“In india, parents have been feeding their children a mixture of yogurt and sugar before going to an exam or an interview. It is believed that this brings good look before an important event. No one knows where this originated from, but almost every household takes part in this practice.”

My informant told me this superstition before one of our Biochemistry midterms. He indicated that the origin of the superstition is unknown, but he believes it came from some group of super frantic mothers who want their children to succeed in school. The informant used to perform it as a child to please his mother despite the fact that he didn’t believe in the superstition himself. Apparently, in Indian culture, yogurt is an integral staple of most Indian cuisine, and it is said to give good luck the morning of a big exam or interview when it is eaten with sugar. To note, he claimed that he’s actually done worst when performing it, because he often felt hungrier, and experienced the feeling of “sugar crash” and hunger pangs.

I find this to be an interesting premise, because I tend to eat yogurt with sugary additives in the morning myself. But I believe there could be more attributed to the superstition rather than luck. For instance, parents and dietitians often emphasize that eating breakfast in the morning is essential to provide us with the appropriate amount of energy to sustain our activities. The use of this superstition can help people build healthy habits, such as eating breakfast in the morning. It can also be seen as pairing a good thing with a stressful event. Before a stressful event, such as an exam or an interview, it can be said that much of our tension could be somewhat alleviated by indulging in something positive (e.g. delicious sugary foods). Therefore, these types of folk beliefs and/or superstitions can be institutionalized in domestic households as a form of preparative ritual.