more attention or carry some protective items with them.
Second, it is unsafe.
From a practical perspective, pregnant women should also avoid going to temples to pray, as most temples are located on mountains, and it is easy for pregnant women to feel tired when climbing. In addition, during the process of climbing, they may encounter some unexpected situations.
Moreover, the environment inside the temple is usually noisy, and the smell of incense fills the air, which can affect the health of pregnant women. Therefore, it is best not to go.
Are there taboos for pregnant women burning incense?
Pregnant women are not supposed to burn incense, as the smell of burning incense is harmful to their health, especially in enclosed indoor environments.If burning incense in an appropriate environment, there are still some things to pay attention to:
First, movements should not be too large.
When pregnant women burn incense, their movements should not be too large. Especially for those in the later stages of pregnancy, they should perform prostrations according to their own condition. If they are physically unable to perform a bow, they can just make a gesture of respect.
Second, they should not burn incense alone.
Although burning incense seems simple, for pregnant women, it is actually very tiring and may lead to unexpected situations. Therefore, they should always be accompanied by someone.
Third, they should not get too close to the incense.
Pregnant women should avoid inhaling too much smoke from burning incense, which could be harmful to both the mother and the fetus. If there are too many incense sticks burning in the incense burner, it's better not to approach to burn incense.
