Comets in Chinese culture
In some Chinese cultures, comets (Chinese: 掃把星; pinyin: sàobǎ xīng; literally: "broom star") are believed to bring bad luck to mankind.
In a Chinese family, daughters-in-law are considered outsiders and are blamed for creating problems in the family, especially with their mother-in-law. Because of this, they are often referred to as a "comet." E.g. "Oh my God, my son married a comet!"
A wife who is a comet has been known to bring down the fortune of not only her husband, but the wealth and well-being of the entire family.
However, the usage of 'comet' is not only limited to daughters-in-law. It is also used on other familial outsiders such as maids, employees, and others.
See also
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 6/28/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.