Breaking a mirror, crossing a black cat... these are the most common superstitions that predict bad luck. But do you want to discover other very rare ones from the rest of the world?
The world is full of people who believe in good and/or bad luck and depending on it, they adopt some customs or others.
It has happened to all of us at some point that a black cat has passed us in the street, we do not pass the salt from hand to hand or we avoid opening an umbrella inside the house because that is a symbol of bad luck. It is something natural, that happens without much thought. Superstitions embedded in the unconscious and that today we continue to execute almost as a reflex action.
But first of all, what is superstition? It is a belief that has no rational foundation and that consists in attributing a magical or supernatural character to certain events or in thinking that certain facts provide good or bad luck.
The first superstitions were born at least more than fifty thousand years ago, at a time when man lived surrounded by dangers and did not know how to explain his surroundings.
Some of those that we mention are the most common or at least they are better known to us, but they are not the same in each place on the planet and each country has its own.... after all, no matter how many kilometers separate us We are not that different from each other. Of course, some are very rare.
In this first part we leave you some of the strangest superstitions in the world.
Germany
1.- You can not congratulate a person before the date of his birthday.
This superstition dates back to the belief that demons could listen to good wishes and would do anything to prevent them from being fulfilled.
2.- Toast looking directly into the eyes
You must toast looking directly into the eyes of each of those present at the moment of colliding the glasses. This way you will save yourself from having poison in your drink – which is the origin of this superstition – and from having your love life be a disaster for the next seven years. But be careful, you can't toast with water.
3. Beer is sacred.
If you toast with water, you will be wishing your toasting partner bad luck.
4. The best birthday present: a pig.
Having a pig at home is a symbol of good luck and abundance, since in the past, being able to buy one meant that they had money and its meat could feed an entire family. For this reason, in Germany houses are decorated with figures of pigs of all sizes to attract fortune. And when someone was lucky, they say: Ich hatte ein Schwein! (I had a pig!).
Australia
1. Don't do the "victory" symbol.
It is often used as a winning symbol and represents peace, although in some countries it can also symbolize an insult, so you must be very careful with this gesture. In Australia, for example, the victory symbol means the same as showing the middle finger.
Brazil
1. Do not point to the stars.
You have to make the sign of the cross every time you pass a graveyard, while avoiding pointing at the stars, unless you want to get warts on your fingers.
2. The bag never on the ground
Never let the bag touch the ground: it is bad luck and it is believed that you will lose all your riches and be poor forever.
Bulgaria
1. Yes or no?
Watch out! It can be very confusing.
As is well known, yes and no do not have the same meaning in all countries. In Bulgaria, for example, shaking your head from left to right means "yes" and nodding means "no".
The situation is similar in India and Pakistan, and even in Ethiopia they throw their heads back to say 'yes'. However, in the Arab countries, in Greece, Turkey and in southern Italy, this movement means exactly the opposite.
China
1. To count: 1,2,3,5,6,7...
The number 4 (Sì) is practically banned in this country and this is because its pronunciation is very similar to the word "death" (Sǐ). If you get to see that in an elevator they go from the 3rd floor to the 5th floor, do not be surprised.
2. Never give watches
There is no doubt that the watch has a connotation of time. In Chinese culture, a watch is synonymous with "end of the road." In this way if you give it away, you are wishing death to the graceful.
South Korea
1. Do not whistle at night and do not write your own name in red ink
This could make ghosts and evil spirits aware of your presence. Another dangerous nighttime activity is writing. Just think what can happen if you accidentally grab the wrong inkwell in the dark and write a person's name in red! You would be signing his death warrant, as wooden sticks and tombstones in Buddhist graves have red inscriptions.
2. Do not sleep with a fan on
The fixation of the Koreans to avoid falling asleep with the fan on for fear of dying has even led them to manufacture them with a timer.
3. Do not sing at night
Singing a song at night is not a good idea. It is thought that by doing so, even if you have a beautiful voice, you are calling the spirits and even demons.
