CHINA: A quirky trend is taking Chinese hospitals by storm, one that blends superstition with daily practice. According to a recent South China Morning Post story, doctors and nurses have adopted a series of culinary rituals to ensure smooth and uneventful shifts in the wards. This food-focused trend has gained significant traction on social media, where it is now being widely discussed under the name “modern superstitions among the medical community.”
Certain foods that are believed to bring good luck and others that are best avoided during hospital shifts are at the heart of this practice. Among the favourites? Apples symbolise peace and safety, while dragon fruit and mangoes are considered omens of busy, chaotic nights. Even the popular Chinese snack, Want Want Milk, is shunned in some circles due to its perceived associations with overwhelming patient surges.
The roots of these superstitions lie in traditional Chinese beliefs, which have long associated certain foods and actions with luck, safety, and prosperity. These hospital food rituals are intended to ward off misfortune and ensure a calm and orderly shift for medical staff.
One of the most widespread customs is the practice of “apple duty.” Apples, often considered the patron saints of night shifts, are carefully placed on hospital items such as phones or duty rosters to stave off the dreaded “midnight ring” – a reference to unexpected calls that could disrupt the calm of the night. The belief is rooted in wordplay: in Chinese, the word for “apple” sounds like the word for “peace,” which signifies safety and tranquillity in the workplace.
This practice isn’t just for doctors. Patients also partake in these customs, as the saying “An apple a day keeps the doctor away” is playfully flipped to fit the context of hospital work. In the medical community, it’s often expressed as “apples on duty mean a peaceful night.” As a result, placing apples on essential items or arranging them in strategic formations is considered a mutual effort to maintain calm throughout the shift.
However, not all foods bring good fortune. During shifts, staff adhere to several taboos, including avoiding mangoes, dragon fruit, and Want Want Milk. The rationale behind this is tied to the meanings associated with the foods in Chinese culture. Mango, for instance, symbolises “busy,” while dragon fruit is linked to “fire,” and Want Want Milk represents “flourish.” All of these suggest the type of chaotic, overwhelming environment that medical staff strive to avoid.
A nurse shared her experience on social media, recalling how a colleague brought in a box of mangoes during a night shift, and the hospital became overwhelmingly busy, leading to a hectic night. “That colleague nearly got mobbed,” she humorously recalled. Similarly, the superstition around dragon fruit has led to numerous “horror stories.” One nurse shared that when a colleague brought dragon fruit to the ward, they were promptly told to remove it. “Eat it when you’re off duty or take it home, but don’t keep it here,” they advised.
The mango superstition has even grown into a series of humorous anecdotes and “horror stories” among medical staff. For example, pairing mangoes with coconut juice, which symbolises “night” in Chinese, suggests “busy every night,” while mangoes with strawberries imply being overwhelmed to the point of “disappearing,” as “strawberry” sounds like “disappear” in Chinese. To counteract the negative effects of mangoes, some hospital staff even combine them with apples, hoping to balance out the potential bad luck.
Though many superstitions may sound like playful quirks, they are widely shared across China. Social media platforms have been flooded with stories from healthcare professionals nationwide, confirming that these food-related beliefs are not confined to one region. One observer from West China Hospital explained, “I thought these stories were just a local joke until I realized it’s a nationwide thing!”
Interestingly, not everyone fully embraces the trend. One person recounted how they brought mangoes to nurses while staying in a hospital, only to be met with stern looks and outright refusal. “Until I brought grilled skewers, then they all smiled!” they joked, highlighting the sometimes-humorous rigidity of these superstitions.
These superstitions provide an insight into how culture, tradition, and humour intersect in the medical community. While the practices may seem quirky to outsiders, they reflect a deep desire for stability, safety, and calm in an unpredictable and high-pressure environment.
For medical professionals in China, these “modern superstitions” may be the key to ensuring that every shift runs smoothly—one apple at a time.