As the Lunar July approaching the end, while the deceased is experiencing "parting is such a sweet sorrow", the living sure feels relieved from a month long No-Nos on everything and is ready to resume the "eat, drink and be merry" routine.
We've talked about the top 10 No-Nos. In order to wrap things up, I was searching for some concrete evidences that showed the deceased did make use of this month to find their “replacements”, I cam across something that really made me screamed out "what the xxxx!"
My fellow "living" female would understand this, how important it is to shave regularly for smooth like baby's behind legs. For the least profound reasons, at least it makes us feel nice when wearing shorts or skirts, or enjoy a bath under the sun or in the sea. Now this taBOO - note the BOO - says "thou shall not shave thy legs -- especially calves", will surely make our hair stand up like the poles at night.
There is no historical background as for why we should not shave the legs. Shaving legs is actually a fairly modern behavior; at least to the ancient, it's as modern as the soft and smooth toilet paper of our times. I am sure you will not find an ancient tablet that, miraculously, inscribing something that shapes like a woman shaving her legs with a big X next to it. There is not even a logical explanation, such as the ones for the wind charm on top of the bed or even sticking chopsticks in the bowl of rice, to the strange restriction.
All it says is that apparently hairs on our legs -- especially on the calves - are like ghost detectors (just like the gadget the ghost busters and the cute Winchester brothers use). Even when we cannot see or feel ghosts nearby, our leg hairs can. When a ghost brushes by us, our leg hairs will stand up straight to indicate it; this also prevents the ghost coming further near. So the hairs on our legs not only serve as the early warning, but a “shield” of protection as well.
My educated guess is that, someone long long time ago in this land far far away, mistakenly linking goose bumps on the legs with some misfortunate events that seemed to have no humanly explanations. Much like agent Mulder subjectively accused aliens for all strange events and saw a lump on the back of the neck as most likely an alien implant, the hairs of the leg became the LWACS (Leg-borne Warning And Control System, as in AWACS - Airborne Warning And Control System).
Humble and ignorant as I am, I cannot argue with the 5 thousand years of wisdom -- but really, enough is enough.
Thanks goodness that it will be lunar August soon.
related readings:
Am I on the “Maid of the Mist”? -- a reflection on the Lunar July tradition
A BOO in Taboo-- ten things you MUST NOT DO in ghost month
It's midnight, do you know WHAT you are sleeping with?
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