some beliefs while traveling or visiting a place stranger to you...

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Last week, I had my week long road trip, me, my parents, brother, sister-in-law and nephew flew to Butuan as a start-off point of our All Souls' Day celebration. Then in one of our conversations, my mother asked my brother if he has with him a ginger for his baby. It has been a practice in our family to bring with us ginger especially when we go to a place that we are not familiar with, and since it's my nephew's first time to reach that part of Mindanao, my mother wanted to see to it that he has ginger to keep him away from the so-called "bati" or in Visayan "buyag". I do not know if there's an exact translation of the term, but it is described as a greeting made by strangers that sometimes would lead to rashes or slight fever to the people whom the strangers would greet on. Last year, it was my first time to attend a Moriones thing in Pola, Mindoro. After following those men in mask, I went home feeling sick. I was cold and yet sweating. Then, my friend's aunt who has psychic healing gift, prayed over, and eventually she told me that someone had greeted me. So, do you believe in the unknown powers of greetings made by strangers ? buyag? Care to share your story...