Why are Thai children told not to point their fingers at a rainbow?

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Transcript

00:00If you grow up in a Thai family, one thing you might hear is

00:03don't point your finger at a rainbow if you don't want to lose your index finger.

00:08Among many Thai traditional teachings,

00:10children are often told not to point at a rainbow after the rain

00:13if they want to avoid this ominous consequence.

00:16Some theories suggest that in the past,

00:18Thai people viewed rainbows as the supernatural power of deities who control the weather.

00:24Pointing at a rainbow might have been considered disrespectful to them.

00:28However, more practical theories claim that Thai children in the past

00:32would often play outside after the rain.

00:34The warning could have been a way to discourage them from engaging

00:38in potentially dangerous activities in wet and slippery conditions.

00:42As time goes by, Thai families may no longer teach their children this,

00:47and such teachings have become rare nowadays.