Whistling is often used by fans at sporting events to express either enthusiasm or disapproval. In many Western countries, whistling is used much like applause, to express approval or appreciation for the efforts of a team or a player.
But whistling in India symbolizes the ‘evil character’ of boy because here boys normally whistle for two reasons: to catcall a beautiful girl or to get the attention of someone.
Unlike India, there are many cultures where whistling at night is thought to attract bad luck, bad things, or evil spirits.
Thai people believe that whistling at night attracts bad luck and evil spirits.
In Russian and other Slavic cultures, and also in Romania and the Baltic states, whistling indoors is superstitiously believed to bring poverty whereas whistling outdoors is considered normal. While in Estonia, it is widely believed that whistling indoors may bring bad luck and therefore set the house on fire.
PNN/Agencies