Really? Revealing the origin of the belief: Why is it forbidden to write your name in red pen? Is it bad luck?
Have you ever heard the saying, “Don’t write your name in red pen or you’ll be in trouble!”? But why is that? And where did it come from?
Really? Revealing the origin of the belief: Why is it forbidden to write your name in red pen? Is it bad luck?
Red pen = bad omen? Where does this belief come from?
This belief has its roots in China, and is related to the Chinese “graveyard”. In the past, Chinese people would prepare a stone to inscribe their name while they were still alive, and would write their name with white ink first. However, when they died, their relatives would write over it with “red ink” to indicate that the person had passed away.
- White, a symbol of purity and peace, is used for people who are still alive.
- Red, symbol of death, danger and end.
When this belief spread to Thailand, many people thought that writing a name with a red pen was inauspicious because it was like announcing that “the owner of that เล่นบาคาร่า UFABET เว็บตรง ค่าคอมสูง name has passed away.”
Just belief or does it really work?
Even though many people nowadays think that any color pen can be used, in practice we still use different colors of ink to suit the situation, such as:
- Blue and black are used in official documents because they look formal and are easy to read.
- Red is used to highlight text, correct spelling errors, or mark exam questions.
In addition, in entertainment media, red is often used to represent fear, such as in horror movie posters, blood-splattered text, or warning signs, further emphasizing the image of “red pen = bad omen”.
So…do I have to stop using the red pen?
It depends on each person’s belief. There is no right or wrong. Some people may still feel uncomfortable when using a red pen to sign their name, or some organizations avoid it for appropriateness. But in reality, any color pen is just a tool. It depends more on the context.
Finally, no matter which color pen you use, just live your life mindfully, be careful, and choose to do things that make you comfortable, and that’s enough!