25 Of The Strangest Superstitions From Around The World
#1 In Spain
People in Spain believe that Tuesday the 13th and not Friday the 13th is an unlucky day. Tuesday, which is "Martes" in Spanish, is derived from mars, which in the Middle Ages was called "little evil".
#2 In China
In China, the number four is considered incredibly unlucky because it sounds very close to the word for "death." Some buildings even refuse to have a fourth floor.
#3 In Egypt
Owls are said to be unlucky in Egypt, as they bring bad news for the one who happens to see or hear the bird.
#4 In Russia
They say carrying an empty bucket or even seeing someone carrying an empty bucket is a bad omen. This probably stemmed from the fact that Tsar Alexander II was assassinated by a man with an empty bucket.
#5 In Rwanda
In Rwanda, women are taught not to eat the meat of goats because eating it will cause them to grow facial hair.
#6 In Finland
In Finland (and some other parts of the world), killing a spider means it will rain the next day.
#7 In Senegal
In Senegal, they say to keep your travel plans to yourself. If anyone learns about your upcoming vacation or move, they say it is destined to be ruined.
#8 In Malaysia
A common belief in Malaysia is that if you sit on a pillow, it will cause your bottom and backside to be covered in boils, blisters, and other sores.
#9 In France
In France, it's believed to be good luck to step in dog poop with your left foot, but bad luck to step in it with your right.
#10 In Turkey
In some parts of Turkey, it is believed that if you are chewing gum at night, it's actually rotting dead flesh. So you might want to think twice about popping a piece of Dubble Bubble..
#11 In Germany
In Germany, it is bad luck to cheers with water because it is said you are literally wishing death to everyone you are drinking with.
#12 In South Korea
In South Korea, it is believed that running a fan in a closed room while sleeping will kill you. People in South Korea are said to only use fans in rooms with a cracked window.
#13 In Brazil
In Brazil, it is bad luck to let your wallet or purse touch the floor. If it happens, the belief is that you will become a poor man.
#14 In Denmark
In Denmark, they save broken dishes all year long to throw at the houses of friends and family on New Year's Eve. It's believed that the larger the amount of porcelain, the more good luck bestowed upon friends and family.
#15 In North America
Stepping on a crack is said to be bad luck in parts of North America. Some even say it might break your mother's back...
#16 In Portugal
In Portugal, it is bad luck to walk backwards because it teaches the devil your path.
#17 In Egypt
In Egypt, it's seen as very bad luck to open and close a pair of scissors without cutting anything. What's even worse is leaving them open! It's said that you're cutting evil spirits that linger in the air, and they'll get mad.
#18 In Bulgaria
It's actually good luck to have a bird poop on you!
#19 In Italy
Some people in Italy are said to fear Friday the 17th because the Roman numeral XVII can be arranged to make the word "VIXI" which means "my life is over" in Latin.
#20 In Spain
In Spain, it is believed to be bad luck to enter a room with your left foot.
#21 In India
In India, it is said to be bad luck to wash or cut your hair on Thursday or Saturday, and even worse to clip your nails on Tuesday, Saturday, or at night.
#22 In the Netherlands
In the Netherlands, singing at the dinner table means you are singing to the devil for your dinner--which means bad luck. They also say that lending salt to a neighbor is bad luck too.
#23 In Nigeria
In Nigeria, they say it is bad luck to kiss a baby on the lips, or they will grow up to be adults who drool.
#24 In the United States
In the state of Vermont, many farmhouses built in the 19th century included slanted "witch windows" to keep witches out of the home. It was believed that witches could not fly through a tilted window.
#25 In Sweden
In Sweden, locals are very careful about what manholes they step on, as some are marked with the letter "A" and some are marked with "K." The "K" is believed to stand for love, whereas the "A" is interpreted as a symbol for heartbreak and bad luck in love
