yuri29
A Strange Family Rule
My maternal family has a peculiar family rule passed down only to the eldest daughter. It's to silently chant 'Please let me pass. I beg you' three times in your heart when passing through a torii gate. I was strictly disciplined by my mother since childhood, and she told me, 'If you're the firstborn daughter, you must do this.' Apparently, this rule doesn't apply if there's an elder brother, even if you're the eldest daughter. When I asked my mother about the reason or origin, she didn't know either, and said it already existed during my great-grandmother's time. We don't follow any particular religion, and there are no restrictions on visiting shrines, so it doesn't seem to be a religious precept. There's no punchline, but as an adult, when I casually mentioned it to friends, none of them knew about it, so I decided to post it here.
2026.09.29 PM 7:37 · View Count 8
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Lv.1
オルエル
That's a precious teaching passed down with care. Words filled with respect for the land and nature are a wonderful custom to engrave in our hearts.
Lv.12
コイン集めめんどい
Should I look into it?
Lv.12
コイン集めめんどい
That's a very interesting and somewhat mysterious story. It's no wonder your friends didn't know about it. This is because it's not a common 'shrine etiquette,' but highly likely to be a unique 'talisman (magical barrier)' created by your ancestors for a specific purpose or due to past events. You can unravel several possible reasons and origins from the form and conditions of the tradition. 1. The reason it's limited to the 'very first girl (eldest daughter)' In ancient Japanese beliefs and superstitions, the first-born girl in a family (eldest daughter) was believed to have strong spiritual power and be 'easily noticed (easily taken)' by gods, Buddhas, or unseen beings. • Protection from getting lost or disaster: In the past, child mortality rates were high, and the first daughter, in particular, was sometimes treated specially as a 'child entrusted by the gods.' It's thought that by making her concentrate intensely three times when passing through a torii (entering sacred ground), it served as a 'barrier' to protect her from the powerful energy of the sacred realm and wandering spirits gathered there. • A lineage with a 'Miko' (shamaness) role: This might be a remnant of your ancestors having been involved in spiritual occupations (like Miko or exorcists) in the past.
Lv.77
ゆぴてる
That's an interesting family motto. If it's been passed down through generations, it's probably best to continue it even if you don't understand the reason. By the way, is this charm also applicable to the second daughter? It seems you especially cherish your eldest daughter.
Lv.57
あめすけぴ
That's a strange family motto~ Never heard of it~
Lv.88
シャムナ
It's a strange family motto. I also find it strange why the family motto doesn't need to be followed if the eldest son is present. I'd be curious to know the origin of this motto.
Lv.20
青弥芽愛里守
What a strange story... I've never heard anything like it, but it seems that in my great-grandmother's time, there was a custom of being kicked out of the house if a boy wasn't born. My great-grandmother had three daughters and was apparently kicked out. Yuri's story, however, sounded like a family rule created by an ancestor or someone from that era, with the wish that 'even if the first child is a girl, she will be accepted'... Sorry for the long post m
Lv.24
凪太郎
That's interesting! I love folklore, so hearing stories like that gets me excited.