You Have More Than Black Cats To Be Scared Of
If you're a superstitious person or believe that outside factors can control our fates, you might be interested to learn in things around the world that are said to bring you bad luck. You want to be able to avoid them wherever you are, right? While some might feel familiar to you like black cats and walking under ladders, there will definitely be some surprises we know you'll enjoy. Got any others to share?
1. Black Cat
While some countries in Europe may view coming across a black cat as good luck, there’s a superstition in America that says the opposite. These creatures have been tied to Halloween and witches for a long time, now generally seen as a fun and lighthearted symbol of bad luck.
2. Broken Mirror
You’ve likely heard of the phrase, “breaking a mirror will bring seven years of bad luck,” but why? Dating as far back as ancient Greece and Rome, the belief that broken mirrors bring bad luck stems from these civilizations believing reflections were magical and showed your soul. So obviously, fracturing your soul is a bad thing!
3. Giving Someone A Clock
In Chinese culture, the last thing you want to be giving someone is a clock. While it might seem like a thoughtful gift or practical move-in item in other countries, in China, it’s incredibly taboo and is seen as a reminder that your time is running out. It’s especially insulting if you gift this to a senior.
4. Sitting Chopsticks Straight Up
In certain Asian countries like China and Japan, you might want to pay extra attention when you’re eating rice. That’s because placing your chopsticks upright in your rice bowl is a huge no-no. It’s thought to be bad luck because the action resembles incense that is burned at funerals.
5. Crows
Although crows are known to be incredibly intelligent birds, they’re generally tied with superstitions of bad luck and death. What’s funny about this one though is while it’s believed seeing one crow is bad, seeing two is good luck instead. Guess you’re really just testing your luck!
6. Saying Macbeth
This one might be more familiar with theatre nerds, but there’s a common myth (referred to as The Scottish Curse) that states if you say the word “Macbeth” in a theatre, it’ll bring you bad luck. Some people are so terrified of this, the play itself is given an alternate name such as “The Scottish Play” or “The Bard’s Play.”
7. Opening Umbrellas Indoor
In many Western countries around the world, opening an umbrella inside is as terrifying as coming across a black cat. Turns out, this legend goes back farther than you might think - all the way to ancient Egypt! While it’s just a myth, umbrellas during this time were used as shields against the sun, so opening it indoors, away from the sun god, was believed to be very disrespectful.
8. Walking Under A Ladder
While this already seems like a safety hazard that prevents people from doing it, this action being tied to bad luck makes it even less appealing. Once again connected to ancient Egypt, it’s thought that ladders would be left in tombs, meaning bad things will happen if you accidentally disrupt the spirits floating in and around this object.
9. Friday The 13th
Forget about a single item or action causing you bad luck, what about an entire unlucky day? Friday the 13th is an awfully superstitious day in Western countries like Canada and America. While most people simply brush it off and go about their day, anything unlucky that happens during this time does feel a bit more spooky.
10. The Number 4
Yes, even numbers can feel ominous! If your favorite number is 4, you might want to consider switching. That’s because in some Asian countries, it’s pronounced the same way as the word death, making it the most unlucky number you don’t want to utter carelessly.
11. Pointing At A Rainbow
While rainbows might seem like a happy and joyful thing you want to stare at and admire, some cultures, like the Navajo, believe pointing at them is terrible bad luck. Thought to be sacred, possibly even god-like creations, these people view the gesture of pointing at it to be incredibly disrespectful. If you don't like being pointed at, why would rainbows?
12. Shoes On The Table
According to some, placing shoes on the table has a lot more meaning than you might think. First of all, why you'd want to place dirty items on the table is confusing enough, but this action is said to symbolize death and bad luck. Better safe than sorry, keep these on the ground - as they're meant to be!
13. Putting A Hat On The Bed
There's no real basis for this superstition, but some people believe leaving your hat on the bed is a bringer of bad luck. From the fear of squashing it as you roll over or the belief that you shouldn't bring your work-related clothing to your place of peace, there are many reasons circulating online as to why people fear this action.
14. Horseshoes Pointing Down
You might be surprised to see the lucky horseshoe on this list but this superstition is very specific. While the item itself is considered good luck, if you hang it facing down, people fear that you're emptying all your luck and replacing it with bad ones. You want to keep that goodness contained, don't you?
15. The Number 39
In certain regions in Afghanistan, 39 is much more than just a number. Not only is it considered bad luck and shameful to be associated with it, it's linked to many negative traits you wouldn't want to be tied to. Just know you should never bring up this number should you travel there.
16. The Number 9
We're not quite done with numbers yet! While China sees the number 9 as good luck because it sounds very similar to the word "long-lasting," it's a very different story over in Japan. In fact, it's quite the opposite. Because in Japanese culture, the number 9 sounds like the word "suffering," something no one wants.
17. Squashing A Ladybug
Given that ladybugs are typically seen as little bringers of good luck and fortune, accidentally squashing one will obviously bring you trouble. Make sure you watch your every step so you're careful of these tiny insects!
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18. Tipping A Saltshaker
The next time you're adding extra salt to your food, make sure you have a tight grasp around the shaker. That's because many Western countries see spilling salt as very bad luck. This one is particularly interesting though as salt has many different interpretations and meaning in legends around the world. What do you know?
19. Landing On Tails
Do you really want to stake your good luck on a coin flip? While this action is typically done to help you make decisions, you might be risking some superstitious bad luck heading your way. Turns out, some people in Western cultures believe that a coin landing on tails is bad luck; but don't worry, if you flip it over to heads, no one will notice!
20. Sneezing
While most of you might see sneezing as an involuntary body response, it means a bit more in certain Asian countries like Japan, China, and Korea. It's believed that sometimes when you sneeze, you're experiencing bad luck and someone is talking about you behind your back. That sounds pretty unfortunate for people who can never just stop at one sneeze! In some cultures, they care about when and what day too!
