South Africans Share Funny Things They Believed While Growing Up · Global Voices
Ndesanjo Macha

Lightning hitting the ground. Some children in Africa are led to believe that lightning will struck them if they are wearing red. Creative Commons photo by Wikipedia user Jessie Eastland.
A humorous hashtag, #ThingsIBelievedInAsAChild, has been trending in South Africa, under which people are publishing a number of funny and superstitious beliefs they had when growing up.
Here's a selection of some of the tweets appearing under the hashtag.
“Divinity” had to be very careful when eating an orange, because:
#ThingsIBelievedInAsAChild
If you swallow an orange seed, an orange tree starts growing in your stomach
— Divinity ?? (@CAN_Divine) February 17, 2017
“Big Boss” believed whistling had to be done during the day:
#ThingsIBelievedInAsAchild
Never whistle at night, it brings bad luck.
— Big Boss (@Thee_Psychic) February 17, 2017
Levi thought height was tied to jumping:
If someone jumps a leg over you, you won't grow tall unless they unjump you ???#ThingsIBelievedInAsAChild
— Levi The-Truth (@Levi_Scary_T) February 17, 2017
How does the TV work?:
#thingsibelievedinasachild people who are on TV are actually inside TV pic.twitter.com/vZeZb8drqo
— Oa Matatiele (@Paballo65M) February 17, 2017
If you see a hearse passing by:
#ThingsIBelievedInAsAChild that if you see this car, you must hold a hair strand till it passes by???or else pic.twitter.com/obL5MiW1Kr
— noluthando (@KgabuNoluthando) February 17, 2017
You had to wear your “Sunday best” on, well, a Sunday:
I can only wear new clothes on a Sunday and not during the week #ThingsIBelievedInAsAchild
— Zinhle Mashiloane (@ZeeMach) February 17, 2017
“#Avantgardehipster” believed:
#ThingsIBelievedInAsAchild
Was told albinos don't die but they just vanish
Till now i haven't seen obituary of an albino ??
— #Avantgardehipster (@1real_bill) February 17, 2017
One user shared the following photo to accompany his tweet:
#ThingsIBelievedInAsAChild
Eating too much will make me fit & strong. pic.twitter.com/V21ZTXhNQL
— ®Azee (@TheRealAzee_RSA) February 17, 2017
Say what?:
I genuinely believed that testicles were eggs#ThingsIBelievedInAsAChild
— Zanel Ndzume (@Zanel_zn6) February 17, 2017
Where do babies come from?:
#ThingsIBelievedInAsAChild Babies were bought not born
— Luvuyo Mkonqo (@LMkonqo) February 17, 2017
How can the refrigerator light turn on by itself?:
That there was a tiny man that turned on the light in the fridge whenever i opened it. #ThingsIBelievedInAsAChild
— theREALone (@Babs_2by4) February 17, 2017
How do you spot rich folks?:
#ThingsIBelievedInAsAChild if you had this at home, you were rich people?? pic.twitter.com/XPwHRsn1rY
— #See_Yowa_Life?? (@IraguhaHerbert) February 17, 2017
If you don't want to be toothless all your life…:
After removing a tooth, if you don't throw it on the roof you'll never grow another one to replace it #ThingsIBelievedInAsAChild
— JoyLiladzani M (@Liladzani1) February 17, 2017
“DJASH” thought:
#ThingsIBelievedInAsAChild
All toothpaste are called colgate
All bleach products are Jik
All soaps are either called Lux or Sunlight!
— #SayMyNameBaby (@DJASH_214) February 17, 2017
Jik, Colgate, Lux and Sunlight are popular products in Sub Saharan Africa.
Check the weather report before you wear red:
#ThingsIBelievedInAsAChild don't wear red if there's a thunder storm … lightning might strike you real quick
— ig: ms_yazlee (@Yazmiin_Yawlee) February 17, 2017