By South China Morning Post | Created at 2025-01-31 01:01:15 | Updated at 2025-01-31 04:43:10
3 hours ago
A new trend has swept Chinese hospitals and taken social media by storm in which doctors worship certain foods and embrace others in a bid to ensure a trouble-free shift on the wards.
In the curious culinary craze apples are in and dragon fruit is out, it also factors in mango, and the popular snack drink, Want Want Milk.
The trend, which has its roots in Chinese superstition, has been given the name “modern superstitions among the medical community”.
Like most ancient Chinese superstitions designed to boost good luck, the hospital food rituals aim to ward off misfortune and ensure a smooth night shift where “everyone is safe.”
Among these, the practice of “apple duty” is particularly popular.
In this ritual, apples, viewed as the patron saints of night shifts, are strategically placed on top of a phone, ideally on the receiver, to ward off the dreaded “midnight ring.”
Similarly, placing apples on the duty roster or arranging a “formation” of four apples around the printer is believed to bring a steady shift.
