Weird superstitions across the world

Avril- Ann Braganza

Whether we believe in superstitions on not, they exist across the world and it is fascinating to know the superstitions that people believe in, across different countries. While some are common, others are specific to a certain country. Here`s a few that may interest you.

Turkey

Turkish people believe that "if you`re chewing gum at night in Turkey, you`re actually chewing the flesh of the dead."

Spain

On New Year`s Eve in Spain, when the clock strikes midnight, instead of kissing, the superstitious eat twelve grapes for 12 months of good luck.

Symbolizing cleansing at the start of a new year, some Spaniards also toss a bucket of water out the window

Japan

The Japanese word for thumb literally translates as `parent-finger.` So, if a hearse passes you by, or you are walking by a graveyard, tuck your thumbs in. By doing so you are protecting your parents from death.

In Japan, it is believed that you`ll have a short life if you sleep at night with your head facing north. It is customary that Japanese corpses are laid with their head facing north during `wake` ceremony.

Russia

In Russia, if a bird defecates on you, your car or your property it`s good luck, and may bring you riches.
In Russia, be wary of the number and colour of flowers you give a woman. An even number of flowers is for the dead. So, throw in an extra rose when buying a dozen roses. Further, yellow flowers symbolize infidelity and are considered a relationship curse.

As the superstition goes, whistling in a home in Russia frightens guardian angels, and is believed to bring bad luck (and is considered rude)

Iceland

Knitting on a doorstep in Iceland during late winter is believed to lengthen its duration.

Germany
If someone has difficulty dying in Germany, one may ease the process by lifting up three tiles on the roof.

France

According to the French belief, handling a loaf of bread upside-down or placing it upside-down on the table brings hunger and bad luck to both the giver and the recipient.

Argentina

Many Argentinians avoid saying the name of the former president Carlos Menem who has been often blamed for the country’s economic crash in 2001, and is considered a living curse. Argentinians substitute Menem with “Mendez” in their conversations. If someone happened to say “Menem,” women will typically touch their left breast and men their left testicle to ward off the bad luck.

China

According to the Chinese superstition, covering the forehead with hair, is said to create a serious block on a person`s wealth luck and is applicable specially to men. Men’s foreheads are believed to be the part of the face that attracts wisdom, success and good fortune and covering it is believed to seriously affect good fortune coming your way.

Greece

As tradition goes, if an unmarried woman places a bag of blessed sugarcoated almonds (Koufeta) underneath her pillow, she will dream of the man she is supposed to spend the rest of her life with.