Never marry within the same year as a sibling or after a family member’s death (“sukob”), or it will bring misfortune

Lara:
Uy, Marco… I need to tell you something, but promise you won’t freak out.

Marco:
What did you do now? Did you finally microwave your metal spoon again?

Lara:
Hoy! That was one time! And no, this is serious. My kuya just announced his wedding date… and it’s in October.
And you know my plan—Daniel and I wanted a December wedding. Same year. Same year, Marco!
Sukob! This is bad luck!

Marco:
Ah, here we go. Sukob strikes again.
Why are you worried? You’re not sharing a wedding venue with a ghost.

Lara:
Marco, you don’t understand! My Lola always said marrying in the same year as a sibling brings misfortune.
She swore her cousin’s marriage collapsed because of it. The husband lost his job, their roof leaked, and they had three months of nonstop utang!

Marco:
Lara… roofs leak because of poor waterproofing, not because the universe is mad your cousin got married in the wrong calendar year.

Lara:
But it happened right after the wedding! That’s a sign.

Marco:
Or maybe they chose a cheap contractor who used hollow blocks thinner than your self-control in a milk tea shop.

Lara:
Ay naku. You really don’t believe anything unless it has a formula and a graph.

Marco:
Well, yeah. If misfortune really depended on wedding timing, hospitals, insurance companies, and statisticians would’ve written papers about it already. Imagine the title:
“Correlation Between Wedding Months and Leaky Roofs in Metro Manila Households.”

Lara:
Sige, laugh all you want. But there’s also the part about not getting married too soon after a death in the family. Like if someone passes away, you have to wait a year, or else the spirit will bring sadness to your marriage.

Marco:
Or maybe the tradition is just a cultural way of telling people: “Hey, your family is grieving. Don’t plan a fiesta-level event immediately.”

Lara:
…That actually makes sense.

Marco:
See? Most superstitions came from practical old-life advice.
Back then, weddings needed huge resources. If two siblings married in the same year, families might struggle financially—so they just said “bad luck” to scare people from overspending.

Lara:
But what if… you know… the bad luck is real? What if Daniel and I end up fighting, or our business fails?

Marco:
Then it won’t be because of the wedding date. It’ll be because of real issues—stress, decisions, finances, communication.
Blaming sukob is like blaming Mercury in retrograde when you trip on your own tsinelas.

Lara:
Hey, Mercury can be very retro sometimes.

Marco:
Lara, you’re not an astronaut. It’s not affecting you.

Lara:
Fine, fine. So you think it’s safe? No cosmic curse? No angry spirits?

Marco:
The only spirit you should be worried about is the spirit of procrastination if you don’t book your caterer early.
Those fully-booked December schedules are scarier than any multo.

Lara:
You make a good point.
And honestly… I don’t want to delay my wedding just because of an old belief. Daniel already bought the rings. My mom already bought a dress!

Marco:
There you go. Live your life.
Besides, if anything unlucky happens, I promise to help—except if it involves heights or lizards. Non-negotiable.

Lara:
Deal. And thanks, Marco.
Maybe sukob isn’t about curses…
Maybe it’s just about old habits that stuck around too long.

Marco:
Exactly. Like your ex.

Lara:
HEY!