Denmark
1. Don't throw away broken china
All the cups, the saucers, the plates, the bowls, in short, all the porcelain figures that break are kept throughout the year and are thrown away at the houses of friends and relatives on New Year's Eve. The more quantity, the luckier you will be in the new year.
Egypt
1. Do not open and close the scissors without cutting anything.
They are particularly careful with the scissors since, under no circumstances do they open and close them if it is not to cut something: do not play or it will bring bad luck. In Greek mythology, the Moira Atropos (personification of destiny) cut the thread of human life with scissors. In this way, she associates scissors with fate or sudden death.
Spain and Latin America
1. Tuesday the 13th, neither get married nor embark.
While Friday the 13th brings bad luck in many countries, the day of bad luck in most Hispanic countries is Tuesday the 13th! This is the reason why, they say, it is not good luck to get married or travel on the 13th day of the month that falls on a Tuesday. The explanation could be because Constantinople fell on a Tuesday. To this is added that 'Tuesday' derives from 'Mars', which in the Middle Ages was called "the little malefic".
2. Toasting with water is bad luck
A 2017 Perrier study confirmed that 30% of Spaniards believe that toasting with water brings bad luck and up to 75% admitted that they avoid water when toasting. This superstition may have its origin in Greek mythology. In ancient Greece, it was toasted with water when someone died, in homage to the river Lethe, since it was believed that the deceased sailed to the underworld through this river. To toast with water outside of these occasions, began to be considered wishing death to the other person.
United States
1. Knock on wood.
This practice comes from pagan beliefs in which benefactor spirits were thought to live in trees, so by touching the bark, they came out of hiding to help people.
Finland
1. Don't kill the spider.
It is believed that if a spider is killed, it will rain the next day.
France
1. Do not put the bread upside down.
A loaf can easily attract the devil! Not only are they lovers of good bread and they accompany it at every meal, they will never turn it upside down as they consider it bad luck.
2. Let's step on merde!
Stepping on dog excrement with your left foot means that you will have good luck and something very nice will happen to you.
3. Watch out for spiders and birds
In France there is the following expression: Araignée du matin: chagrin ("Spider in the morning: pain"). Also other animals can cause harm: something bad can happen if a bird looks through your window.
Haiti
1. All for your mother
If you walk with only one shoe on, sweep the floor at night, walk on all fours, eat the tops of watermelon and/or grapefruit… then you have put your mother on her deathbed.
Hungary
1. Toast with beer, never.
They never toast with beer. It's not really a superstition...or is it? They have had this custom since 1849, when they lost the war against Austria and they celebrated with loud toasts of beer mugs, they decided that they would not toast with beer again for 150 years.
Ghana
1. Do not look into the eyes.
In Africa it is particularly polite not to look directly into the eyes of the person with whom you are conversing. Avoiding eye contact is very respectful, especially if you are dealing with older people.
Great Britain
1. Don't forget to say hello to the magpie
If you see a magpie in Britain, you had better greet it courteously: Good morning Mister Magpie. How is your lady wife today? ("Good morning, Mr. Magpie. How is her wife today?"). If you skip this greeting, bad luck will haunt you for the rest of the day. This tradition probably originates from the fact that magpies are often found in pairs. A single magpie means sadness. If you add to your greeting: One for sorrow, two for joy! ("One for sadness, two for joy!"), you will ensure that the magpie is friendly and does not steal any of your belongings.
Greece
1. Cacti everywhere
Don't be surprised if on your next trip to Greece you find cacti on every doorstep. They always put them because they believe it brings good luck and protects them from evil.
2. No hairdressing on a full moon
Older Greeks believe that cutting children's hair when there is a full moon is bad luck. Those who dare to cut their hair that day will remain bald forever.
3. When 2 people pronounce the same word at the same time
The Greeks have their own version of the Evil Eye. When two people pronounce the same word at the same time, they have to immediately say "Piase Kokkino" - touch red - and simultaneously touch anything red that is at hand to prevent bad luck from taking over both.
4. Crooked frames or frames falling off
This superstition has its origin in classical Greece. They believed that if the portrait of an emperor or a famous person fell to the ground and suffered any kind of damage, it meant that that person would die in a short time.
Which is yours?
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